Critical Review: A Journal of Politics and Society 4 (3):327-343 (1990)
Authors |
|
Abstract |
In a departure from traditional Western political theory that is reminiscent of left?wing anarchism, contemporary libertarianism rejects the necessity of making political choices based on a value hierarchy, instead claiming that it is possible for all individuals to pursue their divergent values simultaneously?as long as each respects the equal rights of others to do the same. The caveat, however, hides a conflict of loyalties that would plague a libertarian society: on the one hand are the particular loyalties of one's preferred Utopian community; on the other hand, loyalty to the larger ?framework for utopias?; within which one's utopia exists. The second loyalty implies a value relativism incompatible with the first one, meaning either that loyalty to the libertarian framework will undermine the utopias within it, or that the particular values of the utopias will destabilize the libertarian framework. The durability of a libertarian society, then, requires a mentality best characterized as nihilistic. In this, libertarianism differs from liberalism but is surprisingly similar to the cultural diversity movement. The thesis is illustrated by examining John Gray's attempt to eschew both a hierarchy of values and moral relativism.
|
Keywords | No keywords specified (fix it) |
Categories | (categorize this paper) |
DOI | 10.1080/08913819008459608 |
Options |
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Download options
References found in this work BETA
No references found.
Citations of this work BETA
Ignorance as a Starting Point: From Modest Epistemology to Realistic Political Theory.Jeffrey Friedman - 2007 - Critical Review: A Journal of Politics and Society 19 (1):1-22.
Liberalism, State, and Community.Peter Simpson - 1994 - Critical Review: A Journal of Politics and Society 8 (2):159-173.
Accounting for Political Preferences: Cultural Theory Vs. Cultural History.Jeffrey Friedman - 1991 - Critical Review: A Journal of Politics and Society 5 (3):325-351.
Economic Consequentialism and Beyond.Jeffrey Friedman - 1994 - Critical Review: A Journal of Politics and Society 8 (4):493-502.
Shopping‐Mall Liberalism: Reply to Legutko.Jan Narveson - 1991 - Critical Review: A Journal of Politics and Society 5 (1):129-134.
View all 6 citations / Add more citations
Similar books and articles
Libertarianism Vs. Community: Reply to Simpson.Ryszard Legutko - 1995 - Critical Review: A Journal of Politics and Society 9 (3):421-425.
“Libertarianism” and the Social Ideal of Liberty: Neo‐Conservatism’s “Libertarian” Claims Reconsidered.Milan Zafirovski - 2011 - Social Epistemology 25 (2):183 - 209.
Loyalty to Loyalty:Josiah Royce and the Genuine Moral Life: Josiah Royce and the Genuine Moral Life.Mathew A. Foust - 2012 - Fordham University Press.
A 'Nudge' for Public Health Ethics: Libertarian Paternalism as a Framework for Ethical Analysis of Public Health Interventions?J. -F. Menard - 2010 - Public Health Ethics 3 (3):229-238.
Libertarianism and the Possibility of the Legitimate State.Nicolás Maloberti - 2009 - Libertarian Papers 1:1-12.
The Cambridge Companion to Nozick's Anarchy, State, and Utopia.Ralf M. Bader & John Meadowcroft (eds.) - 2011 - Cambridge University Press.
Left-Libertarianism: A Primer.Peter Vallentyne - 2000 - In Peter Vallentyne & Hillel Steiner (eds.), Left Libertarianism and Its Critics: The Contemporary Debate. Palgrave Publishers.
Locke and Libertarian Property Rights: Reply to Weinberg.Am Feallsanach - 1998 - Critical Review: A Journal of Politics and Society 12 (3):319-323.
The Liberal Archipelago: A Theory of Diversity and Freedom.Chandran Kukathas - 2003 - Oxford University Press.
Analytics
Added to PP index
2011-10-18
Total views
21 ( #534,534 of 2,506,442 )
Recent downloads (6 months)
1 ( #416,997 of 2,506,442 )
2011-10-18
Total views
21 ( #534,534 of 2,506,442 )
Recent downloads (6 months)
1 ( #416,997 of 2,506,442 )
How can I increase my downloads?
Downloads