Robert Paul Wolff, born in 1939 in New York City, is a renowned philosopher known for his contributions to political theory and philosophy. He has held academic positions at several prestigious institutions and is celebrated for his engaging approach to complex philosophical ideas. Wolff's work often explores issues related to authority, democracy, and social justice, making him a significant figure in contemporary philosophy.
**In Defense of Anarchism** is a 1970 book by the philosopher Robert Paul Wolff, in which the author defends philosophical anarchism. He argues that individual autonomy and state authority are mutually exclusive and that, as individual autonomy is inalienable, the moral legitimacy of the state collapses.
First published by Harper and Row in 1970 as *In Defense of Anarchism: With a Reply to Jeffrey H. Reiman's In Defense of Political Philosophy*, it has since run to five editions, the latest of which is the University of California Press 1998 edition. It is regarded as a classical work in anarchist scholarship.
(Source: [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In_Defense_of_Anarchism))