tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1740670447258719504.post228389479098014709..comments2024-03-27T03:00:27.024-04:00Comments on Facts & other stubborn things: Definitions of Libertarianism, contd.Evanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12259004160963531720noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1740670447258719504.post-76103806587992901602012-01-16T20:43:50.315-05:002012-01-16T20:43:50.315-05:00The term "libertarian" does make a usefu...The term "libertarian" does make a useful distinction. If you want to further distinguish, add some more words when describing yourself/someone.<br /><br />"Any definition of libertarianism that doesn't include me and seems to include a lot of libertarians ..."<br /><br />Ah, never mind.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1740670447258719504.post-69358018697316120842012-01-16T19:25:17.149-05:002012-01-16T19:25:17.149-05:00Every discussion on political philosophy is a merr...Every discussion on political philosophy is a merry-go-round of people disagreeing with each other's vague pet definitions. You might want to get off the ride before you start projectile vomiting at the pony in front of you.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1740670447258719504.post-42488653372704033582012-01-16T18:22:00.532-05:002012-01-16T18:22:00.532-05:00Is a libertarian with a billion dollars equal to a...Is a libertarian with a billion dollars equal to a libertarian without? No. But there's a lot of money being spent to buy mindspace for that assertion.<br /><br />IBAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1740670447258719504.post-85282644696656167592012-01-16T16:49:37.212-05:002012-01-16T16:49:37.212-05:00Then again some people try to co-opt even those. D...Then again some people try to co-opt even those. Don Boudreaux has said, for example, that Paul Krugman is not a liberal in this sense (ie - in the "liberal tradition" sense). It's beyond absurd, but some people assert things like that.Daniel Kuehnhttp://www.factsandotherstubbornthings.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1740670447258719504.post-20378611811905211792012-01-16T16:48:28.244-05:002012-01-16T16:48:28.244-05:00Ryan -
I think these are good points. But I would ...Ryan -<br />I think these are good points. But I would point out that we already have words that encompass what you're talking about: "liberalism" (used in context not to mean exclusively the progressives/left) and/or "classical liberalism".Daniel Kuehnhttp://www.factsandotherstubbornthings.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1740670447258719504.post-63335679992431363762012-01-16T16:42:36.874-05:002012-01-16T16:42:36.874-05:00I believe, and I think most other libertarians of ...I believe, and I think most other libertarians of various stripes would ultimately agree, that libertarianism describes a group of people with a fairly wide range of political stances and policy prescriptions. If I were to give it the widest definitive boundaries I would say it includes all people who see liberty (as generally defined by self ownership and extensions of such - property rights) as a constraining value among other values. Where you fall on the libertarian spectrum depends largely on how constraining you believe that value ultimately is I suppose.<br /><br />And there is the problem, as you rightly point out. There aren't a whole lot of people in the Western World who wouldn't qualify as libertarians under such a definition. So it's obviously a bit more complicated than that...but maybe not by much. I guess a more relevant definition could be derived by looking at the spectrum of broader libertarianism (as all-inclusive as that may be) and classifying anything that starts to meaningfully deviate from the median view regarding the trade-offs amongst those values as being "libertarian." Maybe that would give you a somewhat useful definition in a relative sense.<br /><br />And it's worth noting, of course, that the broadness of the term lends itself to the incessant infighting that occurs in "libertarian" circles. In some circles Dennis Miller is a libertarian. In other circles Ayn Rand is a libertarian of sorts. If you can put both of them in the same political boat as Murray Rothbard, it does bring serious questioning regarding how useful that term is in the end.Ryan Willshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15997541504170761916noreply@blogger.com