320 Chapter 13
tionsof the use of force,whereinthe contract-breakeror fraudstermanipulatesthe victim
intoapplyingphysicalforceto himselfin a harmfulmanner.Twopeople—Tad and Lew-
is—developan unwritten,yet binding,contractualagreement.Tad promisesthat if Lewis
handshima specificitem,Tadwill givehim10,000dollarsa monthlaterin a lumpsum.
LewishandsTadthe itembut,a monthlater,Taddoesnot deliverthe 10,000dollars.He
neverdoes.It is a breachof theircontractualarrangement.As McCaskeyarticulates,Tad’s
defaulton his promiseinvolvesharmresultingindirectlyfromthe initiationof the use of
force—the sameforcewhichphysicistsspeakof in theirownscientificdiscipline.The
physicalforceharmingLewisis the physicalact of Lewishandinghis itemoverto Tad
when,had he knownthat Tad wouldfail to deliveron the promised10,000dollars,Lewis
neverwouldhaveengagedin sucha physicalaction.Therefore,in breachingthe contract,
Ted has manipulatedLewisinto applyingforcein a mannerharmfulto Lewis’s ownlife.
We can extendthatlogicto Wally,Julianne,andRoy.Again,WallyandJulianneare
engagedto be married.Roygoesto Julianneand tellsher the completelyfabricatedstory
thatWallymolestedchildrenand has escapedcriminalprosecution.The verypossibility
that this mightbe truedisturbsJulianne.She breaksoff her engagementto Wally.Should
Wallyapproachher to try to explainhimself,Julianneshallinterpretthatas stalkingand
harassment,and she shallsummonthe policeto detainWally.
Partof Wally’s freedomto act peaceablyon his ownjudgmentrequiresthatother
peopledealwithhimin goodfaith—not on falsepretensesthatmightleadto violent
interaction.In the absenceof Roy’s duplicityconcerningWally,bothJulianneand Wally
wouldbe free to act peaceablyon theirownjudgments.WhenRoyfeedsdevastatinglies
aboutWallyto Julianne,Julianneactson thatfalseinformation.It is not as if beliefsare
heldin a vacuum.Contraryto DavidHume,peoplemustnecessarilyact on whatthey
believeto be true.Rejectingthe proclamationsof RothbardandWalterBlock,the use of
physicalforceis initiatedin this scenario.The physicalforceis the physicalact of Julianne
shunningWally,physicallyavoidinghis company,andcallingthe policeon Wallyif he
approachesher peaceably.Thus,Royhas manipulatedJulianneintobecomingan agent
that appliesforcethat harmsWally.
WhenTadbreachescontractwithLewis,manipulatingLewisintorelinquishingan
itemto Tad underfalsepretenses,Tad transformsLewisinto the agentapplyingforcethat
harmsLewis.Likewise,if Royfeedsdevastatinglies to JulianneaboutWally,Roytrans-
formsJulianneinto an agentapplyingforcethat harmsWally.Thatis whylibertariansare
incorrectand whydefamationcountsas spoliationthat a nightwatchmanstatecan right-
fullydeemactionableundercivillaw.^9
NeverCounton a BrokenClock—Not Twicea Day
As we are on the subjectof truthandlibertariandismissalsof its importance,it is
opportunefor us to returnto the topicthatBookOne’s openingchapterfocusedupon.
Shouldtwo meneachproclaima needfor a laissez-fairegovernmentlimitedto protecting
peoplefromforce,shouldwe judgethemto havethe samegoalswhentheirepistemolo-
gies differ?Yes,insistsuchlibertariansas MurrayN. Rothbard.Accordingto Rothbard,if
it is the casethatsomeonehas reachedthe correctconclusionson politicsthroughan
invalidmethodology,thatis fine,as nothingmattersexceptthatthe person’s conclusions
are correct.Onecan cite an old sayingthatgoes,“Evena brokenclockis righttwicea
day.” Thereis a philosophicimplicationin thatstatementthatis whollymisleading.
Supposemy clockbreaksand is stuckat 10:43.Thatclockis neverright,giventhatit has
lost the causalmeanswherebyit onceprovidedaccuratetimekeeping.My brokenclock
provesinvariablyunreliablefor tellingtime.Thatprinciplecontinuesto applyat 10:43
a.m.and 10:43p.m.