The unsung, and sadly neglected, English classical liberal philosopher and MP Auberon Herbert (1838–1906) coined the term “voluntaryism” to describe his concept of the voluntary state.
If Mises and Herbert are both classical liberals, the former arguing for "a national government with very limited scope and function" and the latter "a form of voluntary local government, not really a state per se", classical liberal is big tent. Could it be possible that there are three libertarian camps: classical liberal (Hayek, Friedman), minarchist (Herbert, Rand) and anarcho-capitalist (Spooner, Rothbard)? If yes, in which of the three would you place von Mises?
Mises undoubtedly belongs in the minarchist camp based on his preferred size and scope of government. He thought of himself as a liberal, in the nineteenth century sense of the term, i.,e., classical liberal. Herbert was an MP for the Liberal Party in the nineteenth century, and thus was a nineteenth century classical liberal. So both Mises and Herbert identified with the same political tradition, notwithstanding their differences. This just demonstrates that classical liberalism, thought of as a historical political tradition, was a rather broad tent, as all traditions of political thought are. The more difficult and interesting question is the relationship of classical liberalism, broad tent that it is, with libertarianism today, broad tent that it too is.
If Mises and Herbert are both classical liberals, the former arguing for "a national government with very limited scope and function" and the latter "a form of voluntary local government, not really a state per se", classical liberal is big tent. Could it be possible that there are three libertarian camps: classical liberal (Hayek, Friedman), minarchist (Herbert, Rand) and anarcho-capitalist (Spooner, Rothbard)? If yes, in which of the three would you place von Mises?
Mises undoubtedly belongs in the minarchist camp based on his preferred size and scope of government. He thought of himself as a liberal, in the nineteenth century sense of the term, i.,e., classical liberal. Herbert was an MP for the Liberal Party in the nineteenth century, and thus was a nineteenth century classical liberal. So both Mises and Herbert identified with the same political tradition, notwithstanding their differences. This just demonstrates that classical liberalism, thought of as a historical political tradition, was a rather broad tent, as all traditions of political thought are. The more difficult and interesting question is the relationship of classical liberalism, broad tent that it is, with libertarianism today, broad tent that it too is.
That would be an excellent theme to explore in your first interview on The Liberty Itch Podcast.