Liberty, Property and Rationality

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Liberty, Property and Rationality Liberty, Property and Rationality Concept of Freedom in Murray Rothbard’s Anarcho-capitalism Master’s Thesis Hannu Hästbacka 13.11.2018 University of Helsinki Faculty of Arts General History Tiedekunta/Osasto – Fakultet/Sektion – Faculty Laitos – Institution – Department Humanistinen tiedekunta Filosofian, historian, kulttuurin ja taiteiden tutkimuksen laitos Tekijä – Författare – Author Hannu Hästbacka Työn nimi – Arbetets titel – Title Liberty, Property and Rationality. Concept of Freedom in Murray Rothbard’s Anarcho-capitalism Oppiaine – Läroämne – Subject Yleinen historia Työn laji – Arbetets art – Level Aika – Datum – Month and Sivumäärä– Sidoantal – Number of pages Pro gradu -tutkielma year 100 13.11.2018 Tiivistelmä – Referat – Abstract Murray Rothbard (1926–1995) on yksi keskeisimmistä modernin libertarismin taustalla olevista ajattelijoista. Rothbard pitää yksilöllistä vapautta keskeisimpänä periaatteenaan, ja yhdistää filosofiassaan klassisen liberalismin perinnettä itävaltalaiseen taloustieteeseen, teleologiseen luonnonoikeusajatteluun sekä individualistiseen anarkismiin. Hänen tavoitteenaan on kehittää puhtaaseen järkeen pohjautuva oikeusoppi, jonka pohjalta voidaan perustaa vapaiden markkinoiden ihanneyhteiskunta. Valtiota ei täten Rothbardin ihanneyhteiskunnassa ole, vaan vastuu yksilöllisten luonnonoikeuksien toteutumisesta on kokonaan yksilöllä itsellään. Tutkin työssäni vapauden käsitettä Rothbardin anarko-kapitalistisessa filosofiassa. Selvitän ja analysoin Rothbardin ajattelun keskeisimpiä elementtejä niiden filosofisissa, ideologisissa, poliittisissa ja henkilöhistoriallisissa konteksteissaan. Käytän näiden elementtien arviointiin sekä historiatieteen että filosofian lähestymistapaa. Tässä mielessä työni edustaa sekä aate- että filosofian historiaa. Hyödynnän tutkimuksessani Isaiah Berlinin negatiivisen ja positiivisen vapauden teoriaa (1958). Nojaudun vapauden käsitteen analysoinnissa klassisen liberalismin traditioon, jota työssäni keskeisimmin edustaa Berlinin lisäksi John Stuart Millin filosofia (1859). Tähän viitekehykseen tukeutuen esitän, ettei Rothbardin vapauden teoria edusta liberalistista ajattelua, vaan on selkeästi tämän tradition ulkopuolella niin metaeettisen teoriansa, yhteiskunnallisten arvojensa kuin perimmäisen vapauskäsityksensäkin puolesta. Vapauden käsitteellä on Rothbardin filosofiassa kaksi toisistaan erottuvaa merkitystä. Rothbard viittaa vapauden termillä useimmiten praxeologisen taloustieteen logiikkaan perustuvaan, välinearvolliseen ”moraalitieteeseen” ja tämän pohjalta johdettuun vapauden objektiiviseen määritelmään luonnollisena tosiasiana. Toisaalta hän viittaa termillä myös normatiiviseen, itseisarvolliseen poliittiseen ihanteeseen. Tutkimustavoitteenani on selvittää, miten nämä kaksi merkitystä lopulta yhdistyvät Rothbardin ajattelussa toisiinsa. Teen täten ymmärrettäväksi, mitä vapaus lopulta tarkoittaa Rothbardin filosofiassa. Primäärilähteinäni on Rothbardin kirjallinen tuotanto vuosilta 1960–1982. Hänen poliittisen filosofiansa kannalta keskeisimmät teokset ovat ”Ethics of Liberty” (1982) sekä ”For a New Liberty” (1973). Tukeudun tutkimuksessani myös Rothbardista tehtyihin elämäkerrallisiin selvityksiin, joita ovat kirjoittaneet Rothbardin lähipiiriin ja kannattajakuntaan kuuluneet akateemikot. Tutkimustulosteni pohjalta väitän, ettei anarko-kapitalismi ole luonnollisiin tosiasioihin ja puhtaaseen järkeen pohjautuva eettinen systeemi, vaan pohjimmiltaan uskonnollisen moraalin päälle rakentuva vapaiden markkinoiden ideologia, jossa vapauden välinearvollinen määritelmä yhdistyy vapauden poliittiseen ihanteeseen lopulta vain sen olettamuksen kautta, että olemme epävapaita valtion takia. Avainsanat – Nyckelord – Keywords Rothbard, anarcho-capitalism, libertarianism, property, liberty, rationality, freedom, Berlin, Locke, Mill, von Mises, Nozick, Hoppe, Rand, Oppenheimer, Tucker, natural law, praxeology, Austrian economics, laissez-faire, anarchism, liberalism, self-ownership Säilytyspaikka – Förvaringställe – Where deposited Keskustakampuksen kirjasto, Helda Muita tietoja – Övriga uppgifter – Additional information Contents 1. Introduction ........................................................................................................... 1 1.1. Aims and Structure of the Thesis ..................................................................... 3 1.2. Methodology and Sources ............................................................................... 4 1.3. Value Neutrality ............................................................................................... 6 2. Concept of Freedom in Classical Liberalism and Libertarianism ............................. 7 2.1. Preconditions for a Philosophy of Freedom ..................................................... 