L. T. Hobhouse and John Locke are two great British liberals separated by two centuries. But they both saw the coercion inherent in economic inequality. They both saw the way in which the person who has much can dominate and subordinate the person who has little. And they both found it reprehensible, something that must be protected against, for liberty.Wealth = power.
Matt Bruenig
Locke and Hobhouse on coercion
1 comment:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberty
"Classical liberal concepts of liberty typically consist of freedoms of individuals from outside compulsion or coercion, also known as negative liberty. This conception of liberty, which coincides with the libertarian point-of-view, suggests that people should, must, and ought to behave according to their own free will, and take responsibility for their actions. In contrast, social liberal conceptions of liberty (positive liberty) place an emphasis upon social structure and agency and is therefore directed toward ensuring egalitarianism."
libertarians: When the "outside compulsion or coercion" is imposed by the state and directed from the law, then you must seek to learn how to comply, even if you personally disagree with these limits on your behavior being imposed by the state. Why not just consider yourselves "free to act" ,if you must, BUT within the bounds/restrictions of the law?
If you dont like the law then work within the democratic process to get the law changed... but until the law is changed, simply comply.
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