Difference between revisions of "What Is Liberty?"

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A has a legal liberty (privilege or no duty) from B when B has no legal right for A to do or not do something.
 
A has a legal liberty (privilege or no duty) from B when B has no legal right for A to do or not do something.
  
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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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.)  Hohfeldian legal liberties are very weak because they impose no duty on ANY others to not interfere, so EVERYBODY has liberty to interfere.
  
 
== Every Liberty Has Externalities ==
 
== Every Liberty Has Externalities ==
Pretty much every action or inaction has externalities, things that can affect other people.  Even just breathing: you consume oxygen and release heat.  That sounds trivial, until you consider that we can construct circumstances where that could spell life or death for others, such as in a closed container.  The liberty to homestead land has the externality that when all the land is homesteaded, there is none left for others to have the same liberty.  Among other externalities having to do with the environment.  For that reason, we might want to limit various liberties.
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Pretty much every action or inaction has externalities, things that can affect other people.  Even just breathing: you consume oxygen and release heat.  That sounds trivial, until you consider that we can construct circumstances where that could spell life or death for others, such as in a closed container.  The liberty to homestead land has the externality that when all the land is homesteaded, there is none left for others to have the same liberty.  There are many other externalities having to do with the environment.  For that reason, we might want to limit various liberties.
  
 
{{QuoteOne|Two Concepts of Liberty/Mill}}
 
{{QuoteOne|Two Concepts of Liberty/Mill}}
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== Liberties Always Conflict ==
 
== Liberties Always Conflict ==
 
Most obviously, you can have a liberty to restrict other people's liberties.  For example, freedom to enslave means no freedom from slavery and freedom from slavery means no freedom to enslave.  Don't kid yourself that either of these are not real and desired freedoms: major wars have been fought over them.  Requiring equal liberties means restriction of the liberty of those who want unequal liberties, and vice versa.
 
Most obviously, you can have a liberty to restrict other people's liberties.  For example, freedom to enslave means no freedom from slavery and freedom from slavery means no freedom to enslave.  Don't kid yourself that either of these are not real and desired freedoms: major wars have been fought over them.  Requiring equal liberties means restriction of the liberty of those who want unequal liberties, and vice versa.
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Conflicting liberties inevitably cause loss of liberty to some parties, as if there were a law of conservation of liberty: liberty cannot be created or destroyed, only redistributed.  The question is then who should have what liberty and why?  Before we can answer that with more than handwaving, we need a model of liberty.
  
 
== A Positive Model Of Liberty ==
 
== A Positive Model Of Liberty ==
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This is not as complex a model as it could be, but suffices to capture most of of the ideas of liberty.  For example:
 
This is not as complex a model as it could be, but suffices to capture most of of the ideas of liberty.  For example:
  
Pete is free to Trampoline, to achieve a Goal of exercise, using his Ability to jump, with a trampoline as his resource, when the Owners do not interfere, despite the opportunity Cost that they could use it themselves, Because Pete can bribe them with a rental fee.
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Pete is free to Trampoline, to achieve a Goal of exercise, using his Ability to jump, with a trampoline as his Resource, when the Owners do not interfere, despite the opportunity Cost that they could use it themselves, Because Pete can bribe them with a rental fee.
  
 
Let's look at parts of this answer more closely.
 
Let's look at parts of this answer more closely.

Revision as of 15:38, 17 December 2017