
Social Contract, Free Ride
A Study of the Public-Goods Problem
Anthony Jasay(Author)
Liberty Fund Inc (Publisher)
Published on 29. April 2008
Book
Paperback/Softback
276 pages
978-0-86597-701-3 (ISBN)
Description
This book provides a novel account of the public goods dilemma. The author shows how the social contract, in its quest for fairness, actually helps to breed the parasitic 'free riding' it is meant to suppress. He also shows how, in the absence of taxation, many public goods would be provided by spontaneous group co-operation. This would, however, imply some degree of free riding. Unwilling to tolerate such unfairness, co-operating groups would eventually drift from voluntary to compulsory solutions, heedless of the fact that this must bring back free riding with a vengeance. The author argues that the perverse incentives created by the attempt to render public provision assured and fair are a principal cause of the poor functioning of organised society.
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Indianapolis, IN
United States
Target group
College/higher education
Product notice
Paperback (trade)
sewn/stitched
Illustrations
Illustrations
Dimensions
Height: 233 mm
Width: 154 mm
Thickness: 24 mm
Weight
467 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-86597-701-3 (9780865977013)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

Anthony de Jasay
Social Contract, Free Ride
E-Book
06/2012
1st Edition
Liberty Fund Inc.
€24.29
Available for download