… is from page 59 of Richard Epstein’s brilliant 1995 book, Simple Rules for a Complex World:
The reason for the dominance of the autonomy principle is not any belief that people live in small social islands uninfluenced by and unconcerned with the interests and the behavior of others. It is that no other principle matches power with interests to the same degree.
DBx: Indeed. A legal regime that concentrates in me power over my person and possessions, and concentrates in you power over your person and possessions, much better ensures that everyone’s persons and possessions are used in socially beneficial ways than would a regime that concentrates in me power over your person and possessions and concentrates in you power over my person and possessions.
