Difference between revisions of "What Is Liberty?"
From Critiques Of Libertarianism
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[[Category:Positive Alternatives To Libertarian Ideas]] | [[Category:Positive Alternatives To Libertarian Ideas]] | ||
[[Category:Under Construction]] | [[Category:Under Construction]] | ||
| − | {{DES | des = Liberty (AKA Freedom), the supposed object of Libertarianism, is hardly ever defined or discussed analytically by libertarians. Liberty, as used by libertarians, is a [ | + | {{DES | des = Liberty (AKA Freedom), the supposed object of Libertarianism, is hardly ever defined or discussed analytically by libertarians. Liberty, as used by libertarians, is a [[Fallacies_Of_Philosophy#Glittering_Generalities_Of_Propaganda|glittering generality of propaganda]]: an emotionally appealing phrase so closely associated with highly valued concepts and beliefs that it carries conviction without supporting information or reason. But liberty is susceptible to analysis and that analysis reveals enormous problems with libertarian ideology. | show=}} |
A good model of liberty should be consistent with observations from law, economics, and anthropology. If it is based on observation, we can call it a positive model, like other models in the sciences. (But not necessarily philosophy.) | A good model of liberty should be consistent with observations from law, economics, and anthropology. If it is based on observation, we can call it a positive model, like other models in the sciences. (But not necessarily philosophy.) | ||
== Libertarians Avoid Saying What Liberty Is == | == Libertarians Avoid Saying What Liberty Is == | ||
| − | Libertarians are big on prescriptive (philosophically normative) descriptions of what they want as liberties. But they evade positive statements of what liberty IS. | + | Libertarians are big on prescriptive (philosophically normative) descriptions of what they want as liberties. But they evade positive statements of what liberty IS. Essentially, the libertarians have no clothes. |
For example: | For example: | ||
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* [[John Hospers]] in [http://public.callutheran.edu/%7Echenxi/phil315_101.pdf What Libertarianism Is] provides two contradictory sentences. "Each man has the right to liberty: to conduct his life in accordance with the alternatives open to him without coercive action by others." You might notice that he does not define liberty: he declares the one vague liberty that he wants. And of course it is foolish, because every right is coercive, including the rights to life, liberty, and property that he wants, and thus contradicts his demand for liberty. He also writes "The right to liberty: there should be no laws compromising in any way freedom of speech, of the press, and of peaceable assembly." A more specific liberty that he wants. But no definition of liberty. | * [[John Hospers]] in [http://public.callutheran.edu/%7Echenxi/phil315_101.pdf What Libertarianism Is] provides two contradictory sentences. "Each man has the right to liberty: to conduct his life in accordance with the alternatives open to him without coercive action by others." You might notice that he does not define liberty: he declares the one vague liberty that he wants. And of course it is foolish, because every right is coercive, including the rights to life, liberty, and property that he wants, and thus contradicts his demand for liberty. He also writes "The right to liberty: there should be no laws compromising in any way freedom of speech, of the press, and of peaceable assembly." A more specific liberty that he wants. But no definition of liberty. | ||
* [[Eric Mack]], in "[[Libertarianism (Mack)|Libertarianism]]", provides no definition of liberty. | * [[Eric Mack]], in "[[Libertarianism (Mack)|Libertarianism]]", provides no definition of liberty. | ||
| + | * [[Brian Doherty]] does not index a definition of liberty in "[[Radicals for Capitalism: A Freewheeling History of the Modern American Libertarian Movement]]". | ||
| + | * [[Eric Mack]] does not index a definition of liberty in "[[Libertarianism (Key Concepts In Political Theory)]]", and only describes a liberty he wants in his introduction: “An individual’s liberty is understood as that individual not being subject to interference by other agents in her doing as she sees fit with her own person and legitimate holdings.” | ||
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| + | Excerpt From: Eric Mack. “Libertarianism.” Apple Books. . | ||
This absence of satisfactory definitions of liberty or freedom is typical of libertarian literature. The most libertarians seem to do is to arbitrarily declare that negative liberty is the only true liberty: but that does not explain other people's conceptions. | This absence of satisfactory definitions of liberty or freedom is typical of libertarian literature. The most libertarians seem to do is to arbitrarily declare that negative liberty is the only true liberty: but that does not explain other people's conceptions. | ||
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Usually libertarians provide some examples of what they consider liberty, but examples do not provide a definition. For example, if I tell you birds and mammals are examples of vertebrates, that doesn't tell you if fish are vertebrates or what vertebrates really are. And of course it can also lead to faulty generalizations, such as that vertebrates are warm blooded. | Usually libertarians provide some examples of what they consider liberty, but examples do not provide a definition. For example, if I tell you birds and mammals are examples of vertebrates, that doesn't tell you if fish are vertebrates or what vertebrates really are. And of course it can also lead to faulty generalizations, such as that vertebrates are warm blooded. | ||
{{QuoteOne|Review Essay: Brian Doherty’s Radicals for Capitalism.../amazing}} | {{QuoteOne|Review Essay: Brian Doherty’s Radicals for Capitalism.../amazing}} | ||
| + | {{QuoteOne|The Heterodox ‘Fourth Paradigm’ of Libertarianism: an Abstract Eleutherology plus Critical Rationalism/theory}} | ||
== Liberty as a glittering generality of propaganda. == | == Liberty as a glittering generality of propaganda. == | ||
