I understand that Hans Hoppe’s Argumentation Ethics as not saying that self-ownership is true, rather, that anyone arguing anything accepts self-ownership as true by their “performance.” To argue against self-ownership is then a performative contradiction, but only for the one doing so. And if you have a desire to “get along” with others and to…
Category: Two Cents
On Learning Skills
I think it’s accurate to say that all skills learning is preceded by necessity. This is true for kids who go to school and kids who don’t. In school, learning skills like reading, writing, and arithmetic are necessary to avoid punishment. The need, though artificial, is there and strong enough to motivate learning, hence the…
On Selfishness
Every time you get more than you give, you reduce the amount of wealth available for others. Every time you work, you reduce the amount of jobs available for others. Every time you seek safe shelter, you reduce the amount of safe shelter available for others. Every time you eat, you reduce the amount of…
On Indoctrination II
Is there a better way to implant an idea from history in the minds of young people than by having them write a short essay on it? They’ll do a little research with an approved history book, and then write a simplified version of a really complex set of circumstances and people. Once the approved,…
On Condemnation
If I said something that offended others, I expect to be given a chance to explain myself before being “condemned” for it. And so, as a matter of Golden Rule ethics, I must do likewise to Don Sterling, the owner of the LA Clippers, an NBA basketball team, who allegedly said something racist toward blacks.…
On the Profit Motive
I get a chuckle out of those who lament the profit motive of business. Businesses only make profits one way: satisfying customers. Without the profit motive, businesses would not be interested in what customers demand, ie. low prices, high quality, et cetera. What would be the result if businesses could make profits without satisfying customers? Would…
On the Aereo Case
The Supreme Court of the United States will soon decide the fate of broadcast-streaming service Aereo. Pulling a broadcast from the air with your own equipment, and then streaming it over the Internet, again with your own equipment, to customers receiving it with their own equipment, is an example of everyone using their own property…
On Rights II
A graphic I recently saw explained “how rights work“. It described how rights are secured as a matter of consensus by members in society. It made some really good points about a complex idea. While there is the logically-defensible consideration of rights, there is also the matter of popular acceptance. Both are important perspectives on…
On Morality
Let us once again visit etymological roots. Morality is “moral qualities,” so what is moral? From the Latin moralis meaning “proper behavior of a person in society.” Alright, let’s keep going. What is “proper”? “Adapted to some purpose, fit, apt; commendable, excellent.” In the context of moralis, behavior most adapted to, fit, or apt for life…
On Rights
The concept of “rights” can mean different things to different people, but what does it mean etymologically? Right comes from riht (West Saxon) or reht (Anglican), and has several meanings. In the context of voluntaryism, it means “what someone deserves; a just claim, what is due; correctness, truth; a legal entitlement, a privilege,”. It seems…