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Fall 2015

ISSN 0890-913X

Volume 30, Number 3

Categories: Fall 2015 | Private Enterprises

Argumentation Ethics and the Question of Self-Ownership

Andrew T. Young , Texas Tech University

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TheJournalofPrivateEnterprise30(3),2015,79–88ArgumentationEthicsandtheQuestionofSelf-Ownership*AndrewT.YoungWestVirginiaUniversity______________________________________________________AbstractTheanarcho-capitalistphilosopher,Hans-HermannHoppe(1993;2004),claimsthatself-ownershipistheonlyethicalsolutiontotheproblemofsocialorder.Heclaimsthatanydenialofself-ownershiprepresentsaperformativecontradiction:thatactivelyarguingagainstself-ownershippresupposesone’sself-ownership.IexamineHoppe’sethicsandarguethat,withinthatframework,self-ownershipisa(notthe)permissibleethic.Therearestrongempiricalandtheoreticalcasestobemadeforlibertarianism.Catchingnonlibertariansinperformativecontradictions(gotcha!)isnotoneofthem.__________________________________________________________JELCodes:P10,D63Keywords:ethics,privateproperty,self-ownership,categoricalimperatives,universalistcritique,argumentation,rationality,libertarianismI.IntroductionDohumanshaverights?Ifso,why?Somearguethatindividualrightsareethicallypriortotheconsequencesthatfollowfromthem.AynRandandMurrayRothbardprovideargumentsalongtheselines.Thisperspectiveisalso,broadly,thatofnaturalrightstheoristssuchasJohnLocke.Forotherlibertarians,theethicalproofoftherightsbasedpuddingisintheeating.EconomistssuchasLudwigvonMisesandFriedrichHayekadvocatetheprovisionofindividualrightsbecausetheyleadtoamoreprosperoussociety.Individualrights—inparticular,well-definedandenforcedrightstoone’spersonandproperty—facilitatesocialcooperation.Theyareethicallydesirable*IamingreatdebttoFrankvanDunforhisextensivecommentsonthispaper.IalsothankWalterBlockandStephanKinsellaforcommentsonapreviousdraft.IhavebenefitedfrommanydiscussionsanddebateswithparticipantsattheLibertarianForum(http://groups.google.com/group/LibertarianForum),especiallyJuanFernandoCarpio,MaxChiz,PaulEdwards,andBardPotts.IalsothankparticipantsattheMarch2006AustrianScholarsConferenceattheLudwigvonMisesInstituteforcommentsonanearlydraft.79

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Metadata [hide]

Title	Argumentation Ethics and the Question of Self-Ownership
Authors/Creators:	Andrew T. Young , Texas Tech University
Year:	2015
Volume:	30
Number:	3
Pages:	79 - 88
Publisher:	The Association of Private Enterprise Education
ISSN:	0890-913X
Document Type:	Articles
Keywords:	ethics, private property, self-ownership, categorical imperatives, universalist critique, argumentation, rationality, libertarianism

Citation:
Young, Andrew T. / 2015. "Argumentation Ethics and the Question of Self-Ownership." The Journal of Private Enterprise, 30(3): 79-88.