Difference between revisions of "What Is Liberty?"
From Critiques Of Libertarianism
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Note that B could legally or illegally interfere with A's liberty in any way, removing that liberty. For example, if A wanted to cross a narrow bridge, B could block his way (which may or may not be legal.) Liberties are very weak because they impose no duty on ANY others to not interfere, so everybody has liberty to interfere. | Note that B could legally or illegally interfere with A's liberty in any way, removing that liberty. For example, if A wanted to cross a narrow bridge, B could block his way (which may or may not be legal.) Liberties are very weak because they impose no duty on ANY others to not interfere, so everybody has liberty to interfere. | ||
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== Every Liberty Has Externalities == | == Every Liberty Has Externalities == | ||
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* 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. | ||
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| + | == Confusion of Liberties with Rights == | ||
| + | [[What Are Rights?|Rights are liberties that are coercively defended]]: others are forced not to interfere. If you have a right to cross a bridge, your liberty is defended by law. But the important thing is that rights are created by enforcing duties on others, destroying THEIR liberties. You may want liberty to cross a bridge, and get a right to cross the bridge; but that means everybody else loses their liberty to interfere with your crossing. They have a duty to not interfere. That coerced duty to not interfere is the reason B in the model above. That is a huge externality! | ||
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== Examples That Could Be Explained By This Model == | == Examples That Could Be Explained By This Model == | ||
== Why We Need To Choose Which Liberties We Value == | == Why We Need To Choose Which Liberties We Value == | ||
