How Should We Treat Our
Neighbor ? Episode 2 : Understanding Freedom and Liberty, part A
In this episode, I will expand on foundational concepts needed to understand the libertarian perspective. In episode one, I discussed the concepts of liberty and coercion. To those, I now add the concepts of freedom, force and wealth. All definitions provided below are taken from the online Oxford English Dictionary (OED). I realize that it may seem boring and tedious to listen to these definitions, but they are important to all subsequent presentations in this podcast series.
Three meanings of the concept freedom are relevant to this podcast –
· "The state or fact of being free from servitude, constraint, inhibition, etc.; liberty."
· "The state or fact of not being subject to despotic or autocratic control, or to a foreign power; civil liberty; independence."
· "The state of being able to act without hindrance or restraint; liberty of action."
[ Note 1 ]
As for the concept liberty, there are also three meanings which are germane in this context –
· "The state or condition of being free."
· "Freedom from arbitrary, despotic, or autocratic control; independence, esp. from a foreign power, monarchy, or dictatorship."
· "The condition of being able to act or function without hindrance or restraint; faculty or power to do as one likes."
[ Note 2 ]
The meanings of the concepts freedom and liberty are very similar, so I will use the two synonymously in this podcast series. I am aware that some thinkers make a distinction between the two terms. See transcript note 3 for a link to a video presentation by the late George H. Smith, a philosopher and historian. In that video, he confirms that the words freedom and liberty have generally been used as synonyms by writers in the libertarian tradition.
The concept coercion has these four pertinent meanings –
·
"The action of [constraining or forcing]"
·
"Constraint, restraint, compulsion; the
application of force to control the action of a voluntary agent."
·
"Forcible restraint of (action)."
·
"Government by force, as opposed to that which
rests upon the will of the community governed; the employment of force to
suppress political disaffection and the disorder to which it gives rise."
[ Note 4 ]
The related concept of force has the following applicable meanings –
·
"Physical strength or power exerted upon an
object; esp. the use of physical strength to constrain the action of persons;
violence or physical coercion."
·
"[B]y employing violence, by violent means, also
under compulsion. Often implying the use
of armed force or strength of numbers"
·
"Unlawful violence offered to persons or things.
[A] particular act or instance of unlawful violence."
·
"Constraint or compulsion exerted upon a
person. [T]o put compulsion or
constraint upon, to constrain[.] [T]o
act under self-constraint and against one's natural impulses."
[ Note 5 ]
I will make use of the concept wealth throughout this podcast series. The OED entry for the concept wealth references some quotes from John Stuart Mill's book titled "Principles of Political Economy". These two quotes best express the meaning of wealth that is intended in this podcast –
·
"Money, being the instrument of an important
public and private purpose, is rightly regarded as wealth; but everything else
which serves any human purpose, and which nature does not afford gratuitously,
is wealth also."
[ Note 6 ]
· "Wealth, then, may be defined, all useful or agreeable things which possess exchangeable value; or in other words, all useful or agreeable things except those which can be obtained, in the quantity desired, without labour or sacrifice."
[ Note 7 ]
As an example, if a farmer grows and harvests potatoes, the bags of potatoes are her wealth. Most likely she will exchange the bags of potatoes for money, which is more versatile for subsequent trading. Potatoes are a concrete form of wealth while money is an abstract form of wealth.
With these definitions established, we can proceed to develop the libertarian perspective.
Individual freedom or liberty is more than just a nice condition that most people prefer. Each of us faces a fundamental question – How can I produce or obtain the wealth needed to preserve my life ? And then, having secured survival, how can I produce additional wealth to enjoy a pleasant and rewarding standard of living ?
We must be free in mind and body to pursue what we judge to be the best means of securing the wealth we need to survive and prosper in this world. When we are able to thrive independently and morally, we can achieve the self-esteem that comes from knowing that we are leading a worthy life. Without freedom, our standard of living will decline, or we may not even be able to survive.
Some people offer objections trying to show that we are not free, or cannot be free. I consider various objections here. Some of these may sound silly, but people do say things like this.
"I'm not free to do whatever I want. I want to fly like a bird, and swim like a
fish, but I can't."
Each living thing has certain abilities, depending on the type of organism it is. The abilities of a human are different from the abilities of a bird or a fish. Freedom does not consist of wishes to possess the abilities of a different type of organism. No one forces us to be a human. We need to be free to utilize our distinctly human capabilities.
Furthermore, humans do have the ability to build machines that allow us to fly, although not exactly like a bird, or travel underwater, although not exactly like a fish. The invention and production of such machines was possible under conditions of human freedom, where individuals were able to use their minds to innovate and benefit personally from their creations.
"Okay, but I'm not free to do things like speak a
foreign language, play an instrument or a sport just because I want to."
