Ratio Working Papers
No 29:
Mere Libertarianism: Blending Hayek and Rothbard
Daniel Klein ()
Abstract: As many have argued, libertarianism as idea and movement
contains strands that often conflict, beg questions, or try our
sensibilities. There are multiple libertarianisms. Two leading theorists of
modern libertarianism are Friedrich Hayek and Murray Rothbard. Both pupils
of Ludwig von Mises, Hayek and Rothbard provide dual libertarianisms that
share a common precept but sustain that precept in inverse ways. Both Hayek
and Rothbard maintain that, in societies like theirs, the desirable always
concords with liberty (or maximal liberty). Rothbard achieved this
concordance by molding his sensibilities about the desirable to fit his
definition of liberty. Hayek achieved this concordance by molding his
definition of liberty to fit his sensibilities about the desirable. These
two libertarianisms represent a duality of worthy rhetorical tasks, namely,
those of the “bargainer” (exemplified by Hayek) and the “challenger”
(exemplified by Rothbard). But libertarians ought to reject the precept of
concordance: the desirable does not always concord with liberty. I attempt
a blending of Hayek and Rothbard that recognizes the several limitations of
libertarianism, sustains Hayek’s sensibilities, yet maintains Rothbard’s
cogent definition of liberty. The paper explores various ways in which the
proposed blending makes for a reasonable and versatile “mere”
libertarianism that successfully participates in mainstream discourse.
Keywords: liberty; libertarianism; property; liberty maxim; ambiguity; incompleteness; undesirability; bargainer; challenger; (follow links to similar papers)
JEL-Codes: Z00; (follow links to similar papers)
60 pages, December 22, 2003
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Klein, Daniel, 'Mere Libertarianism: Blending Hayek and Rothbard', Reason Papers.
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