From: Quantum Reasoning
Sent: Friday, October 30, 2020 3:32 PM
Subject: Argumentation Ethics
Dear Dr. Walter Block
I have recently been working more around the areas of property rights, and while I think I have a decent understanding of argumentation ethics, I also think that there is room for more to be achieved with the concept.
I am in full agreement with Hoppe over his proposals but I have been giving more thought to new ground that I could make building off Hoppe’s arguments, and it is possible I may have broke off into something, however, I am not entirely sure whether my deductive process can withstand scrutiny, so I wanted to hear your thoughts on this argument I have came up with as I know you are very well acquainted with argumentation ethics, I thoroughly enjoyed reading your critique of Murphy.
From what I have developed thus far, my argument in essence goes as follows:
P1) Man Purposefully Acts
P2) Man cannot observe action, only bodily movements.
P3) Man can reflect upon themselves, and thereby know what it means to act.
C1) Action is synthetic a priori
P4) Everything that proceeds from action must then presuppose a categorical understanding of action itself
C2) Knowledge must then, be structured in a way that it is a category of action
P5) In order to arrive at the discovery of truth claims, one must engage in argument.
P6) Every actor must presuppose a categorical understanding of action itself
C3) Every actor that knows what action is, must have thus engaged in argumentation to arrive at truth claims
P7) There is implicit norms implied in argument, i.e., libertarian norms
P8) Every actor that knows reflectively what action is, thus presupposes the implicit norms of argumentation by his very act of action.
C4) Every actor thus cannot claim against these norms, as they have implicitly presupposed a categorical understanding of argumentation in their very act of action itself, making their very act of denying this, implicitly or explicitly, a blatant performative contradiction.
Obviously each premise and conclusion will need far more to analysis with the scrutiny that comes with making such an argument, but the main goal I am attempting to achieve here, is to extend the fabric of argumentation ethics, to a very fundamental intrinsic level, in being every actor, upon every action, must implicitly presuppose a categorical understanding of action, and thus, even if one does not argue in the moment, one still cannot deny property rights as they implicitly recognise it by their very action.
Any thoughts are highly appreciated.
Dear Craig:
Looks good to me.
This biblio might be of help to you:
(http://www.stephankinsella.com/2013/01/hoppe-on-treating-aggressors-as-mere-technical-problems/).
Dominiak, Lukas. 2019. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WqO54eWt4Ws&t=321s
Hoppe,Hans-Hermann. 1989. “The Ethical Justification of Capitalism and Why Socialism Is Morally Indefensible,” chapter 7, A Theory of Socialism and Capitalism Boston: Kluwer Academic Publishers
Hoppe, Hans-Hermann. 1993. The Economics and Ethics of Private Property. Studies in Political Economy and Philosophy, Boston: Kluwer Academic Publishers
http://hanshoppe.com/publications/liberty_symposium.pdf in Liberty
Kinsella, Stephan. Defense of Hans’ argumentation ethics vis a vis Murphy and Callahan; http://www.anti-state.com/article.php?article_id=312
Block, Walter E. 2004. “Are Alienability and the Apriori of Argument Logically Incompatible?” Dialogue, Vol. 1, No. 1. http://www.uni-svishtov.bg/dialog/2004/256gord6.pdf
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Discourse_ethics
Argument from argument: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Discourse_ethics
Arguementation ethics, Argument from argument: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Discourse_ethics
hics”; see www.HansHoppe.com, go to publications, topics, argumentation ethics.http://www.mises.org/esandtam/pfe3.asp
From Stephan Kinsella:
Hoppe’s “argumentation ethic” defense of libertarian rights was first published, to my knowledge, in three articles in 1988: “On the Ultimate Justification of the Ethics of Private Property,” Liberty (September 1988); “The Justice of Economic Efficiency,” Austrian Economics Newsletter (Winter 1988); and a longer piece, “From the Economics of Laissez Faire to the Ethics of Libertarianism,” in: Walter E. Block & Llewellyn H. Rockwell, eds., Man, Economy, and Liberty: Essays in Honor of Murray N. Rothbard (Mises Institute, 1988). These were included as chapters 10, 9, and 8, respectively, of Hoppe’s book The Economics and Ethics of Private Property (Kluwer, 1993). The most definitive elaboration of Hoppe’s theory is found in “The Ethical Justification of Capitalism and Why Socialism Is Morally Indefensible,” chapter 7 of his monumental A Theory of Socialism and Capitalism (Kluwer 1989; more info; hereinafter referred to as TSC ). This chapter is similar to the 1988 chapter in Man, Economy, and Liberty. These and other materials are available at Hoppe’s website.
