The Moon is a Harsh Mistress

The Moon is a Harsh Mistress explores the application of libertarian ideas to government and society, particularly the relationship between these politics and the concept of liberty. Generally, libertarians believe that government should be limited to protecting property rights. They typically oppose the idea that government must provide public services like welfare, education, infrastructure, or health care. Instead, libertarians believe that these services should be funded by individuals or offered through private means, such as family units or charities. In the novel, the Lunar colony largely functions as a libertarian society without any government services or legal system. The only impediment in this libertarian ideal is the monopoly the Lunar Authority has over trade. During the revolution, the Loonies seek liberation from this economic control and are able to exercise what libertarians see as the most fundamental aspect of liberty: the ability to trade in a free market system.

The author, Robert Heinlein, illustrates various aspects of this libertarian society on the Lunar colony. For instance, Chapter 7 primarily depicts how law is adjudicated in a libertarian system without government oversight. There is no formal legal system, so disputes are resolved informally. When LaJoie is perceived to have violated the unwritten social contract, Manuel agrees to act as a judge in his “trial.