Evictionism
April 11, 2017
—–Original Message—–
From: Y
Sent: Tue 4/11/2017 4:41 PM
To: [email protected]
Subject: Evictionism
Hi Professor Block, I was considering your argument for Evictionism in regards to Abortion. What would be the libertarian evictionism position on parents being required to pay child support. Some regard having intercourse as consenting to have a child and thus oppose abortion and require child support. Can evictionism differentiate between banning abortion and requiring child support. Best, Y
Dear Y: There are no positive obligations in libertarianism. Only negative ones: refrain from initiating violence against innocent people. Any and all payments must be part of an agreed upon contract. At the time of sexual intercourse there is not yet any child with whom to have a contract, or, with whom, even, to offer any invitation. On the other hand, the parent who no longer wishes to be the guardian of the child is required to take the baby to a hospital or orphanage or some such place, and this does not violate the prohibition of positive obligations. I explain that here:
Block, Walter E. 2016. “Forestalling, positive obligations and the Lockean and Blockian provisos: Rejoinder to Stephan Kinsella.” Ekonomia Wroclaw Economic Review. http://ekon.sjol.eu/category/22-3-2016-529
Block, Walter E. 2014A. “Evictionism and Libertarianism.” Journal of Medicine and Philosophy. Volume 35, Issue 2, pp 290-294; http://jmp.oxfordjournals.org/content/early/2014/04/27/jmp.jhu012.full?keytype=ref&ijkey=3n1zc8zcBRnT586; http://jmp.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/reprint/jhu012?ijkey=3n1zc8zcBRnT586&keytype=ref
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