2010-08-27

Question For Libertarians

Hobbes asserts man's natural state, when left completely free, is war. What's the libertarian response to this?


Calvin (of Calvin and Hobbes fame) once asked, "Is man inherently good with bad tendencies or is he inherently bad with good tendencies?"

2 comments:

  1. I have what I consider to be a unique outlook on this question.

    People are not born either good or bad, but they are born socially unacceptable.

    The problem is, what's goood or what's bad? You can't really come up with a set of actions which will stand the test of time as being eternally consider "good" or eternally considered "bad."

    But who can deny that children are not born with a demeanor and impulses that are acceptable in society, regardless of which society that might be? In point of fact, children are born with a wide variety of natural tendencies, and perhaps these are impossible to seperate from what they witness during early socialization.

    War is a natural tendency for any society that is not all-inclusive, and I mean globally. If there's a border, if there is some group that can be labelled as "outsiders," war is inevitable. War can be outright prevented by a singular governing system across the whole Earth, but war is not the only form of violence mankind is capable of. There would still be violence amongst all groups who differentiate themselves from others, we just wouldn't call it war.

    And for the record, I'm not a Libertarian, but I play one on the internet.

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  2. You? A libertarian?

    It is unique.

    Doesn't murder or robbery fall into the eternally bad category? And giving to the poor and being honest as always good?

    I happen to think some people are indeed born bad to the bone and vice-versa. It's a hard wire thing I think.

    As for war, I think Hobbes went further than that and stripped it beyond borders and notions of inclusivity.

    Are you a NWO guy or something?

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