From: NF
Sent: Saturday, October 01, 2016 4:25 PM
To: Walter Block
Subject: Re: An Efficiency Objection to Homesteading
I think David Friedman is incorrect with all his continuum objections to the NAP, but when it comes to The Madman, The Draft, The Eyes Have It, and other utilitarian objections to the NAP I think he is correct. The NAP isn’t purely a legal theory but a moral one as well. We believe murder is wrong because it violates the NAP, we believe rape is wrong because it violates the NAP. I believe that morality is a continuum between the NAP and utilitarianism, since I would murder one person to save a billion even though it would violate the NAP, although I would want the guard of black man to fight the would be lynchers. The objection to David Friedman’s lack of hatred of the state is irrelevant. I hated the state for a year or two after discovering libertarianism, but no longer. It’s purely a stylistic choice and shouldn’t affect how we view peoples arguments. Could you link me to some Austrian work on equilibrium or explain it to me further? Thanks, NF
Dear NF: I think the NAP is solely a legal theory, not at all a moral one, except insofar as legality is part of ethics. You switch from “is wrong” as in rape, murder is wrong, to “I would” as in I would murder one person… These are very different logical categories. If you murdered one person to save a billion, you’d still be a murderer, subject to libertarian punishment theory. I’ve written a bit about this trolley example:
Block, Walter E. 2015. “The trolley: a libertarian analysis.” Journal Etica e Politica / Ethics & Politics; Vol. XVII, No. 2, http://www2.units.it/etica/; http://www2.units.it/etica/2015_2/BLOCK.pdf
Yes, David Friedman’s lack of hatred of the state is irrelevant, to a lot of things. To cooking, to basketball, to fishing. But it is hardly irrelevant to political economy.
See this critique of mine of his book on libertarianism:
Block, Walter E. 2011. “David Friedman and Libertarianism: A Critique,” Libertarian Papers, Vol. 3, Article 35; http://libertarianpapers.org/articles/2011/lp-3-35.pdf; https://plus.google.com/u/0/107839603122535455846/posts/6QfUcBR1gTS
When I published this, 5 years ago, I sent this to him, asked him to write and publish a rejoinder. No response yet.
On equilibrium, go to the Mises web and look up that word, and/or “evenly rotating economy.”
7:55 pm on October 1, 2016 Email Walter E. Block
