Liberty as the Application of Self-Ownership

bySpencerMorgan
Lastweekwediscoveredthatdefininglibertytoobroadlyas"freedomofaction"resultsinsome contradictionswhenactionsthemselvesreduceothers'capabilityforaction.Byexaminingtheuniversalityof theconcept,wehavediscoveredthecorrectdefinitionofliberty.Itisnotmerelyfreedomofaction,butthe freedomtotakeanyandallselfdirectingaction. Thisgivesusadefinitionthatcanbeapplieduniversallywithoutcontradiction,andkeepstheideaofliberty groundedinitsimplicitcoreprinciple:selfownership.Ifwearenotstartingfromthebasicnotionthata personownsherself,orhasauniqueandexclusiveprerogativeforselfcontrol,thenthereisnobasisupon whichtopresumethatlibertyisofanyvalue. Iflibertyisonlyofvalueasanimplicationofandnecessityforselfownership,thenwemustexamineand substantiatetheconceptofselfownership. WhatisSelfOwnership? Ownershipisanexclusiveprerogativeofcontrol.Itincludesnotmerelyacapabilityofcontrol,butamoral entitlementthereto.Ifyou"own"somethingitmeansyouhaveanentitlementtoexcludeothersfromuse,in ordertoexerciseuseyourself.Thisprerogativeis,tomany,"selfevident"oraxiomaticasthephilosophers say.An"axiom"isatruththatissoevidentthatitisimpossibletoargueagainstitwithoutcontradicting one'sownassertionintheprocess. Forexample,ifIweretomaintainthatIamnotaselfowner,Iwouldbeusingmymindtoformwordsand expressthemwitheitherspeechorwriting.Bydoingthis,Iamexcludingallotherpotentialusersofmy mindandbody.Inotherwords,Iamactingupontheprincipleofselfownershipevenintheprocessoftrying toclaimthatIdon'townmyself,resultinginaninescapablecontradiction.Ifwearetobelievethataperson isnotaselfowner,orinotherwordsisnotmorallyentitledtoselfuse,thenwemustconcludethatshe mustrefrainfromallselfuseandleavetheresourcethatisherpersonopentootherpotentialusers. Becausethisassertionwouldsodeeplycontradictman'sevidentconditionintheworld,andnatureas needingtousehismindandbodytosurviveandachievehappiness,wecanrejectsuchanassertionand thusrejectallpossibilitiesotherthanselfownership.Thisishowweknowthatselfownership,oran entitlementforanindividualtoexcludeothercontrollersofhispersonandactfreelyinallselfdirectingways, isavalidprerogative. Thisisveryshortsummaryofthethinkingbehindthenotionofselfownership,andIwouldhopethatits basictruthisresonantenoughwithmostreaderstonotrequirefurtherexamination.Ifthereaderwouldlikea moresystematicsubstantiation,thephilosophical"heavylifting"inthisareahasbeendonebyAynRand andMurrayRothbard,andIwouldreferyoutotheirwork*. Nowthatwe'vegotauniversaldefinitionofliberty,andtiedourvalueoflibertytoamoralentitlementof selfownership,wecanlabelthisconceptforapplicationtointerpersonalrelations(society).Thelabelforthis notionisa"right".Incomingarticleswe'lltalkaboutrightsandtheprivilegesorentitlementsthatareoften mistakenlylabeledassuch. *MurrayN.Rothbard'sTheEthicsofLibertyandAynRand's"Man'sRights."