Lysander Spooner’s 1875 essay, “Vices are Not Crimes,” argues that actions harming only oneself or one’s property are vices, distinct from crimes which infringe upon others. Spooner, a natural-rights theorist, contends that government should only punish the initiation of violence against person and property, not enforce morality by outlawing vices. Murray Rothbard’s introduction positions Spooner as a crucial figure defending objective moral principles against rising utilitarian and nihilistic viewpoints, even within libertarian thought. Rothbard highlights the historical tension between pietistic and liturgical religious attitudes influencing American political debates on personal liberty versus enforced morality. Ultimately, the text champions individual liberty and self-determination, asserting that individuals have the right to pursue happiness without governmental interference in matters of personal conduct deemed “vices.”

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