The Public Goods Circular Argument

The Public Goods Circular Argument

From Audio Mises Wire by Mises Institute

May 27, 2026

About this episode

The episode discusses the circular argument in public goods theory regarding the state's role in production.

Public goods theory often assumes what it seeks to establish, namely, that the state is the indispensable precondition of production, even though the state itself depends upon prior production for every resource it possesses. Original article: https://mises.org/mises-wire/public-goods-circular-argument

Topics covered

  • public goods
  • state theory
  • production
  • economic theory
  • political philosophy

Keywords

  • public goods
  • state
  • production
  • economic theory
  • circular argument

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Mises Institute

Books & works: The Public Goods Circular Argument, public goods theory, state

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