Hoppe, 1988A, 1988B, 1988C, 1988D, 1993, 1995
Hoppe, Hans Hermann. 1988A. “On the Ultimate Justification of the Ethics of Private Property,” Liberty, September
Hoppe, Hans Hermann. 1988B. “The Justice of Economic Efficiency,” Austrian Economics Newsletter. Winter
Hoppe, Hans Hermann. 1988C. “From the Economics of Laissez Faire to the Ethics of Libertarianism,” in: Walter E. Block & Llewellyn H. Rockwell, eds., Man, Economy, and Liberty: Essays in Honor of Murray N. Rothbard. Auburn, AL: The Mises Institute.
Hoppe, Hans-Hermann. 1988D. “Utilitarians and Randians vs Reason.” Liberty (November): 53–54; http://www.libertyunbound.com/sites/files/printarchive/Liberty_Magazine_November_1988.pdf
Hoppe, Hans-Hermann. 1993. The Economics and Ethics of Private Property. Studies in Political Economy and Philosophy, Boston: Kluwer Academic Publishers, pp. 204-207
Hoppe, Hans-Hermann. 1995. Economic Science and the Austrian Method. Auburn, AL: The Ludwig von Mises Institute; http://www.mises.org/esandtam/pes1.asp;
http://www.mises.org/esandtam/pfe3.asp; http://mises.org/pdf/esam.pdf
These were included as chapters 10, 9, and 8, respectively, of Hoppe’s book The Economics and Ethics of Private Property (Kluwer, 1993). The most definitive elaboration of Hoppe’s theory is found in “The Ethical Justification of Capitalism and Why Socialism Is Morally Indefensible,” chapter 7 of his monumental A Theory of Socialism and Capitalism (Kluwer 1989; more info; hereinafter referred to as TSC ). This chapter is similar to the 1988 chapter in Man, Economy, and Liberty. These and other materials are available at Hoppe’s website.
Bibliography, supporters of Hoppe:: argumentation ethics::
Block, 2004, 2011; Eabrasu, 2009; Gordon, 1988; Hoppe, 1988A, 1988B, 1988C, 1988D, 1993, 1995; Kinsella, 1996, 2002; Meng, 2002; Rothbard, 1988, Van Dun, 2009.
Block, Walter E. 2004. “Are Alienability and the Apriori of Argument Logically Incompatible?” Dialogue, Vol. 1, No. 1; http://www.uni-svishtov.bg/dialog/2004/256gord6.pdf
Block, Walter E. 2011. “Rejoinder to Murphy and Callahan on Hoppe’s Argumentation Ethics” Journal of Libertarian Studies; Vol. 22, pp. 631–639;
http://mises.org/journals/jls/22_1/22_1_31.pdf
Eabrasu, Marian. 2009. “A Reply to the Current Critiques Formulated Against Hoppe’s Argumentation Ethics,” Libertarian Papers. Vol. I, No. 1;
http://libertarianpapers.org/2009/20-eabrasu-critiques-argumentation-ethics/
Gordon, David. 1988. “Radical & Quasi-Kantian.” Liberty (November): 46–47; http://www.libertyunbound.com/sites/files/printarchive/Liberty_Magazine_November_1988.pdf
Kinsella, Stephan. 1996. “New Rationalist Directions in Libertarian Rights Theory.” Journal of Libertarian Studies 12 (12): 323–38.
Kinsella, N. Stephan. 2002 [2011]. “Defending Argumentation Ethics: Reply to Murphy & Callahan,” Anti-state.com, Sept. 19 [July 2]; http://www.anti-state.com/article.php?article_id=312
Kinsella, Stephan N. 2011. “Argumentation Ethics and Liberty: A Concise Guide.” May 27; http://mises.org/daily/5322/
Hoppe, Hans Hermann. 1988A. “On the Ultimate Justification of the Ethics of Private Property,” Liberty, September
Hoppe, Hans Hermann. 1988B. “The Justice of Economic Efficiency,” Austrian Economics Newsletter. Winter
Hoppe, Hans Hermann. 1988C. “From the Economics of Laissez Faire to the Ethics of Libertarianism,” in: Walter E. Block & Llewellyn H. Rockwell, eds., Man, Economy, and Liberty: Essays in Honor of Murray N. Rothbard. Auburn, AL: The Mises Institute.