Humans are born with very few innate skills. Each individual mind is mostly pure potential, ready for its owner to put to use. Most things we do require some amount of learning and practice. Speaking and reading our native language was something we had to learn as children. Similarly, playing an instrument or a sport also requires learning and practice. That is the nature of our mind and body – no other person forced us into this condition. Each of us should be left free to invest the time, thought and effort to learn other skills as we choose. But such skills are not acquired by wishes or desires.
"How can you say I'm free when I'm forced to learn
so much stuff just to function in society ?"
An organism like a plant has its method of functioning inherent to it. An organism like a lion seems to have a great deal of instinctual knowledge, but does appear to learn some skills, like hunting, from its parents. For humans, there are very few inherent or instinctual abilities. Human children require a long period of learning before they are capable of independent survival.
Freedom is not the avoidance of learning and development. Rather, learning and development are pre-requisites of the ability to live freely, without dependence on others. No person forced this condition upon you, it is in the nature of being a human.
Even if you abandoned modern society to live as a gatherer, you would still have to learn what is safe to eat, where to find it, and how to prepare it. If you wanted to live as a hunter, you would have to learn how to make and use tools for hunting or fishing, search for places to hunt or fish, etc.
The skills needed for modern society are different from the skills needed by a hunter or gatherer. But, at all times, humans needed to learn and develop skills in order to survive.
"How can you say I'm free ? I can't just choose to think whatever I want ! I'm forced to accept that 'twice two makes
four' !"
This objection makes reference to a book by Fyodor Dostoevsky, in which he wrote –
"[W]hat do I care for the laws of nature and
arithmetic, when, for some reason I dislike those laws and the fact that twice
two makes four?"
[ Note 8 ]
Humans struggled for thousands of years to develop the proper methods of using their minds to enable them to think rationally. We no longer attribute thunderstorms to the rain god, we have ceased blaming disease on evil demons or gremlins, and we no longer burn alleged witches for causing crop failures.
The development of mathematics brought a rational method to measurement of the world around us. The development of the physical sciences extended rationality to inquiry about the natural world, culminating in the scientific method. These advances in the method of using our minds are the foundation of the great progress in the human condition over the past three hundred fifty years.
A desire to reject the laws of nature and arithmetic is a desire to use one's mind in an irrational way. If pursued, it likely would restore the fear of demons and the resumption of witch-burnings or death camps. One's life will not improve if he chooses to be irrational because he thinks that will increase his freedom. He is always free to jump from the top of a twenty-story building, but doing so will not lead to a better life.
Freedom is necessary for each of us to think and act in a way that we judge will allow us to achieve our goals. If our choices are irrational, that is, we choose to ignore the laws of nature, we cannot achieve those goals. Consistent and pervasive irrationality can cause one to suffer or even die.
Also, note that scientists discover the laws of nature, they do not create them, nor can they change them. No human enforces the laws of nature. Nature is what it is and acts as it does, regardless of our desires or protestations.
"How can you say I'm free if I can't choose to eat
and drink whatever I want, in the amounts I want ?"
If your goal is to survive, then you must avoid ingesting substances that are poisonous or harmful to your body. Beyond mere survival, if you aspire to a long, healthy life, you should eat and drink things that are nutritious, as identified by the science of Nutrition. Studies of human health suggest that eating excessively leads to weight gain that might produce various kinds of disease or pain. If those conclusions are correct, then limiting food consumption to avoid unhealthy weight gain is advisable.
This situation results from goals you choose for yourself. If you don't care about your health, you can consume whatever you want, in the amounts you want. If you don't care about survival, you're free to consume as much poison as you wish.
"You say I'm free, right ? So, you're saying I can go around and commit
murder, theft, rape or arson ?"
Actions like murder, theft, rape or arson represent a violation of individual rights. Freedom does not pertain to acts which violate the rights of our neighbors. Your intended victim has the right to defend himself against such invasions using retaliatory force against you. As discussed in episode one, a government is created to secure the rights of the individual and it is delegated powers of retaliation against those who violate rights. In a future episode, I will discuss the concept of rights in greater detail.
"How can you say I'm free when I'm forced to get a
job ?"
All forms of life on this planet require that the organism act to survive. A plant has to absorb carbon dioxide from the air, water from the soil, and then use sunlight to produce glucose. Animals like cows or deer must wander about, searching for plants to eat. Animals like foxes or lions must hunt other animals to sustain themselves.
In the case of humans, we require various forms of wealth to enable our survival. Food, drink, shelter and clothing all have to be produced to sustain our lives. The person who complains of being "forced to get a job" objects to producing the wealth needed to sustain his life. But the wealth must be produced, even if he will not produce anything himself.
As children, we are reliant on our parents to supply us with the wealth needed to sustain our lives. The goal of childhood is to become an adult who can survive independently and produce the wealth needed to sustain his own life.