8 2.1.1. Endoxa and Conceptual Realism ............................................................... 8 2.1.2. Distinctions and Dichotomies .................................................................. 10 2.1.3. Liberties and Rights ................................................................................. 12 2.2. Two Concepts of Liberty by Isaiah Berlin ....................................................... 14 2.2.1. Negative Concept of Liberty .................................................................... 15 2.2.2. Positive Concept of Liberty ...................................................................... 17 2.2.3. Developments within the Berlinian Framework ...................................... 19 3. Murray Rothbard .................................................................................................. 21 3.1. Life and Career: Pioneer of Contemporary Libertarianism ............................. 22 3.2. Intellectual and Ideological Development: Building the Grand System .......... 26 3.3. Controversial Legacy: Appearance of a Cult Figure ........................................ 32 4. Components of the Grand System ........................................................................ 36 4.1. Austrian School Praxeology ........................................................................... 37 4.1.1. Epistemology ........................................................................................... 38 4.1.2. Atomistic Individualism ........................................................................... 40 4.2. Rationalistic Natural Law ............................................................................... 44 4.2.1. Reason as the Foundation of Human Nature ........................................... 45 4.2.2. Inexorable Religious Undertone: Side-stepping Hume’s Guillotine ......... 46 4.2.3. Value Monism ......................................................................................... 48 4.2.4. Negative Natural Law and Personal Morality .......................................... 50 4.3. Quasi-Lockean Theory of Property ................................................................. 53 4.3.1. Principle of Self-ownership...................................................................... 54 4.3.2. Labor Theory and Principle of Homesteading .......................................... 56 4.3.3. Property Rights as Human Rights ............................................................ 58 4.4. Individualist Anarchist Radicalism .................................................................. 61 4.4.1. Radical Analysis of the State .................................................................... 63 4.4.2. Conspiracy Theory of History .................................................................. 65 5. Freedom as a Condition of Property Rights .......................................................... 67 5.1. Monistic Definition for Freedom .................................................................... 68 5.1.1. Symmetry between Justice and Liberty ................................................... 69 5.2. Challenging the Berlinian Model .................................................................... 71 5.2.1. Positive Liberty as Power ........................................................................ 72 5.2.2. Negative Liberty and Negative Property Rights ....................................... 73 5.2.3. Giving Up Wants and Giving Up Property ................................................ 75 5.3. Freedom of Action as Opportunity ................................................................ 78 5.4. Application: Freedom of Speech .................................................................... 80 5.4.1. Mill’s Positive Doctrine ............................................................................ 80 5.4.2. Mill’s Negative Doctrine .......................................................................... 82 5.4.3. Freedom of Speech as a Property Right................................................... 83 5.4.4. Freedom of Discussion in the Anarcho-Capitalist Society ........................ 84 6. Conclusions: A Priori and A Posteriori Liberty ....................................................... 86 6.1. ‘Science of Liberty’ and the Moral Realms of Capitalism ................................ 87 6.2. Illiberal Concept of Liberty ............................................................................. 91 6.2.1. Value Monism and Moral Absolutism ..................................................... 92 6.2.2. Liberty as Justice ..................................................................................... 94 Sources ...................................................................................................................
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