could you send on those links/sources please?
I would recommend the
von Mises site as a central point from which you can get a handle on libertarian thought as well as the theories behind what is called the Austrian School of Economics.
This is part of the von Mises site and has available not only a
wide range of authors and articles but also books that can be downloaded free of charge. One of the outstanding books that can be downloaded is "Human Action".
The
Lysander Spooner site is also well worth a visit. You may wish to go here and scroll down to
"No Treason No. II the US Constitution" for an interesting read. Another would be
"Vices are not crimes" which can be accessed in this article by Rothbard.
As to your questions, I am a bit tired but since I have addressed these issues in other threads in this forum I will paste them (with perhaps a bit of tuning for this thead).
I can agree with a most of what you have said, but im not convinced that such a philosophy by itself is the basis for a functioning society.
could you clarify a couple of further things please?
Where do these natural rights come from? from studies of french and american revolutionary writings, i was under the impression that rather than being "natural" as such they were rights agreed upon by a relatively small number of people - based on various philosphers and streams of enlightenment thought. so rather than being natural such rights were indeed a construction.
The formulating and formalizing of the political philosophy of Individualism based on the theory of natural Rights which were derived from the study of the nature of man emerged during the Enlightenment beginning in the 17th century. This is why I have referred to the philosophy of Individualism as the new kid on the block.
The concept of Man’s natural Rights (including property Rights) flow from Man’s rational mind as easily and as naturally as water from an artesian well. The man who builds a barn knows naturally that it is morally his to do with as he pleases. A man who exchanges something of value for the barn another man built knows naturally that it is morally his to do with as he pleases. So too does a man who exchanges something of value for a business. He knows naturally that it is his to do with as he so desires.
How much more difficult it is to convince a man that what he creates or obtains is not really his. To dispossess him of such a natural thought a complex and convoluted theory of “non-ownership” and “fallacy of property” must be developed and then, through an un-natural and tortured reification, inculcated into his worldview.
In terms of "natural Rights" "natural" refers to the nature of man -- not other animals, or how other animals organize, act, or react, nor even how man reacts to nature's forces. For example, it is the nature of man to be intellectually inquisitive, gregarious, and communicative of ideas. This being a part of the integral nature of man, he must be free to express himself and his ideas to others. Hence the natural basis for Freedom of Speech (from within man).
private property being the basis for liberty - is it the entire basis or forms just part of it? Free markets, as far as i ca n see have a tendency towards the formation of monopolies. surely such power concentrated in indivduals, or a small set of corporations is a direct threat to individual liberty. If the state, or the ruls dont allow any "agress" or co-ercive measures how are such concentrations of power, such a concentration of a threat to the property definition of liberty, be avoided/prevented?
There are just too many different and rather undefined issues in this question for me to be sure how or what to address, Schlack, but I will say that if by "private propery" (I have to assume you mean property Rights) you are including the ownership of one's person by oneself, then it would indeed be the foundation of liberty -- much to King John's chagrin on that meadow at Runnymede on that long ago day in 1215.:-)
Voluntary exchange: here im again a little unclear.
Voluntary exchange simply refers to an exchange of goods or services between private owners who are uncoerced and free to negotiate whatever terms the two find satisfactory or acceptable. It has nothing to do with taxation.
Yours,
Issodhos