As an adult, a given individual cannot directly produce by himself all the forms of wealth needed to survive. And he may never produce any of the food, drink, clothing or shelter that he uses. Instead, he will obtain those forms of wealth from others, usually through economic trade. But if he refuses to produce any wealth himself, he has nothing to trade.
In that case, he may obtain wealth as a gift, as charity, by theft, or via a government-run welfare program. Gifts or charity rely on wealth given consensually by others. However, theft or welfare rely on threats of coercion or actual coercion against others and are both immoral methods of obtaining wealth.
Rather than objecting to a job, I suggest the complainer ask himself a couple of questions. First, he should ask –
"Do I want to
preserve my life ?"
If his answer is "No", then he need do nothing. He does not need a job or any form of wealth. If his answer is "Yes", then he should ask this question –
"With my skills, knowledge and
experience, what am I able to do to produce wealth ?"
The need to produce wealth derives from his personal choice – the choice to live. This choice is made freely, and he should accept the consequences of his decision. No other person forced him into that situation.
The freedom he needs is to use his mind and body to produce the wealth required to survive and thrive. It is freedom to think and act. It is not freedom to avoid the responsibility of thinking and acting.
"Okay, I accept that I have to get a job. But, I'm not free to have the job I really want"
The employer – employee relationship should be based on consent. Neither party should be forced into that relationship, and it should last only as long as both parties consent to it.
The employer establishes job requirements regarding education, skills, experience and any other criteria that are deemed relevant. A potential employee who fails to meet the requirements cannot reasonably expect to get the job.
It is possible that an employer may set irrational requirements, or reject a qualified applicant based on some irrelevant or irrational basis. But the potential employee may also have irrational expectations, or reject a job offer based on some irrelevant or irrational considerations. Each is free to make their choice, even if it may be irrational.
Preventing irrationality would require some third party to review the decisions of both parties and override their decision via some form of coercion. The use of coercion is reserved to government, so a government agent would have to force both parties into an employment relationship to which one did not consent. Such a relationship would not succeed in the long term, as one of the parties objects to it, and will have an incentive to sabotage it.
On the other hand, there are cases where government intervenes to prevent individuals from taking a job or starting a business. This is achieved by laws requiring occupational licenses or certificates of need, as well as laws limiting the scope of practice or setting a minimum wage. Libertarians oppose such laws and they will be discussed in future episodes of this podcast. These are valid examples of being "not free to have the job I really want". These cases result from an abuse of the coercive power of government to violate individual rights, rather than protect them.
I have not said all that is necessary on this topic, but I want to keep each episode to a reasonable length. Other objections to the concept of freedom will be covered in the next episode, which will begin with my response to this one –
"A hungry man is not a free man"
I leave you with two quotes; the first from Samuel Adams, a leader of the American Revolution –
"All might be free if they valued freedom, and
defended it as they should."
[ Note 9 ]
The second quote is from the French statesman and author, Frederic Bastiat –
"In short, is not liberty the freedom of every
person to make full use of his faculties, so long as he does not harm other
persons while doing so? Is not liberty
the destruction of all despotism -- including, of course, legal despotism? Finally, is not liberty the restricting of the
law only to its rational sphere of organizing the right of the individual to
lawful self-defense; of punishing injustice?"
[ Note 10 ]
A transcript of this episode is available on the “Podcasts”
tab of the website “hswton.com”. The
link may be found by expanding the plus sign next to the episode number and
title. The transcript also contains
supporting notes and links for quotes, definitions and other content contained
in this episode.
Thank you for listening.
I hope you will continue with the next episode of "How Should We
Treat Our Neighbor ?".
Good day.
