The Ethics of Liberty

A belief in the goodness of government assumes that politicians will be rue champions of good. Test this fantasy by asking peo- the free market ple the following questions: assert that people 1. Do you believe the campaign should be allowed promises of politicians? to live their lives 2. Who is more likely to gain popular as they choose, so approval, a politician who deceives long as they allow or a politician who rigorously tells others to do the same. The skeptic the truth? asserts, "Impossible! The free society 3. Do politicians have higher or lower dependsT on everyone being good. This moral standards than you do? is fantasy!" But the real fantasy is I have asked my students these trusting in the goodness of politicians. questions in dozens of surveys. The Free market champions recognize result, every single time, is a nearly that all people have good and bad as unanimous opinion about politicians: part of their character. The danger is 1. they are untrustworthy, when people have great power to 2. honest people usually have little impose their will on others. Doing chance in politics, good things for people does not 3. politicians are typically corrupt and require the initiation of force. Doing have little or no moral restraint. bad things does. A truly free society Then I ask the same people if they isn't perfect, but limiting power sim- trust government and if government ply limits the damage that people can can improve the moral behavior of do to others on a grand scale through society. Most people then say, "Yes!" politics. and they proceed to list a set of laws they want government to implement.

THE ETHICS OF LIBERTY 1 DIVINE RIGHT PEOPLE ARE OFTEN MESMERIZED OF KINGS WITH THE IDEA THAT GOVERNMENT IS A KIND OF GOD: OMNIPRESENT, THIS IS POLITICAL schizophrenia–a OMNISCIENT, AND OMNIPOTENT. common sense malady. People fre- TOSS A FEW HUNDRED OF THE quently experience this disconnection MOST SORDID POLITICIANS INTO between what they think about gov- SOME LEGISLATIVE CAULDRON ernment and what they think about AND ONE IS OFTEN PRESUMED TO HAVE THE MAGIC FORMULA the politicians who comprise govern- FOR A CIVIL GOD. ment. Perhaps this reflects the effectiveness of government influence through schools, media, and the many exhortations to patriotism. The voter is not so different from known as the Divine Right of Kings. the abused spouse who wishes to Kings asserted their right to rule by believe in an ideal despite endless victory in battle–which, it was betrayals and beatings. The abused claimed, must have been aided by voter keeps returning to the incum- Divine intervention. Thus kings bent at the ballot box just as the defeat- assumed complete authority over the ed spouse crawls back to his or her life, liberty, and property of every sub- abuser in a perpetual exercise of self- ject in the realm. This superior station flagellation. in life for royals is still a notion rein- People are often mesmerized with forced by ghastly tradition and most the idea that government is a kind of of the cute Disney films. god: omnipresent, omniscient, and In most of the animated Disney omnipotent. Toss a few hundred of the movies someone is trying to get, or to most sordid politicians into some leg- retain, a position of royalty as a king islative cauldron and one is often pre- or queen or prince or princess, with sumed to have the magic formula for a the right to rule all others in the king- civil god. dom. It is a fantasy taught by every Indeed, voters frequently call upon generation since storytelling began. government in the same way that some religious people pray. When they are fearful, when they are needy, DIVINE RIGHT OF or when they want prizes, voters MAJORITIES plead for politicians to answer their call for immediate brute, not spiritual, Americans in Hawaii celebrate two force against their neighbors. Instead other holidays that are just weeks of crosses, anthems, priests, com- apart. 1) Independence Day memorial- mandments, tithes, and obedience the izes the fight for freedom from civic believer sacrifices life to flags, England and 2) Kamehameha Day national anthems, politicians, statutes, memorializes the forced unification of taxes, and conscription. the Hawaiian islands by Kamehameha The source of this widespread jus- the "Great," a man who murdered tification for government used to be thousands of fellow islanders to bring

