Denying the right of a woman to abort involves denying the basis of libertarianism itself. Libertarianism is often expressed as “the non-initiation of force” but the question is why – why is it wrong to initiate force? The answer lies in a more fundamental principle. The Levellers in seventeenth-century England called it ‘self-proprietorship’; the first American anarchist Josiah Warren referred to ‘the sovereignty of the individual.” 19th century American abolitionists defined the concept of ‘self-ownership’ as the jurisdiction that every human being has over his or her own body simply by virtue of being human. The answer to why it is wrong to initiate force is because force violates that person’s self- ownership. The jurisdiction of each peaceful person over his or her body is what constitutes individual rights.
Posts Tagged ‘Wendy McElroy’
Abortion Rights are Logically Required by Libertarianism
Monday, July 30th, 2012 Submitted by Wendy McElroyAmerican Revolution v. Declaration of Independence
Monday, July 23rd, 2012 Submitted by Wendy McElroy
Was America born from war or from the Declaration of Independence? The question draws a distinction between the American Revolution (or War of Independence) and the principles that inspired it.
Religion: Foe or Friend…or Intrinsically Neither?
Friday, July 6th, 2012 Submitted by Wendy McElroy
Were 19th century individualist anarchists in America inherently atheistic? Certainly freethought – a common term for atheism in that day – exerted a strong influence on such significant figures as Moses Harman and E.C. Walker who co-edited Lucifer, the Light Bearer. Their freethought was rooted in a deep desire to remove Church authority from marital and sexual matters; too often this authority went beyond moral suasion and was translated into laws that violated the peaceful actions of consenting adults. In short, the Church tended to become the State.
The Single Tax, A Refutation
Thursday, June 21st, 2012 Submitted by Wendy McElroy
I generally eschew question-and-answer as a format for presenting ideas but the choice I confront is to use this ‘easy’ structure or to delay the promised ‘refutation’ until next week due to deadline pressure. I chose ‘easy’. The following commentaries do not exhaust my objections to the Single Tax – far from it. But they provide a good indication of those objections and (hopefully) a springboard for productive discussion. The questions in bold face represent the Georgist position, followed by my ‘refutation.’
What is Georgism? Followed by a Refutation. PART I
Tuesday, June 12th, 2012 Submitted by Wendy McElroyAnyone familiar with the Individualist tradition in America has encountered the Single Tax movement. It is sometimes called Georgism after its formulator and foremost advocate Henry George (1839-1897). Georgism links the poverty and injustice of society to the usurpation of land and advocates the imposition of a single tax on land (“economic rent”) as a solution. That is, land should be viewed as common property with payment for use — a single tax — going toward society. Several prominent individualists have championed the single tax, including Albert Jay Nock and Francis Neilson, founders of The Freeman. Yet the doctrine has attracted equally prominent critics both in the 19th century and now.
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