Notable Quote

"Medieval Iceland, medieval Ireland, the Law Merchant of stateless commercial networks, and many other historical examples demonstrate that legal and judicial order does not require the state. These polycentric legal systems provided security and conflict resolution through purely private and voluntary mechanisms."

Hoppe, Hans-Hermann event 2003

From The Myth of National Defense: Essays on the Theory and History of Security Production

Context: From Hoppe's introduction, pointing to historical cases examined in detail by the anthology's contributors: polycentric legal orders that produced security without any territorial state monopoly.