2 CENTRE FOR CIVIL SOCIETY courts, and defense. Such a FREE MARKETEERS SEE VOLUNTARY government was to give no ACTION AND CHOICE AS THE DRIVING FORCE, WITH MARKET ACTION AS A PROCESS OF privileged favors to anyone. DISCOVERY--BILLIONS OF INNOVATORS These are ideas wonderfully WORKING ON THE NEXT INCREMENTAL STEPS elucidated by Milton, Rose, TOWARD IMPROVING THEIR OWN LIVES and David Friedman. Statists have their vision everyone under his control. of what society should look like and There is no consistency in these their efforts are spent trying to force memorials-except victory. Kill one people to fit into it. Free marketeers, person and you are a murderer. Kill on the other hand, see voluntary thousands and you become a hero action and choice as the driving force, with your name engraved on build- with market action as a process of dis- ings and idolized by generations of covery– billions of innovators working schoolchildren-so long as you win in on the next incremental steps toward battle! improving their own lives. With the passing of monarchies, This isn't a radical new idea. It is a politicians have found a new justifica- logical idea that has haunted power tion for authority: the Divine Right of mongers throughout history. This lais- Majorities. Normally people do not sez-faire philosophy has deep roots believe that it is right to kill, to steal, to among the classical liberals of Europe lie, to covet, or to enslave. But under as well as in 2500 years of Asian the mantle of majority numbers, poli- thought. Lao Tzu, the founder of tics has become a kind of purification Taoism, opposed oppressive govern- ritual. With the approval of majority ment and asserted that the best action votes, however manipulated, even the by government was no action. These worst among us are elevated in status precepts were asserted in the book Lao and empowered to kill, to steal, to lie, Tzu: to covet, and to enslave with impunity. And they can even feel good about it. 17 The best rulers are those whose Free market champions reject this. existence is merely known by the Sound ethics are not derived from people. numbers and votes any more than 37 Tao invariably takes no action, and they are from victory in war. yet there is nothing left undone. If kings and barons can keep it, all MINIMAL, NEUTRAL things will transform spontaneously. GOVERNMENT 57 Administer the empire by engag- ing in no activity. THOMAS JEFFERSON once declared, How do I know that this should be "That government is best which gov- so? Through this: erns least." As one of America's The more taboos and prohibitions founding fathers he believed in mini- there are in the world, the poorer the mal, neutral government, which was people will be… limited mostly to the protection of The more laws and orders are individual freedom through police, made prominent, the more thieves

THE ETHICS OF LIBERTY 3 and robbers there will be, give to themselves. Therefore the sage says: I ask my students how much I take no action and the people of them- money has been stolen from them in selves are transformed. their entire lifetimes. They report that The more laws, the more thieves perhaps a couple thousand dollars has and robbers? Sure. For every rule that been stolen from the whole class of stands in the way of freedom is an students throughout their lives. "How opportunity for some official to sell a much of this was recovered by the favor. The favor may be to lift the bar- authorities?" They laugh and reply rier or to place a barrier in the path of that the authorities recovered virtually some competitor. none of this, even though such help is said to be a primary function of gov- ROBIN HOOD vs. ernment. Then I ask them how much of the THE SHERIFF OF government's spending is wasted. The NOTTINGHAM average estimate of students is that 50% of government spending is wast- THOUGH THIS is not what the gov- ed. I have them calculate how much ernment teaches in its schools. money they expect to earn when they Government schools are more likely to start their careers. I ask them to esti- teach that the government performs as mate how much the government will Robin Hood, the hero of the English take from them in taxes. ballads, taking from the rich and giv- Finally I ask them to compute the ing to the poor. amount of their own money that will I ask my students, "Who has more be wasted by government during a power, the rich or the poor?" They typical working year. At this point stu- reply that the rich have more power, dents realize that the government may of course. So if the rich have more throw away more of their earnings in power, is it likely that they are going a single year than free lance robbers to use this power to give up their will take from them in a lifetime. wealth? If they really wanted to give Why is it that people continue to up their wealth, they don't need gov- accept a state of affairs where the government to do it for them. They could ernment is an institutionalized rob- just do it. ber? Is it a proof of the effectiveness of However, free marketeers suspect the indoctrination of government that the real beneficiaries of govern- schools?As economist Walter Williams ment action are those with power. The likes to point out, the robber is slight- powerful elite perpetuate the Robin ly nobler than the politician. When the Hood myth in order to gain popular thief takes your money he goes away acquiescence to their official robbery. and leaves you alone. When the politi- After all, in the legend of Robin Hood cian takes your money, he stays the villains were Prince John and the around to control your life and to bore Sheriff of Nottingham, authority fig- you with the reasons of why you ures who used the power of govern- should be happy about it. ment to rob from the rich (i.e. Robin of ESCALATING Locksley) and poor alike in order to

