Difference between revisions of "What Is Liberty?"
From Critiques Of Libertarianism
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Let's look at parts of this answer more closely. | Let's look at parts of this answer more closely. | ||
* To achieve a goal means to benefit in some way, to satisfy a value, our motivation: it's the reason Pete might want to do this. Freedoms we don't value are meaningless to us. | * To achieve a goal means to benefit in some way, to satisfy a value, our motivation: it's the reason Pete might want to do this. Freedoms we don't value are meaningless to us. | ||
| − | * Both Abilities (internal to our bodies) and Resources (external) are essential to almost every liberty: without them you cannot do or be a thing. | + | * Both Abilities (internal to our bodies) and Resources (external) are essential to almost every liberty: without them you cannot do or be a thing. Increases in abilities or resources can increase your liberties. For example, if I want freedom to get over a wall, a ladder could be a resource that provides the liberty or physical conditioning could be an ability that provides the liberty. There is no sharp boundary between abilities and resources: they can blend into each other, and both are necessary. |
* Everything you do or be has opportunity costs to others. They might be small, but they are still there. For example, others might be better off if you do not trampoline because they could instead. | * Everything you do or be has opportunity costs to others. They might be small, but they are still there. For example, others might be better off if you do not trampoline because they could instead. | ||
* There might be many different opportunity costs for others, and many different reasons why they refrain from interfering. For example, the trampoline owners don't interfere because they were bribed, while others don't interfere because of the government coercion of the property system (they could be taken to court) and still others just might not care because their opportunity costs are negligible. | * There might be many different opportunity costs for others, and many different reasons why they refrain from interfering. For example, the trampoline owners don't interfere because they were bribed, while others don't interfere because of the government coercion of the property system (they could be taken to court) and still others just might not care because their opportunity costs are negligible. | ||
