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Spring 2011

ISSN 0890-913X

Volume 26, Number 2

Categories: Politics | Spring 2011

The Roman Libertarians: An Ancient Philosophy of Freedom

Harold B. Jones, Jr., Mercer College

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TheRomanLibertarians:AnAncientPhilosophyofFreedomTheJournalofPrivateEnterprise26(2),2011,83-96HaroldB.Jones,Jr.DaltonStateCollegeAbstractAlmosteveryideahasanancientancestry,andSmith's"invisiblehand"istraceabletoRomanStoicism.InhisTheoryofMoralSentimentsSmithrefersconstantlytoStoicphilosophy,whichtaughtthatthereisalawmorefundamentalthananygovernmentdecree.Thislogos,astheycalledit,directedeventstowardtherestorationofequilibrium.MarcusAureliusobservedthateveryentityhasanassignedplaceandmustbegiventhefreedomtoplayitspartincreatingthegoodofthewhole.Smithcontinuedthisthemeinhisargumentthatindividualsmakethemaximumcontributiontothegoodofsocietybyattendingtotheirowninterests.JELCode:B11Keywords:Stoicism;Logos;Naturallaw;MarcusAurelius;ChristianStoicismI.IntroductionArelibertarianideasthecreationofmodernminds,ordotheyhavealonghistory?AccusedofplagiarizingAynRand,MurrayRothbardrepliedthatverylittleofwhattheRandiansclaimedastheirowncreationwasactuallynew.Mostoftheirconcepts,heobserved,wereeasilytraceabletomedievalScholasticism(Raimondo,2000).Hewasrightwithregardtonotonlythespecificfactbutalsothemoregeneralprincipleitrepresents.Everysystemofthoughthasanancientancestry.“Madmeninauthority,”Keynesfamouslyobserved,“whohearvoicesintheair,aredistillingtheirfrenzyfromsomeacademicscribblerofafewyearsback”(quotedinLippmann,1943,p.45).Thelinesmaywithafewrevisionsbeappliedasmuchtothe“academicscribbler”asto“madmeninauthority.”Eventhebestmindsare,ifnot“distillingtheirfrenzy,”atleastborrowingfromtheideasofearlierthinkers.RandherselfrecognizedherdebttoAristotle,andifJones(2006)isright,shemayhaveowedImmanuelKantmorethanshecaredtoadmit.83

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Metadata [hide]

Title	The Roman Libertarians: An Ancient Philosophy of Freedom
Authors/Creators:	Harold B. Jones, Jr., Mercer College
Year:	2011
Volume:	26
Number:	2
Pages:	83 - 96
Publisher:	The Association of Private Enterprise Education
ISSN:	0890-913X
Document Type:	Articles
Keywords:	Stoicism, Logos, Natural law, Marcus Aurelius, Christian Stoicism, Political philosophy

Citation:
Jones, Jr., Harold B. / 2011. "The Roman Libertarians: An Ancient Philosophy of Freedom." The Journal of Private Enterprise, 26(2): 83-96.