4 CENTRE FOR CIVIL SOCIETY PENALTIES may be killed, it's that simple. Yes, every resistance to authority is an escalating crime with the penalty ris- A PROUD Dane once overheard a ing until the offender stops challeng- friend of mine, Virgis, say that the ing the authority of politicians. The government should let him keep his ultimate penalty for resisting authori- own money. The Dane chastised Virgis ty is death. It seldom comes to that saying, "You make such a big deal out because everyone is well aware of of keeping your money. Isn't that very the final consequence and they have selfish?" Virgis replied, "Far less self- been carefully conditioned not to ish than the man who wants to take think of it. my money by force!" Do politicians reserve this ultimate The Dane says, "Force? Never!" threat only for the most heinous of V--"So what happens to the person actions, such as aggression or vio- who refuses to pay taxes?" lence? No. They use this threat for D--"It wouldn't happen." every conceivable whim of fancy-- V--"Suppose someone actually whatever gets them the votes to refused?" remain in their positions of power. D--"Well, he would be arrested!" Some politicians barter power V--"And what if he resisted arrest?" for immediate bribes of various sorts. D--"Then, the authorities would take But the real rewards of power are con- him to jail." trol, status, and fame. These ethereal V--"How?" benefits permit politicians to defer D--"Well, they would come to his valuable payoffs until far into the house and take him." future. V--"And what if he resisted?" D--"Then the man would be charged with aggressing against the police." A DISEASE V--"The police come to take him and MASQUERADING his money, yet you call resister an AS ITS OWN CURE aggressor?" D--"Well he's threatening the police." V--"If you come to my home and take And what do these pretenders of my money, am I the aggressor if I altruism do with all this tax money? try to stop you?" Do they accomplish good deeds with- D--"But the police are different from out doing harm? Do they solve prob- you and me." lems of food, clothing, and shelter that V--"So it is OK for the police to rob people cannot resolve spontaneously me?" by themselves in the market? No, they D--"It is society's decision, you are part create problems. of society." Whenever there is a problem in V--"So I am aggressing against society most people ask politicians for myself?" a solution. And political solutions usu- The circular argument will go on ally increase, rather than decrease, endlessly in order to avoid the obvi- their political power. ous. The person who resists too much Instead of asking how the govern-

THE ETHICS OF LIBERTY 5 ment can solve problems, I ask if the focused on redistribution, my eye is government has done anything to cre- focused on production and the causes ate these problems in the first place. of high prices for things like food and From my perspective as a free market clothing. Has the government done economist, the government behaves anything to bring about these high like a disease masquerading as its own prices? One obvious cause of high cure. If people cannot afford the high prices is taxation and a costly bureau- prices of food and clothing, the politi- cracy. But there are other causes that cians plan a welfare distribution of are often invisible to the ordinary citi- money from producers to non-pro- zen. ducers. I ask my students, "Suppose there is a government building with some GOVERNMENT people forced to put money into the MONEY building on one side while others are taking money out from the other side. One major source is the govern- On which side of the building will ment's monopoly over money. If you people prefer to be?" or I printed money we would be My students always reply that charged as counterfeiters, thieves who robbed other people by reducing the purchasing power of their wages, sav- INSTEAD OF ASKING HOW THE GOVERNMENT CAN SOLVE ings, and pensions. When the govern- PROBLEMS, I ASK IF THE ment prints money it has the same GOVERNMENT HAS DONE effect, but it's not called "counterfeit- ANYTHING TO CREATE THESE ing." It is called monetary policy and PROBLEMS IN THE FIRST PLACE. inflation. FROM MY PERSPECTIVE AS A FREE MARKET ECONOMIST, THE Through the creation of money-- GOVERNMENT BEHAVES LIKE A money that legal tender laws require DISEASE MASQUERADING AS ITS people to use--the government secret- OWN CURE. ly confiscates a portion of citizen wealth every year by reducing the purchasing power of that money. This people would rather be on the "taking is the primary cause of rising prices. out side." So, in time, there will be This not only benefits the authorities, fewer and fewer producers putting but it serves as a great transfer of money in and more and more takers wealth every year from lower income on the other side taking money people who live on wages, savings, out. There is less and less being pro- and pensions to higher income people duced and, eventually, "nobody gets who own the properties that rise in it if there ain't none." It takes value during times of inflation. a few decades for this reversal of The biggest winner of all from incentives to undo centuries of tradi- inflation is the government itself: tional productivity and self-reliance, spending the new money; decreasing but the collapse will come sooner or the value of its massive debt; and later. increasing the value of vast govern- While the mainstream economist is ment holdings in land, gold, foreign

