11. An Arrow Against All Tyrants | Individualism: A Reader
Channel: Libertarianism.org
Date: 2015-06-30

An Arrow Against All Tyrants and Tyranny, shot from the Prison of Newgate into the Prerogative Bowels of the Arbitrary House of Lords, and All Other Usurpers and Tyrants Whatsoever (1646)

Relatively little is known about the life of Richard Overton (fl. 1631-64). In the 1640s, during the period of the English Civil Wars, he actively participated in the Leveller movement. The author of many pamphlets on political and religious matters, Overton was imprisoned at least two times, the first of which was from August 1646 to September 1647. It was during this time that Overton wrote An Arrow Against All Tyrants. This pamphlet is especially noteworthy for its spirited presentation and defense of "self-propriety"—a foundational principle of libertarianism that went by various names, including self-ownership and sovereignty.

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