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Some things are simply not a matter of expertise. One could theoretically show comprehensively that individual freedoms reduce economic output and decrease ave
by throwaway22032 3y ago
Some things are simply not a matter of expertise.
One could theoretically show comprehensively that individual freedoms reduce economic output and decrease average life span, and that would still not be an argument to restrict them.
- zbentley 3y agoWhy not?
- gedy 3y ago"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed."
- HPsquared 3y agoMaximum economic output isn't the ultimate "good" most people are aiming for.
- zbentley 3y agoTrue, but output is highly correlated with prosperity in most places and through most of history for which we have data. Increased lifespan is also generally understood to be positive.
- nradov 3y agoI would rather not have the government tell me how to live my life even if it means I die young.
- MichaelZuo 3y agoAt best such things are decided through majority vote, at worst through some series of opaque bureaucratic bargaining. And the proportion of mostly self-interested folks is quite high in both cases, or at least that's what many HN commentators allege to be the case.
- throwaway22032 3y agoYou've answered your own question by posting that response.
- ciwolsey 3y agoYou mean like drug abuse?
- throwaway22032 3y agoThere are all sorts of things that I personally disagree with that I'll fight for your right to do. If you want to have ten sexual partners at once, do a ton of drugs, generally live a hedonistic lifestyle, you do you. I'll judge you and won't associate with you, but I'm not going to stand in your way.
- AgentOrange1234 3y agoThe hard cases are when one person’s freedom conflicts with another’s. Like my right to own firearms vs your right to be safe, or my freedom to run my polluting business vs your freedom to have a clean environment, or my freedom to ignore lockdowns in early 2020 vs your freedom to get care at a hospital with capacity.
- throwaway22032 3y agoSure. The ability I have to leave my house and walk around is of a different quality to the ability I have to go to the supermarket and buy some food. Positive vs negative rights, something like that. I'm feeling lazy in my explanation but probably you know it already. :) With drug abuse I feel it's quite simple. If you want to do meth in your home, I think you're a bit daft but I'm mostly happy for you. If you end up in a tent city under a bridge abusing passers by and committing crimes to get your next hit, well, we should punish that hard.