6 CENTRE FOR CIVIL SOCIETY currencies, and collectibles. And as ful farm bloc that exists in all industri- people have to earn more to buy the al nations. Paying farmers not to pro- same number of goods, governments duce food is not practical, not take a higher percentage in taxes humane, and certainly not ethical. But through "tax bracket creep." There are these subsidies are pervasive, except rich people and poor people every- in New Zealand. where, but there is no such thing as a Farmers in New Zealand were poor government anywhere. once more heavily subsidized than If a thief took a percentage of the farmers in any other OECD nation. income of everyone in the country, the When foreign credit ran out in 1984, public would be outraged. But the the government ended farm subsidies very same behavior, when practiced virtually overnight. Farmers didn't by politicians nearly every year, is think they could exist without the sub- ignored by all. sidies. But today there are more farm- Free marketeers might call for the ers on the land than ever, producing repeal of legal tender laws. When peo- more income than ever, and produc- ple are allowed freedom of choice, ing more food for consumption than they look for quality. This is true of all ever before. They are now farming goods and services, including money. smart instead of farming for the subsi- When users give up unstable curren- dies. cies for stable currencies, competitors Elsewhere in the world, the farm have a strong motive to stop inflating. lobby depends on getting fabulous This happens on the international returns from political contributions market where choice in currency is and influence peddling. The return in allowed--and it should also be allowed subsidies is so valuable that it is worth in every domestic market. currying the favor of various political parties, just guaranteeing to be on the MANIPULATED victorious side regardless of the elec- tion outcome. Indeed, there is no bet- KNOWLEDGE ter investment in the world than a well-placed politician. A MORE obvious form of robbery, but I ask my students to take a survey tolerated just the same, comes in the of any hundred people passing form of agricultural programs that through the downtown, urban area. raise the prices of food and clothing. Ask how many people can describe Billions are spent every year to stop welfare programs for the poor and farmers from producing, to take land how many can describe agricultural out of production, to store vast sur- programs for the farmer? pluses off the market, to destroy food, One Swedish student, Geo Olsson, and to prohibit food imports. For took me up on this challenge and actu- more than half a century this has been ally conducted the survey. He found routine in America, worse in Europe, that 100 passersby knew of welfare for and still worse in Japan. the poor and only 2 people knew any- Welfare for the poor, therefore, thing at all of the agricultural pro- pales in comparison with corporate grams that make life expensive for the welfare to a very wealthy and power- poor. It turned out that those 2 had

THE ETHICS OF LIBERTY 7 chance. Economic history bluntly THE SOCIALIST BELIEVES THAT THE demonstrates that it is government POWER OF GOVERNMENT CAN BE favor, not a truly free market, that USED FOR GOOD, IF ONLY THE gives greedy businessmen the best RIGHT PERSON HOLDS THAT POWER AND SUBSTITUTES THEIR chance at eliminating worthy competi- CHOICES FOR THE CHOICES OF tors. OTHERS. IT IS AN UNDER- The force behind government STANDABLE IMPULSE TO LOOK licenses, patents, charters, franchises, FOR A HUMAN GOD WHENEVER tax breaks, subsidies, regulatory privi- INSECURE AND IN DOUBT. BUT THERE IS NO "RIGHT PERSON." leges, trade barriers, and wars have always served to concentrate monopoly power into the hands of an influential few. Those who achieve been students in my classes. No doubt extraordinary wealth without these the survey would be very different if advantages, deserve their wealth conducted in a rural town in Kansas through voluntary transactions. where nearly everyone expects to ben- Where the favors of government are efit by farm handouts. more numerous, there also are greater The selectivity of this knowledge is extremes of wealth and poverty. no accident. Welfare is always always Government has been the indis- always part of the social science cur- pensable handmaiden of a powerful riculum in government schools. elite throughout history. Behind virtu- However, government programs to ally every case of extraordinary make food and clothing scarce and wealth is some political favor. And it is expensive is never never never part of these same political favors that are that same curriculum. behind every case of extraordinary poverty. It is a plethora of political interventions that cripple the incen- EXTREMES OF tives for innovation, production, and RICH AND POOR choice. The greed of politicians is to control the life, liberty, and property of SKEPTICS OF the market assert that every man, woman, and child in the the government is necessary to control nation. I assert that in a truly free mar- greedy businessmen who want to ket the extremes of wealth and pover- eliminate their competition and take ty are much less pronounced. The as much money as possible from the wealth of individuals consists of consumer. What is normally taught in choices. Wealth is choices. government schools is that a free mar- The socialist believes that the ket leads to concentrations of power of government can be used for monopoly power and that the govern- good, if only the right person holds ment stands as guardian against those that power and substitutes their choic- powers. es for the choices of others. It is an It is true that greedy businessmen understandable impulse to look for a would like to eliminate their competi- human god whenever insecure and in tion and would take as much money doubt. But there is no "right person." as possible from consumers if given a This impulse to play the human

