Natural Rights Theory
Natural Rights theory is core to the beliefs of most active libertarians. It
gives us a philosophical framework to maintain unity; it allows us to stay
principled.
It also gets us into trouble. Trying to derive a political program from one
axiom can lead to overgeneralization, to unpleasant edge conditions, and even
contradictions. It also makes it hard to develop incremental steps towards
the ideal libertarian government.
The next few sections are devoted to essays dealing with these problems areas.
Warning, some of the ideas in this section will be
disturbing to those long steeped in libertarian dogma. Some of the writers
will question some cherished assumptions and expose some hidden contradictions.
On the up side, once the theory is mastered, effective libertarian
communication becomes far easier, even without explicit study of
communication skills.
Can one be principled and be moderate/incremental? And what happens if we don't
adopt an incremeal approach?
Bertrand Russell on Dogmatism. by Tim Crowley.
Have our Libertarian Ideals degenerated into Dogma? These quotes could have been used by Purists against 'the cult of the omnipotent state' thirty five years ago. But perhaps by now, they could also be used by Inclusive, Pragmatic Libertarians toward the Purists?
Purist Vs. Pragmatist Doctrine, according to Mindwars by Ian McFadyen by Tim Crowley.
The book “Mindwars” discusses the dynamics of doctrines in general with its list of 25 tenets that are true of all doctrines—good or bad. I have added some commentary for each which is intended to illuminate the Purist vs. Pragmatist docrinal controversy. If the LRC intends to change the LP's basic doctrine, it would be useful to see what effects will be created.
The Grand American Consensus by David Brin.
Freedom and resistance to authority is deeply engrained in the American psyche. So why isn't libertarianism more popular?
Part III in an ongoing series by author and science futurist David Brin
The Ultimate Goal by David Brin.
Different political philosphies can have the same goal while prescribing different paths. Here, author and scientist David Brin makes the case that incremental improvement in a context of general individualism may be part of a long process of transformation that was first envisioned by Locke, an evolutionary process of gradually shifting from implicit to explicit social contracts. This is
Part 2 of "Political Totemism and the Danger of Metaphors" by David Brin.
Incrementalating 101 by The Incrementalator.
How can a principled Libertarian advocate incremental steps without being dishonest? Here is the first in a series on the subject.
Excuses for Liberty by Carl S. Milsted Jr..
The essay that started it all. Written several years ago and unsuccessfully submitted to Liberty, contains a complete manifesto for a more moderate approach to thinking about liberty. Perhaps a bit long, and the writing could be more polished, but this essay was the launching point of several projects including Holisticpolitics.org and this site.
See also the
Keynote Address to the 2002 Libertarian National Convention
by best selling science fiction author
David Brin.
Forget incrementalism for a moment, are the end goals correct? Are the natural
rights theories propounded by most Libertarians complete? Maybe now. There are
subtleties often overlooked, and classical liberal ideas that have been largely
forgotten.
Natural Rights: The Complete Set by Carl Milsted.
Libertarian theory is based on an incomplete theory of natural rights. A more complete theory results in a society that is more palatable to liberals, conservatives and environmentalists, while still resulting in major cuts in government.
The Other Foe of Free Enterprise by David Brin.
Part IV of Political Totemism and the Danger of Metaphors. Socialism is not the only enemy of individualism, freedom and open-market enterprise. There are older, more dangerous foes that are all-too-often ignored by libertarians. History shows that freedom-lovers need to watch all parts of the horizon, not only the one small zone we were taught to worry about. In doing so, we will also gain credibility that can translate into political success.
Rivalry and Excludability define what goods the government should provide or manage by Brian Holtz.
Economics determines which goods should be supplied or regulated by government.
Also, there are outside
web sites devoted to the subject:
-
The Thomas Paine Network Forgotten ideas
of Thomas Paine, Thomas Jefferson and other libertarian heroes.
- The Progress Report
Stories and links
from a left-libertarian, Georgist perspective.
- Holistic Politics
A generalized theory of natural rights, and a fuzzier approach to promoting
and thinking about liberty.
Also consider these important books:
- Law's Order by David Friedman. (Who, by the way, is an anarcho-capitalist.)
- Simple Rules for a Complex World by Richard A. Epstein.
Both of these works delve into the legal nitty-gritty that libertarians often
approach in a simplistic fashion. Read these two works and people will take
you much more seriously.
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