|
Note |
1 |
|
Source |
Oxford English Dictionary Online |
|
Source URL |
|
|
Publisher |
Oxford University Press |
|
Definition of |
"freedom", meanings I , I.3 , I.4.a |
|
Definition URL |
|
|
Date of entry |
2023 July |
|
Date accessed |
2023 August 22 |
|
Comment |
The OED.com website requires a paid subscription. Access is also possible via some public library websites. |
|
Note |
2 |
|
Source |
Oxford English Dictionary Online |
|
Source URL |
|
|
Publisher |
Oxford University Press |
|
Definition of |
"liberty", meanings I , I.1.c , I.2.a |
|
Definition URL |
|
|
Date of entry |
2023 July |
|
Date accessed |
2023 August 22 |
|
Comment |
The OED.com website requires a paid subscription. Access is also possible via some public library websites. |
|
Note |
3 |
|
Source |
George H Smith page on YouTube |
|
Source URL |
|
|
Content title |
"A HISTORY OF
LIBERTARIAN IDEAS, Part 1, George H. Smith" |
|
Content URL |
|
|
Comment |
After clicking the above URL, you should see a page with the video paused at the start time. Alternatively, you can copy and paste the above URL into your browser's address bar. Again, the browser will show a page with the video paused at the start time. Click on the white arrow in the center of the screen to get the video to play. |
|
Start time |
2:52 (2 minutes, 52 seconds) |
|
End time |
3:06 (3 minutes, 06 seconds) |
|
Date posted |
2013 September 16 |
|
Date accessed |
2023 August 22 |
|
Note |
4 |
|
Source |
Oxford English Dictionary Online |
|
Source URL |
|
|
Publisher |
Oxford University Press |
|
Definition of |
"coercion", meanings I , I.1.a , I.1.b , I.2 |
|
Definition URL |
|
|
Date of entry |
2023 July |
|
Date accessed |
2023 August 22 |
|
Comment |
The OED.com website requires a paid subscription. Access is also possible via some public library websites. |
|
Note |
5 |
|
Source |
Oxford English Dictionary Online |
|
Source URL |
|
|
Publisher |
Oxford University Press |
|
Definition of |
"force", meanings I.5.a , I.5.b , I.5.c , I.5.d |
|
Definition URL |
|
|
Date of entry |
2023 July |
|
Date accessed |
2023 August 22 |
|
Comment |
The OED.com website requires a paid subscription. Access is also possible via some public library websites. |
|
Note |
6 |
|
Author |
John Stuart Mill |
|
Title |
"Principles of Political
Economy; Abridged, with Critical, Bibliographical, and Explanatory Notes, and
a Sketch of the History of Political Economy, By J. Laurence Laughlin, Ph.
D." |
|
Publisher |
D. Appleton and Company |
|
Date published |
1885 |
|
Printed page |
59 |
|
PDF title |
"The Project
Gutenberg eBook of Principles of Political Economy" |
|
PDF publisher |
Project Gutenberg |
|
PDF publisher URL |
|
|
PDF URL |
|
|
PDF page |
77 |
|
PDF date published |
2009 September 27 |
|
PDF Date accessed |
2023 August 22 |
|
Comment |
The PDF document is 810 pages in length and may take a significant period of time to download, depending on the bandwidth of your Internet connection. |
|
Note |
7 |
|
Author |
John Stuart Mill |
|
Title |
"Principles of
Political Economy; Abridged, with Critical, Bibliographical, and Explanatory
Notes, and a Sketch of the History of Political Economy, By J. Laurence
Laughlin, Ph. D." |
|
Publisher |
D. Appleton and Company |
|
Date published |
1885 |
|
Printed page |
60 |
|
PDF title |
"The Project
Gutenberg eBook of Principles of Political Economy" |
|
PDF publisher |
Project Gutenberg |
|
PDF publisher URL |
|
|
PDF URL |
|
|
PDF page |
78 |
|
PDF date published |
2009 September 27 |
|
PDF Date accessed |
2023 August 22 |
|
Comment |
The PDF document is 810 pages in length and may take a significant period of time to download, depending on the bandwidth of your Internet connection. |
|
Note |
8 |
|
Author |
Fyodor Dostoevsky |
|
Translators |
Richard Pevear & Larissa Volokhonsky |
|
Title |
"Notes from
Underground" |
|
Publisher |
Vintage Books (a subsidiary of Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group) |
|
Publisher URL |
|
|
Date published |
1994 August 30, second edition 2021 October |
|
ISBN |
978-0-679-73452-9 |
|
Printed page |
13 |
|
Comment |
The translation in the printed book differs from that in the web book. Here is how the sentence fragment was translated in the printed book – "[W]hat do I care about the laws of nature and arithmetic if for some reason these laws and two times two is four are not to my liking". I chose the translation from the web book as I thought it would be easier for the listener to comprehend. |
|
Web book title |
"Notes from the
Underground" |
|
Web book translator |
Not specified |
|
Web book publisher |
Page by Page Books |
|
Web book publisher URL |
|
|
Web book page URL |
|
|
Web book date published |
2004 (?) |
|
Web book date accessed |
2023 August 22 |
|
Note |
9 |
|
Author |
Samuel Adams |
|
Author URL |
|
|
Date accessed |
2023 August 22 |
|
Quote |
"All might be free if they valued freedom, and defended it as they should." |
|
Quote URL |
|
|
Date accessed |
2023 August 22 |
|
Note |
10 |
|
Author |
Frederic Bastiat |
|
Author URL |
|
|
Date accessed |
2023 August 22 |
|
Quote |
"In short, is not liberty the freedom of every person to make full use of his faculties ..." |
|
Quote URL |
|
|
Date accessed |
2023 August 22 |
Transcript and notes last updated – 2023 December 15
Copyright 2023, by James W. Troy. All rights reserved.