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Arguments for Liberty
Two schools of thought have long dominated libertarian discussions about utilitarianism and natural rights. Those two theories are important, but they’re not the only ways people think about ethics and political philosophy. In Arguments for Liberty, you’ll find a broader approach to libertarianism.
In each of Arguments for Liberty’s nine chapters a different political philosopher discusses how his or her preferred school of thought judges political institutions and why libertarianism best meets that standard. Though they end up in the same place, the paths they take diverge in fascinating ways.
Readers will find in these pages not only an excellent introduction to libertarianism, but also a primer on some of the most important political and ethical theories. Assuming little or no training in academic philosophy, the essays guide readers through a continuous moral conversation spanning centuries and continents, from Aristotle in ancient Athens to twentieth-century philosopher John Rawls in the halls of Harvard.
What’s the best political system? What standards should we use to decide, and why? Arguments for Liberty is a guide to thinking about these questions. It’s also a powerful, nine-fold argument for the goodness and importance of human liberty.
In each of Arguments for Liberty’s nine chapters a different political philosopher discusses how his or her preferred school of thought judges political institutions and why libertarianism best meets that standard. Though they end up in the same place, the paths they take diverge in fascinating ways.
Readers will find in these pages not only an excellent introduction to libertarianism, but also a primer on some of the most important political and ethical theories. Assuming little or no training in academic philosophy, the essays guide readers through a continuous moral conversation spanning centuries and continents, from Aristotle in ancient Athens to twentieth-century philosopher John Rawls in the halls of Harvard.
What’s the best political system? What standards should we use to decide, and why? Arguments for Liberty is a guide to thinking about these questions. It’s also a powerful, nine-fold argument for the goodness and importance of human liberty.
327 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 6, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
December 30, 2016
If the point of Arguments for Liberty is to persuade skeptics of libertarianism that libertarianism is true, then it probably fails, if only because its very premise--look at all these ethical roads leading to libertarianism!--has a whiff of "Methinks the lady doth protest too much". Jason Brennan, in the final chapter of the book, even splashes some cold water on the book's theme in just this way, with good humor.
But, plausibly, that's not the point of the book at all, despite appearances. The book should work well for anyone who wants to learn more about libertarianism from a philosophical perspective without necessarily expecting to convert. The chapters are written by professional academic philosophers, and yet they're written as introductory, so that the reader doesn't need much prior philosophical experience to get the gist. And the range of approaches is broad enough that even the intermediate philosophy student like myself will likely learn quite a lot.
But the best audience for the book is folks who already identify as libertarian but want to learn about the diversity of views within libertarian and classical liberal thought. I have in mind college students who have just come to libertarianism from discovering Ayn Rand, Ron Paul, or the Libertarian Party, etc. Instead of reading their nth Rand book, reading Arguments for Liberty will be immensely more edifying. If all you know is Rand, for example, then Jason Kuznicki's chapter on Kant will dispel some ill-founded notions, and Jason Brennan's and Kevin Vallier's chapters (on value pluralism and Rawls, respectively) will especially expand your horizons.
The book is also good for libertarians who want a good survey of ethics: holding libertarianism constant makes the survey of different approaches to ethics more digestible than just tackling an introduction to ethics, which can be a bit more dull.
But, plausibly, that's not the point of the book at all, despite appearances. The book should work well for anyone who wants to learn more about libertarianism from a philosophical perspective without necessarily expecting to convert. The chapters are written by professional academic philosophers, and yet they're written as introductory, so that the reader doesn't need much prior philosophical experience to get the gist. And the range of approaches is broad enough that even the intermediate philosophy student like myself will likely learn quite a lot.
But the best audience for the book is folks who already identify as libertarian but want to learn about the diversity of views within libertarian and classical liberal thought. I have in mind college students who have just come to libertarianism from discovering Ayn Rand, Ron Paul, or the Libertarian Party, etc. Instead of reading their nth Rand book, reading Arguments for Liberty will be immensely more edifying. If all you know is Rand, for example, then Jason Kuznicki's chapter on Kant will dispel some ill-founded notions, and Jason Brennan's and Kevin Vallier's chapters (on value pluralism and Rawls, respectively) will especially expand your horizons.
The book is also good for libertarians who want a good survey of ethics: holding libertarianism constant makes the survey of different approaches to ethics more digestible than just tackling an introduction to ethics, which can be a bit more dull.
November 15, 2017
A book with a possibly misleading title. 'Arguments for Liberty' suggests a book that lists practical arguments on issues that commonly come up in in public debate. What this book is instead is a collection of chapters each by a different philosopher advocating a particular ethical or philosophical position. Then explaining why this position supports libertarian political positions.
The condensed presentation of entire systems of philosophical thought can be headache inducing. Don't start reading this with the expectation of an easy ride. However the upside of this is a feeling of enlightenment when you get the gist of what is being said. The chapter on Natural Rights was the greatest in terms of both effects for me. One of the most common and intuitively obvious objections to natural rights arguments is the question; where do these rights come from? Or Why should I care about them? Eric Mack's chapter is the only place I have seen an argument presented that seemed actually give a clear answer. Although it was not comfortable. My brain is used to an entirely different way of thinking.
The chapter on Kantianism was similar that of natural rights in the sense that it was a lot to take in, although worthwhile for being so clear on what is a big subject.
