[769] in libertarians
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daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (damartin@ampere.mit.edu)
Sun Feb 26 01:43:12 1995
Date: Sun, 26 Feb 1995 01:41:56 -0500
From: damartin@ampere.mit.edu
To: sethf@MIT.EDU
Cc: libertarians@MIT.EDU
> I'm posing a question: Is Libertarianism based on what's good
>for personal freedom, with the argument that this produces good
>business, or is it based on what's good for business, with the
>assumption that that is good for personal freedom (i.e. "What's good for
>General Motors is good for liberty")? I think software patents are a
I'll answer the question: Libertarianism is based on the
principle that neither you nor the state have the right to _intiate_
force or fraud against anyone. Various libertarians have various ways
of reaching this principle (some from Christianity, some from
Objectivism, etc.). Most of the various other political/economic
opinions of libertarians can be derived from this principle. As far as
businesses (which a libertarian would regard as simply a group of
individuals acting together voluntarily for their mutual self
interest), this means that as long as the business honors all of its
contracts and doesn't use force (or the threat of force) against
anyone, the state has no right to regulate or tax the business in any
way. The problem with patents (as they currently exist) is not that
they are good for business or bad for business, but that the patent
MAY cause the government to iniate force against someone.
Raymie Stata posted a well-reasoned argument about this last
year, maybe he will repost it.......?
-David Martin
