[link removed]
[link removed]
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 → ([link removed])

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 ([link removed]) anyway, and we’ll send the recording straight to your inbox.

Hope you can join us,

Independent Institute Team
Register Now → ([link removed])


** 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
[link removed]

[link removed]
[link removed]
[link removed]
[link removed]
[link removed]
mailto:[email protected]

You received this message because you are subscribed to Virtual Events.

Independent Institute, 100 Swan Way, Oakland, CA 94621-1428
Manage preferences ([link removed]) | Unsubscribe ([link removed])

Copyright © 2026 Independent Institute, All rights reserved.