Rawlsianism was probably my favourite chapter. It presents you not only with a summary of what traditional Rawlsianism is but gives the feeling of being presented with the cutting edge of scholarship in that area.
Objectivism was the weakest chapter by far. The other chapters both explained diligently the functioning parts of their system and then passionately defended their conclusions. Badhwar the author of that chapter could not really give a systematic explanation of objectivism and her defence of it was so filled with caveats that it was hard to have any confidence it it at all. The only conclusion I could draw from it was that Rand's philosophy really was as vacuous and flawed as her academic detractors claimed. Which makes me wonder why include it in the first place?
Overall this book is a mixed bag as a book with different subjects and authors is always likely to be. It's main virtue is that it does actually teach you things. It will make you think and consider different perspectives. Many of the chapters double as good introductions and/or companions to study in their areas. I personally have mentally bookmarked the chapters on Rawlsianism and Moral Pluralism as pertinent or potentially useful in future. And will probably end up coming back to Mack's chapter on natural rights if the subject becomes relevant. Although tough going in places I certainly don't regret reading this book.
The condensed presentation of entire systems of philosophical thought can be headache inducing. Don't start reading this with the expectation of an easy ride. However the upside of this is a feeling of enlightenment when you get the gist of what is being said. The chapter on Natural Rights was the greatest in terms of both effects for me. One of the most common and intuitively obvious objections to natural rights arguments is the question; where do these rights come from? Or Why should I care about them? Eric Mack's chapter is the only place I have seen an argument presented that seemed actually give a clear answer. Although it was not comfortable. My brain is used to an entirely different way of thinking.
The chapter on Kantianism was similar that of natural rights in the sense that it was a lot to take in, although worthwhile for being so clear on what is a big subject.
Rawlsianism was probably my favourite chapter. It presents you not only with a summary of what traditional Rawlsianism is but gives the feeling of being presented with the cutting edge of scholarship in that area.
Objectivism was the weakest chapter by far. The other chapters both explained diligently the functioning parts of their system and then passionately defended their conclusions. Badhwar the author of that chapter could not really give a systematic explanation of objectivism and her defence of it was so filled with caveats that it was hard to have any confidence it it at all. The only conclusion I could draw from it was that Rand's philosophy really was as vacuous and flawed as her academic detractors claimed. Which makes me wonder why include it in the first place?
Overall this book is a mixed bag as a book with different subjects and authors is always likely to be. It's main virtue is that it does actually teach you things. It will make you think and consider different perspectives. Many of the chapters double as good introductions and/or companions to study in their areas. I personally have mentally bookmarked the chapters on Rawlsianism and Moral Pluralism as pertinent or potentially useful in future. And will probably end up coming back to Mack's chapter on natural rights if the subject becomes relevant. Although tough going in places I certainly don't regret reading this book.
November 8, 2017
Presenta un resumen de varias perspectivas que fundamentan la filosofía libertaria, desde el clásico del derecho natural, pasando por el utilitarismo, kantianismo, ética de las virtudes, objetivismo, consecuencialismo, pluralismo moral, contractualismo e intuicionismo ético hasta incluso una posición, que aunque no me convence mucho y se infunda en las ideas de teoría de justicia social de Rawls propuesta de Tomasi, en mi opinión, la propuesta de intuicionismo ético de Huemer es la más razonable y encaja con la del derecho natural y utilitarismo por lo que estaría interesado en investigar más al respecto, me parece que de todas las argumentaciones, la de Huemer es la mejor elaborada y va al grano así como una breve respuesta a las críticas que recibe el intuitivismo y el realismo moral, el pluralismo moral de Jason Brennan también me llamó la atención pero parece que es más compleja de elaborar para justificar el libertarismo pero está fuertemente basado en evidencia empírica, aunque para realismo moral el intuitivismo me parece aún más robusto, el objetivismo más que una justificación recibe una crítica por su notoria contradicción inherente y que es superada por el derecho natural (aún con las deficiencias que pueda tener).
En general recomendaría este libro tanto a no libertarios como para libertarios, sobretodo los últimos porque por lo general, en el libertarismo hay peligro de caer en dogmatismos cuando no se contrasta posturas incluso dentro del propio libertarismo, ejemplo de ello son los objetivistas y algunos utilitaristas y del derecho natural.
En general recomendaría este libro tanto a no libertarios como para libertarios, sobretodo los últimos porque por lo general, en el libertarismo hay peligro de caer en dogmatismos cuando no se contrasta posturas incluso dentro del propio libertarismo, ejemplo de ello son los objetivistas y algunos utilitaristas y del derecho natural.
September 14, 2018
I found this to be an accessible and very interesting introduction both to different schools of thought in moral philosophy and to the assorted underpinnings of libertarianism. Highly recommend for anyone interested in either.
October 1, 2022
Yazar kadrosu çok iyi olsa da kapitalizme karşı belli bir ekonomik optimize sahip olmayan birini ikna edebilecek bir kitap değil. Makaleler sadece ahlak felsefesiyle ilgili, 40'ar küsür sayfalar ve hiç altyapısı olmayanlar için yazılmışlar çünkü. Ahlak/ siyaset felsefesi genel kültürü edinmek isteyenler için iyi bir ders kitabı sayılır daha çok.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews