"Where libertarians are united is in the realm of ethics: that is, of interpersonal morality, or how we treat one another. What unites them is agreement on a single deontic moral rule, or principle, called the Non-Aggression Principle:
"NAP-based rules can be found in other systems of ethics, both religious and secular.... Indeed, if Rand and other libertarian philosophers (such as Herbert Spencer) are correct, no human society could have arisen without widespread ethical understanding and acceptance of many of the implications of NAP.
"Does that mean that all those who believe in any of those ethical systems are libertarians? Almost, but not quite — only to the extent their ethics were based on NAP — and historical moral systems have always been NAP-based not only imperfectly, but also inconsistently. As promulgated by kings, lords, or priests, they always built in exceptions for the kings, lords, or priests themselves....
"Much if not all ... chaos can be laid at the door of states and other groups of people who have traditionally been exempted (usually by themselves) from following NAP. Libertarians propose an ethical system that consistently applies NAP; they would like to see everyone obliged to follow that principle without exception. That constitutes the one fundamental difference between libertarianism and earlier forms of NAP-based ethics."
The non-aggression principle (or NAP ...) is a moral stance which asserts that aggression is inherently illegitimate.... Aggression, for the purposes of NAP, is defined as the initiation or threatening of violence against a person or legitimately owned property of another."Or in the classic formulation given by atheist libertarian Ayn Rand in her 1957 novel Atlas Shrugged:
Whatever may be open to disagreement, there is one act of evil that may not, the act that no man may commit against others and no man may sanction or forgive. So long as men desire to live together, no man may initiate — do you hear me? no man may start — the use of physical force against others."Libertarians use that principle axiomatically, to derive the ethical rules (or maxims) that restrain their conduct: Don’t kill. Don’t hurt. Don'r rape. Don’t enslave. Don’t steal. Don’t lie or cheat. From such maxims derive the notion of human rights. If it is wrong (for any person A) to kill a another person (B), then B has a right to life (with respect to A). If it is wrong for A to enslave B, then B has a right to liberty against A. If it is wrong for A to steal from B, then B has property rights against A....
"NAP-based rules can be found in other systems of ethics, both religious and secular.... Indeed, if Rand and other libertarian philosophers (such as Herbert Spencer) are correct, no human society could have arisen without widespread ethical understanding and acceptance of many of the implications of NAP.
"Does that mean that all those who believe in any of those ethical systems are libertarians? Almost, but not quite — only to the extent their ethics were based on NAP — and historical moral systems have always been NAP-based not only imperfectly, but also inconsistently. As promulgated by kings, lords, or priests, they always built in exceptions for the kings, lords, or priests themselves....
"Much if not all ... chaos can be laid at the door of states and other groups of people who have traditionally been exempted (usually by themselves) from following NAP. Libertarians propose an ethical system that consistently applies NAP; they would like to see everyone obliged to follow that principle without exception. That constitutes the one fundamental difference between libertarianism and earlier forms of NAP-based ethics."
No comments:
Post a Comment