8 CENTRE FOR CIVIL SOCIETY god is reminiscent of the J.R.R. Tolkien story, Lord of the Rings. Each person EVENTUALLY, WE MAY FIND THAT who holds the ring of power is tempt- THE COMPETITIVE INCENTIVES OF ed to use it for his own perception of THE MARKETPLACE MAY ALSO IMPROVE OUR PROTECTION AS good, but power corrupts and WELL, WITH BETTER PRICES, destroys each and every bearer of the BETTER SERVICES, AND MORE ring and those around him. The con- INNOVATION THAN UNDER clusion of Tolkien's story is that the GOVERNMENT MONOPOLIES. inhabitants of Middle Earth can only find salvation by destroying the ring of power, tossing it into Mount Doom- opinion. -a fiery volcano. That is a free market Most free marketeers acknowledge message. this premise and accept that govern- Every year there is some new dis- ment is useful for some basic func- covery about the abuse of power in tions, but these must be limited to pro- politics and politicians answer the tection, not aggression. Each of us has popular call for reform with many a right to defend ourselves. So we may new rules. But no matter what rules ask others to do this for us. But none of they make for themselves, they will us has a right to aggress against oth- always find ways to get around the ers, so none of us has a right to ask rules so long as they have valuable other people with official hats to do favors to sell. The solution to the cor- this dirty work on our behalf. ruption of authority is the one solution Eventually, we may find that the that politicians are loathe to propose competitive incentives of the market- or accept: the drastic reduction of their place may also improve our protection authority. as well, with better prices, better services, and more innovation than under WHAT LIMITS? government monopolies. The full possibilities of voluntarism "But," says the skeptic, "you need should be open to exploration. A great political authority for many things portion of the police, prison, and court that cannot be provided by the mar- functions in America are being pro- ket--postal services, schools, utilities, vided by innovative and cost efficient the environment, courts, fire depart- security, corrections, and dispute arbi- ments, ambulance services, military tration companies. This is also hap- defense, and stop signs on roadways." pening for mail delivery, education, Despite inefficiencies or failures in and fire departments. If incentives and these areas, it is to the government consumer choice are powerful motiva- that abused voters continue to return. tors for improving prices and quality The tactic of the skeptic is frequently of service, then the market should be to argue the most difficult cases first. If tapped for everything that people a concession can be won for a single truly value. The more important the function of government, then the services, the more important it is to premise exists for any and all justifica- allow competition and choice. tions for government. The degree of The mainstream reply is that some government, then, is just a matter of things are "public goods" and enjoyed

