Introduction to Libertarianism | Walter Block

Walter Block, an Austrian school economist and anarcho-libertarian philosopher, is Harold E. Wirth Eminent Scholar Chair in Economics and professor of economics at Loyola University New Orleans and senior fellow with the Ludwig von Mises Institute. He is the author of the books Defending the Undefendable, Labor Economics From A Free Market Perspective, Economics and the Environment: A Reconciliation, and his latest, The Privatization of Roads and Highways.

Walter Block's official website:
http://www.walterblock.com

Related links:
http://mises.org/fellow.aspx?Id=6
http://www.lewrockwell.com/block/block-arch.html

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[dantean]

Nothing beats a rational-sounding maniac. When, in "Toward A Libertarian Theory of Inalienability" (Journal of Libertarian Studies, Vol. 17 no. 2) he maintains that slavery is a freedom the Libertarian wants to "preserve" for poor people, close ur eyes and u can almost see the bodies swaying gently in the breeze, hung from the magnolia trees in an antebellum setting where to be AGAINST the enslavement of African Americans was to be FOR the slavery of those champions of freedom, the slave owner.

[LibertyInOurTime]

@dantean

Thanks for the comment. That is a perspective to certainly look further into in relation to Block's opinion on voluntary relations and slavery. Since I have not listened to this lecture in a while, at what point in the video does Block bring up slavery so I can review? Also, I would hope you don't feel ALL libertarians have the same opinions as Block does. Any form of slavery is a violation of the non-aggression principle which all genuine libertarians believe in and adhere to.

[pipem4n]

48:50 If you are not anarchist you're a World Government supporter.

[benddouglas]

@benddouglas Now we can discuss whether rights are inaleinable or whether may be bought and sold. We may discuss whether Block is right or wrong in this regard. But you are misrepresenting him when you say he would in any way endorse slavery as practiced in the antebellum south. Block simply argues that if people are to truly own themselves, then their rights must be alienable. They must be allowed to sell themselves into slavery. This is completely NAP-compatible.

[benddouglas]

@dantean The slavery Block discusses is in no way analogous to the tragedy that was African slavery. African slaves were kidnapped and shipped to the Americas against their will. This is obviously a violation of the NAP and is opposed heart-and-soul by Block and all true libertarians.

The slavery Block speaks of is voluntary. That is, people consent to having themselves. It really isn't slavery in the strict sense because of the consent.

[pschneible]

@LibertyInOurTime Are you sure that any form of slavery is a violation of the NAP? What if someone agrees to work for someone forever for no money? No coercion was ever involved. Walter Block's argument is that if you own yourself, you should be able to sell yourself or give yourself away. In a true libertarian society, would you want to a law that says that people who want to set up such voluntary arrangements cannot? It's like the case of libertines, drug users, or whatever.

[pschneible]

@dantean Walter Block says that people should be able to sell themselves into slavery voluntarily. That is, if someone *wants* to be a slave, they have the right to be. Slavery in the United States was obviously nothing like this. People were kidnapped by force from their home countries and generations of their children were enslaved likewise. Not understanding the difference between voluntary and involuntary slavery is like not understanding the difference between theft and a gift.

[npcompletion]

@LibertyInOurTime He doesn't break the NAP. Like metzger90 mentions the "slavery" is voluntary. You have the freedom to enter into a type of contractual bondage e.g. to be their servant for X time in exchange for something BUT you can never be forced into it. (Except as Block had cited elsewhere, but still consistent with NAP, as recompense if you took a life, then a proportional punishment might be owing your life to the victim's heir or widow, etc)

[metzger90]

@LibertyInOurTime A case could be made for voluntary slavery and indentured servitude.

[randomgai1234]

@hagbard72 where does he compromise on the non-aggression principle?

[DollFacePeter]

@hagbard72 Yes I think he makes it quite clear in his book "End the Fed" that he is an "anarcho-capitalist" though he has to be a minarchist for "political" reasons

[soljorbiz]

If it's voluntary it's not slavery. It's a fetish.