Hoppe, Hans-Hermann. 1988D. “Utilitarians and Randians vs Reason.” Liberty (November): 53–54; http://www.libertyunbound.com/sites/files/printarchive/Liberty_Magazine_November_1988.pdf
Hoppe, Hans-Hermann. 1993. The Economics and Ethics of Private Property. Studies in Political Economy and Philosophy, Boston: Kluwer Academic Publishers, pp. 204-207
Hoppe, Hans-Hermann. 1995. Economic Science and the Austrian Method. Auburn, AL: The Ludwig von Mises Institute; http://www.mises.org/esandtam/pes1.asp;
http://www.mises.org/esandtam/pfe3.asp; http://mises.org/pdf/esam.pdf
Meng, Jude Chua Soo. 2002. “Hopp(e)ing Onto New Ground: A Rothbardian Proposal for Thomistic Natural Law as the Basis for Hans-Hermann Hoppe’s Praxeological Defense of Private Property.” Working paper, http://www.mises.org/journals/scholar/meng.pdf
Rothbard, Murray. 1988. “Beyond Is and Ought.” Liberty (November): 44–45; http://mises.org/daily/4629/Beyond-Is-and-Ought; http://www.libertyunbound.com/sites/files/printarchive/Liberty_Magazine_November_1988.pdf
Van Dun, Frank. 2009. “Argumentation Ethics and The Philosophy of Freedom.” Libertarian Papers, No. 19; http://libertarianpapers.org/2009/19-van-dun-argumentation-ethics/
Con:
Friedman, 1988; Murphy and Callahan, 2006; Steele, 1988; Yeager, 1988.
Friedman, David. 1988. “The Trouble with Hoppe: Some Brief Comments on Hoppe’s Justification of the Private Property Ethic.” Liberty, 2.2, November, 53–54.; http://www.daviddfriedman.com/Libertarian/On_Hoppe.html; http://www.libertyunbound.com/sites/files/printarchive/Liberty_Magazine_November_1988.pdf
Murphy, Robert P. and Gene Callahan. 2006. “Hans-Hermann Hoppe’s Argumentation Ethics: A Critique.” The Journal of Libertarian Studies. Vol. 20, No. 2, Spring, pp. 53-64; http://www.mises.org/journals/jls/20_2/20_2_3.pdf
Steele, David Ramsay. 1988. “One Muddle After Another.” Liberty (November): 45–46; http://www.libertyunbound.com/sites/files/printarchive/Liberty_Magazine_November_1988.pdf
Yeager, Leland. 1988. “Raw Assertions.” Liberty (November): 45–46; http://www.libertyunbound.com/sites/files/printarchive/Liberty_Magazine_November_1988.pdf
Hoppe, Hans-Hermann [Conza88]. (2011, September 22). The A priori of Argumention [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tx7XUuPrbZo
Hoppe, Hans-Hermann [Property and Freedom Society]. (2016, October 8). Hans Hermann Hoppe – Ethics of Argumentation (PFS 2016) [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b8UE3QAV8JM
Kinsella, Stephan. 2011. “Argumentation Ethics and Liberty: A Concise Guide.” May 27; https://mises.org/library/argumentation-ethics-and-liberty-concise-guide
Kinsella, Stephan 2013. “KOL018 | “Libertarian Legal Theory: Property, Conflict, and Society: Lecture 1: Libertarian Basics: Rights and Law” (Mises Academy, 2011).” February 20; http://www.stephankinsella.com/paf-podcast/kol018-libertarian-legal-theory-property-conflict-and-society-lecture-1-libertarian-basics-rights-and-law-mises-academy-2011/
Kinsella, Stephan. 2014. “KOL153 | “The Social Theory of Hoppe: Lecture 1: Property Foundations” (Mises Academy, 2011).” October 16; http://www.stephankinsella.com/paf-podcast/kol153-the-social-theory-of-hoppe-lecture-1-mises-academy-2011/
Kinsella, Stephan. 2015. ““Argumentation Ethics and Liberty: A Concise Guide” (2011) and Supplemental Resources.” January 1; http://www.stephankinsella.com/2015/01/argumentation-ethics-and-liberty-a-concise-guide-2011/
Kinsella, Stephan. 2015. “Hoppe’s Argumentation Ethics and Its Critics.” August 11; http://www.stephankinsella.com/2015/08/hoppes-argumentation-ethics-and-its-critics/
Kinsella, Stephan. 2016. “The Genesis of Estoppel: My Libertarian Rights Theory.” March 22; http://www.stephankinsella.com/2016/03/the-genesis-of-estoppel-my-libertarian-rights-theory/
Best regards,
Walter
3:44 am on March 26, 2021
