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Is the State Necessary? Join Our Virtual Event on Feb 11

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Join us for a timely virtual conversation questioning one of the oldest assumptions in political thought—that centralized authority is necessary to prevent social chaos.

Deleting the State: Fear, Power, and Political Authority

Wednesday, February 11, 2026 | 12:00 PM PT/ 3:00 PM ET | Virtual Event
Register for Free →
In this Independent Conversations virtual event, acclaimed political theorist Aeon J. Skoble discusses his new book, Deleting the State, in conversation with Independent Institute President Graham Walker. Drawing on philosophy, economics, game theory, and legal history, Skoble challenges the moral legitimacy and necessity of the state as we understand it today, arguing that social cooperation does not require coercive political authority—and that the power of the state exists only because we grant it.

Together, Skoble and Walker will explore whether political authority is truly a necessary evil, how cooperation can emerge without centralized control, and what philosophical anarchism can teach us about building a freer society.

Mark your calendars and join this thought-provoking online discussion about political authority, freedom, and the foundations of social order!

Plus, get your questions answered in a live Q&A.

Can’t make it live? Register anyway, and we’ll send the recording straight to your inbox.
Hope you can join us,

Independent Institute Team
Register Now →

FEATURED BOOK

Deleting the State

Requiem for an Illusion

by Aeon J. Skoble
“States are illegitimate, dangerous, and unnecessary. Aeon Skoble argues crisply and accessibly that we should reject these pointless and destructive institutions in favor
of genuinely consensual alternatives. Skoble’s convincing case for peaceful, voluntary cooperation as the essential basis for a just social order merits careful consideration.”
—Gary Chartier, associate dean and distinguished professor of law and business ethics, Tom and Vi Zapara School of Business, La Sierra University
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