THE ETHICS OF LIBERTY 9 by everyone. It is argued that the mar- Government, governments in this cen- ket won't provide public goods tury have killed a hundred and seven- because private providers cannot ty million people. Ninety percent of exclude people who don't pay volun- these people were killed by their own tarily--i.e. the "free riders." To the governments-institutions that suppos- mainstream economist, this free rider edly exist primarily for protection of problem is the justification for a myri- the citizenry. And yet mainstream eco- ad of taxes and government monopo- nomics textbooks categorize this car- lies. nage as a "public good" instead of a Unfortunately, the citizens suffer "public bad." tragically from this state of affairs. This does not even begin to count What is supposed to be a public good the suffering from other kinds of civil becomes a "public bad." More than war that governments conduct against 40,000 people die on poorly managed their citizens, i.e. drug wars and trade government highways in America wars. People have grown accustomed every year. Yet few people question to these tragedies and think of them as this management because we have inevitable-inevitable like a volcano. grown accustomed to this government And what of the "free rider" prob- monopoly. lem? Is the free rider problem solved But suppose that a private trans- once the government uses taxes to pay portation company was responsible for public "goods" or "bads"? Hardly! for that many deaths? It wouldn't be Nations still abound with free riders. long before the owners were lynched. Governments have simply found new But when government officials oper- free riders, those with the greatest ate such a deadly transportation sys- political influence. tem year after year, people shrug because there is little or no choice-- thus, little or no accountability. ETHICAL ROOTS Lack of accountability is also a seri- ous problem in the area of environ- GEORGE WASHINGTON once mental pollution. If I dump garbage declared, "Government is not reason; on you or on your property, then I it is not eloquence. Government is should be held accountable for dam- force. And like fire, it is a dangerous ages and compensation. If I dump on servant and a fearful master." you or your property by putting my Political actions entail forced pay- garbage into the air first, then I should ment, forced consumption, and forced still be held accountable. There should monopoly. The use of force is not an be no defense against this aggression ethical means for the achievement of because of limited liability laws or our personal goals any more than it is public interest laws. for the achievement of our social As for defense, we have come to goals. The use of force, other than expect that government military ser- purely for protection, assumes that the vices are wasteful and inefficient--and end justifies the means. too frequently offensive rather than Free marketeers may start with the defensive in nature. As pointed out by opposite assumption--that an ethical Rudy Rummel's book, Death By solution to problems is also the

10 CENTRE FOR CIVIL SOCIETY NOLAN CHART

A sampling of issues presented in the Nolan Chart: 1. Should businesses and farmers operate without government subsidies? Yes. People have a right to choose what to do with their own money. 2. Should people be allowed to practice free trade without tariffs? Yes. People have a right to decide business partners for themselves. 3. Should people be allowed to receive pay below the minimum legal wage? Yes. People have a right to decide what they will accept for their own labor, even if it is to volunteer to work for nothing. 4. Should voluntary means of funding be sought for government services? Yes. Numerous alternatives to coercive funding are practical and just. 5. Should governments stop protecting commercial interests of their citizens abroad? Yes. The free market offers far more hope for the world than political intervention. Commercial interests across borders come with risks. 6. Should military service be voluntary? Yes. Free men and women should be hired to perform professional services for a career. 7. Should the media be free of government control? Yes. Radio, television, and the press are free speech and a check on tyranny. 8. Should consenting adults be free to practice their choice of sexual conduct? Yes. The right to decide personal lifestyle should not be limited to politicians. 9. Should people be allowed to consume harmful substances? Yes. People have the primary right and responsibility for their own bodies. 10. Should people be allowed to cross borders? Yes. People have a right to flee oppression and to hire the oppressed.

THE ETHICS OF LIBERTY 11 most practical and humanitarian. I paid for by a mountain of tax dollars see a free and voluntary society pro- to defend the status quo. So any change ducing more of food, clothing, shelter, that comes along will happen only health, safety, and a beautiful environ- after long consideration and trial in ment--all of the things we value--more various regions of the world. effectively than a coercive society that I'm not worried. In the battle determines morality by the counting of ideas between coercion and free- of hands. dom, I am convinced that ideas It is natural for human beings to propped up by force cannot be worth strive, to cooperate, and much compared to to improve life for ideas based on free- themselves, for their IT IS NATURAL FOR dom. families, and for their HUMAN BEINGS TO neighbors. Personal STRIVE, TO rewards and penalties COOPERATE, AND TO CHECK YOUR for success and failure IMPROVE LIFE FOR PREMISES THEMSELVES, FOR in the marketplace, THEIR FAMILIES, AND challenged by innova- FOR THEIR FREE MARKET ethics tion and competition is NEIGHBORS. have many roots, but a clear path to greater PERSONAL REWARDS for some they are based knowledge, wisdom, AND PENALTIES FOR on a principle of self- SUCCESS AND FAILURE and prosperity. Without IN THE MARKETPLACE, ownership. You own the burden of a coercive CHALLENGED BY your life. To deny this government I see peo- INNOVATION AND is to imply that another ple motivated to pro- COMPETITION IS A person has a higher duce great wealth and CLEAR PATH TO claim on your life than GREATER to disburse that wealth KNOWLEDGE, you do. No other per- according to their own WISDOM, AND son, or group of per- values--including val- PROSPERITY sons, owns your life ues of great personal nor do you own the generosity and compas- lives of others. sion. You exist in time: Freedom, competition, innovation, future, present, and past. This is man- and responsibility are all part of an ifest in life, liberty, and the product of incredibly complex market formula your life and liberty. To lose your life is for achieving all that people in society to lose your future. To lose your liber- value. It takes more effort to explore ty is to lose your present. And to lose voluntary solutions to social problems the product of your life and liberty is than just passing laws, but the results to lose the portion of your past that can be much more satisfying. produced it. In the broadest sense, For those who panic by the mere your ability to exercise choices for life mention of non-government alterna- and liberty over time is your prosperi- tives in these areas, don't worry. There ty. is a vast array of mainstream universi- A product of your life and liberty is ties, mainstream economists, and your property. Property is the fruit of mainstream textbooks that are largely your labor, the product of your time,

