Night-watchman state

Night watchman state is a going back to the labor leader Ferdinand Lassalle polemical term for a state which is limited to the protection of personal freedom and private property - an allusion to the role of a night watchman. As a classical proponents of institutionally limited state currents are different in radical liberalism. In many forms, the concept is now represented mainly by the currents of libertarianism and Minarchismus.

Term development

In the 19th century, the model of the " laissez -faire " economics dominated the debates. The idea or ideology of laissez -faire is based on a natural order in which the selfish and individualistic behaviors of individuals by the " Invisible Hand " will be coordinated at the best possible result. Hence the requirement was based on the state to stay out largely from economic life, this notion mocked Lasalle as a night watchman state. He used the term as a " battle cry against the liberal state and society concept " He called ( in his " worker program " in 1862 ) with the " night watchman idea," the image of the state, the make (not only) liberals and directed so mockingly against the contemporary Manchester liberalism. " Manchesterism " is also a mocking expression that comes from Ferdinand Lassalle and Benjamin Disraeli.

Historical classification

Until the 19th century, the model of laissez -faire dominated the economic debate. In addition, the prevailing liberal understanding of the state prevented the state until the 1880s because the social question to solve consistently. To his own welfare every citizen should take care of itself. Although in the 19th century softened the industrialization and progress of agricultural chemistry employment and nutritional problems, but the social question was transformed only; there was the problem of inhuman living and working conditions of industrial workers. Due to illness, disability, unemployment or age -related loss of earnings led to social distress, as there was no welfare state. Another problem was the widespread child labor. This liberal night -watchman state was transformed only with the Bismarckian social legislation to the welfare state since the impoverishment of the masses made ​​the necessity of welfare state arrangements visible. The wage ratios improved in particular by the formation of trade unions. Since repeal of the anti-combination laws, there was a positive long- term development of the wage share, which increased from 43.1 % in 1870 to 60.2 % in 1930.

A night watchman state in the sense that the state would have the political freedom of citizens is not limited on the laissez- faire liberalism addition, it has, however, not given in the 19th century after many times of conception. After Frank Deppe there was the "liberal night -watchman state " in England and Germany on paper only liberal state writings and speeches in Parliament, but never in reality. The liberal state was not that tolerant and restrained " night watchman state ", though within certain limits was legal political freedom, but in fact she was missing.

Lassalle's imagination State

This raises Lassalle's political background as follows: Lassalle aimed at an economic order in which the emergence of " performance Wi- income " is prevented. Lassalle demanded to improve the economic situation of the workers that the government, rather than remain passive, self -help organizations of the workers support such as production cooperatives through capital grant. This will however only happen if the workers are adequately represented in Parliament (see three-class franchise ). With his " worker program ", presented on April 12, 1862, he sets the " fourth estate " ( the working class ) the whole human race the same, since each worker was who had the will to be useful in any way the human society. He placed the " moral idea of the working class ", namely solidarity, mutuality and reciprocity, the " night watchman state " of the " bourgeoisie " against. He explained this as follows:

" The story is a struggle against nature; with the misery, ignorance, poverty, powerlessness, and thus the lack of freedom of all kinds, in which we found ourselves, as the human race occurred in the beginning of the story. The progressive conquest of powerlessness - which is the development of freedom, which is the story. In this fight, we would have never made ​​a step forward or will ever make further if we had him, each alone, performed as a single each for himself or wanted to lead. The state is there, which has the function to accomplish this development of freedom, this development of the human race to freedom. "

Lassalle's understanding of the state was opposed to the liberal state negation diametrically. The liberal " night watchman state " is immoral because it starting fulfill only negative functions from the " wrong " principle of equality of all human beings and citizens. Faith Lassalle at the German state and its future moral task was also in an episode: As a progressives Lassalle reproached that he felt the impossible with the state of its social policy, he replied: " What do you want? The state is God! "

Reception of the name

Ludwig von Mises commented Lassalle formulations against very limited state activity, among others, with the remark:

" But there is no reason why the night -watchman state should be more ridiculous or worse than the State which deals with the sauerkraut dressing, with the fabrication of pants buttons or with the publication of newspapers. "

According to Mises 's ideas of Lassalle had only been so successful, because the Germans were still in memory of absolutism and had been under the influence of Hegel's philosophy, which had brought the state to a divine being. In this respect, one would have to look at it as blasphemy, if someone wanted to limit the functions of the State on the night watchman service.

Robert Nozick noted that even the night watchman state of classical liberalism, which is strictly limited to the protection against violence, theft and fraud, and protecting property, seems so far to have a redistributive effect, as it forces people to pay for the protection of others.