Published Works

Here are some of Dave's books. 

The Limits of Government: An Essay on the Public Goods Argument

David Schmidtz

The most widely accepted justification for political authority is that coercive institutions are necessary to provide for public goods. Making use of the tools of rational choice theory, economics, and the law of contracts, the author offers a critique of this argument. In this, Dave's first book, we find hints of what would become influential contributions to our understanding of the logic of contractarian arguments, the prisoner's dilemma, and the institution of property.

The Oxford Handbook of Freedom

Carmen E Pavel and David Schmidtz

"We speak of being 'free' to speak our minds, free to go to college, free to move about; we can be cancer-free, debt-free, worry-free, or free from doubt. The concept of freedom has been subject to searching if not withering scrutiny. The Oxford Handbook of Freedom is a wide-ranging analysis of freedom in all its dimensions: legal, cultural, religious, economic, political, and psychological. Reflecting the scope of the topic, this volume includes 28 essays by historians and political theorists as well as philosophers.

The Routledge Handbook of Libertarianism

Jason Brennan, Bas van der Vossen, David Schmidtz

Libertarians often bill their theory as an alternative to both the traditional Left and Right. The Routledge Handbook of Libertarianism examines this alternative without preaching it, exploring the contours of libertarian (sometimes also called classical liberal) thinking on justice, institutions, interpersonal ethics, government, and political economy. The 31 chapters--all written specifically for this volume--are organized into five parts.