12 CENTRE FOR CIVIL SOCIETY energy, and talents. It is that part of Since you own your life, you are nature which you turn to valuable use. responsible for your life. You do not And it is the property of others that is rent your life from others who given to you by voluntary exchange demand your obedience. Nor are you and mutual consent. Two people who a slave to others who demand your exchange property voluntarily are sacrifice. You choose your own goals both better off or they wouldn't do it. based on your own values. Success Only they may rightfully make that and failure are both the necessary decision for themselves. incentives to learn and to grow. Your At times some people use force or action on behalf of others, or their fraud to take from others without will- action on behalf of you, is virtuous ful, voluntary consent. Under normal only when it is derived from volun- conditions, the initiation of force to tary, mutual consent. For virtue take life is murder, to take liberty is can only exist when there is free slavery, and to take property is theft. It choice. is the same whether these actions are This is the basis of a truly free soci- done by one person acting alone, by ety. It is not only the most practical the many acting against a few, or even and humanitarian foundation for by officials with fine hats. human action, it is also the most ethi- You have the right to protect your cal. This is not coincidental. own life, liberty, and justly acquired Problems that arise from the initia- property from the forceful aggression tion of force by government have a of others. So you may ask others to solution. The solution is for people of help protect you. But you do not have the world to stop asking government a right to initiate force against the life, officials to initiate force on their liberty, or property of others. Thus, behalf. Evil does not arise only from you have no right to designate some bad people, but also from good people person to initiate force against others who tolerate the initiation of force as on your behalf. an expedient to their own ends. In this manner, good people have empow- RESPONSIBILITY ered tyrants throughout history. Having confidence in a free society YOU HAVE a right to seek leaders for is to focus on the process of discovery your life, but you have no right to in the marketplace of values rather impose rulers onto others. No matter than to focus on some imposed vision how officials are selected, they are or goal. Using governmental force to only human beings and they have no impose a vision on others is intellectu- rights or claims that are higher than al sloth and typically results in unin- those of any other human beings. tended, perverse consequences. Regardless of the imaginative labels Achieving the free society requires for their behavior or the numbers of courage to think, to talk, and to people encouraging them, officials act–especially when it is easier to do have no right to murder, to enslave, or nothing. to steal. You cannot give them any w rights that you do not have yourself.

THE ETHICS OF LIBERTY 13 CENTRE FOR CIVIL SOCIETY THE POWER OF IDEAS

he Centre for Civil Society is an independent, non-profit, research and educational organisation devoted to improving the quality of life for all citizens of India by reviving and reinvigorating civil society. India got her political independence in 1947 from the British state, but we still do not have complete social, cultural and eco- nomicT independence from the Indian state. We aim to limit the domain of the state and make more space for civil society. We champion limited government, rule of law, free trade, and individual rights. We are an ideas organisation, a think tank that develops ideas to better the world. We want to usher in an intellectual revolution that encourages people to look beyond the obvious, think beyond good intentions, and act beyond activism. We believe in the individuality and dignity of all persons, and their right to life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness. We trust their judgment when they cast their vote in a ballot box and when they spend their money in a marketplace. We are driven by the dream of a free society, where political, social, and economic freedom reigns. We are soldiers for a Second Freedom Movement. CCS's activities include research, outreach and advocacy in the areas of Law, Liberty, & Livelihood; Communities, Markets & the Environment; Good Governance; Education for All; Rule of Law; and The World & I.

Join our Education Choice Campaign (Fund Students, Not Schools) at www.ccsindia.org!

14 CENTRE FOR CIVIL SOCIETY NOTES

THE ETHICS OF LIBERTY 15