Tom W' Bell Living Lives that Respect Liberty

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Tom W. BellLiving Lives that Respect
Liberty
Introduction I. Legal Models II. Legal
Threats III. Legal Solutions Conclusion

• IHS Liberty Society Seminar, Bryn Mawr, July
  13, 2007

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Introduction
Introduction I. Only Political?
II. Personal III. Interpersonal IV.
Professional Conclusion

• Were going to discuss how our respect for
  liberty might inform--not mandate--the ways we
  live our lives.
• Well cover three major areas Personal,
  Interpersonal, and Career.
• This will help us review some of the principles
  we've learned and show their limits.

Tom W. Bell, Living Lives that Respect Liberty,
slide 2, IHS Liberty Society Seminar, Bryn
Mawr, PA, July 13, 2007
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I. Is Liberty Only a Political Value?
Introduction I. Only Political?
II. Personal III. Interpersonal IV.
Professional Conclusion

• Respecting rights versus dictating right action,
  or, "The political is personal.
• Does Hayek's "fatal conceit" argument apply in
  reverse?

1. His fatal conceit, recall, is that the rules
necessary for regulating personal relations in
small groups, such as in families or villages,
scale up to large groups, such as states. He
thus touts the virtues of impersonal justice for
the (as he calls it) Great Society. 2. Would we
err in applying the rules that classical liberals
claim necessary for the Great Societyrespect for
persons, property, and promisesto the small
group?

• C. Respect for liberty does appear to reflect
  other values, serving as a social sorting function

Tom W. Bell, Living Lives that Respect Liberty,
slide 3, IHS Liberty Society Seminar, Bryn
Mawr, PA, July 13, 2007
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II. Liberty at a Personal Level
Introduction I. Only Political?
II. Personal III. Interpersonal IV.
Professional Conclusion

• Liberty does not equate to atomistic libertinism.
  Rather, it allows--and arguably requires--us to
  choose associations that constrain our behavior.
• Envy threatens liberty by encouraging both left-
  and right-wing ruin.
• Case study Robert Nozick, an eminent
  philosophical proponent of libertarianism,
  vigorously exercised his rights under the rent
  control laws of Cambridge, Massachusetts. Was he
  wrong to do so?

Tom W. Bell, Living Lives that Respect Liberty,
slide 4, IHS Liberty Society Seminar, Bryn
Mawr, PA, July 13, 2007
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III. Liberty in Interpersonal Relations
Introduction I. Only Political?
II. Personal III. Interpersonal IV.
Professional Conclusion

• Rights at home How clear boundaries foster
  trust and respect.
• Case study Carol offers her roommate, Doris, a
  lot of unsolicited advice. Her recent
  suggestions included

You really ought to try wearing turtlenecks more
often they cover up those lines on your
neck. The way you pronounce 'insurance' makes
you sound like a hick. Put the emphasis in the
second syllable! Don't go out with Frank.
You'll just get drunk, sleep with him, and get
syph. Again. Do principles of liberty suggest
anything about the propriety of Carol's comments
or what Doris should do in response?
Tom W. Bell, Living Lives that Respect Liberty,
slide 5, IHS Liberty Society Seminar, Bryn
Mawr, PA, July 13, 2007
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IV. Liberty in Professional Lives
Introduction I. Only Political?
II. Personal III. Interpersonal IV.
Professional Conclusion

• Fight the power or tend to your garden?
• Case study Suppose that a wealthy businessman,
  impressed with your many virtues and largely
  supportive of your public calls for a less
  intrusive government, has encouraged you to run
  for U.S. representative. He offers you all the
  necessary financial support, subject to one
  condition Your campaign must announce its
  support of a largely symbolic, but to your mind
  odious, bill. You judge that you can win if and
  only if you accept his deal, and you reason that
  once in office you could do much good. Do you
  accept his deal? Why or why not?

Tom W. Bell, Living Lives that Respect Liberty,
slide 6, IHS Liberty Society Seminar, Bryn
Mawr, PA, July 13, 2007
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Conclusion
Introduction I. Only Political?
II. Personal III. Interpersonal IV.
Professional Conclusion
Appropriately--and happily!--classical liberalism
largely leaves you free to choose to live as you
alone see fit. It can offer many suggestions if
you seek them, but it commands only that you not
violate anyones rights. Some of you will find
that classical liberalism gives you a cause to
live for, intense intellectual pleasures, and a
community of friends and colleagues. But any of
you can take just pride in simply living
peaceably with your fellow humans.
Tom W. Bell, Living Lives that Respect Liberty,
slide 7, IHS Liberty Society Seminar, Bryn
Mawr, PA, July 13, 2007
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Addendum Hello, Jonah (page 1)
Introduction I. Only Political?
II. Personal III. Interpersonal IV.
Professional Conclusion Addendum
Why? Because our love for liberty comes not from
dry theory, but from passion. And, anyhow, why
not?
Tom W. Bell, Living Lives that Respect Liberty,
slide 8, IHS Liberty Society Seminar, Bryn
Mawr, PA, July 13, 2007
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Addendum Hello, Jonah (page 2)
Introduction I. Only Political?
II. Personal III. Interpersonal IV.
Professional Conclusion Addendum
Verse 1 Well, hello, Jonah! Andwhaddya'
know? I see Geppetto and Pinnochio! It's
gettin' crowded, from head to tail. Guess we're
all livin' in the belly of the whale. Get it?
Thats us, man! Institutionalized coercion
surrounds us, and we have to figure out how to
deal with it. Heavy, huh?
Tom W. Bell, Living Lives that Respect Liberty,
slide 9, IHS Liberty Society Seminar, Bryn
Mawr, PA, July 13, 2007
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Addendum Hello, Jonah (page 3)
Introduction I. Only Political?
II. Personal III. Interpersonal IV.
Professional Conclusion Addendum
Verse 1 Well, hello, Jonah! Andwhaddya'
know? I see Geppetto and Pinnochio! It's
gettin' crowded, from head to tail. Guess we're
all livin' in the belly of the whale. At least
it's cozy, and nice and warm, And it gives us
shelter from the ragin' storm, Statism does
have its benefits, after all. Maybe not be net
benefits, but still . . . .
Tom W. Bell, Living Lives that Respect Liberty,
slide 10, IHS Liberty Society Seminar, Bryn
Mawr, PA, July 13, 2007
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Addendum Hello, Jonah (page 4)
Introduction I. Only Political?
II. Personal III. Interpersonal IV.
Professional Conclusion Addendum
Verse 1 Well, hello, Jonah! Andwhaddya'
know? I see Geppetto and Pinnochio! It's
gettin' crowded, from head to tail. Guess we're
all livin' in the belly of the whale. At least
it's cozy, and nice and warm, And it gives us
shelter from the ragin' storm, And though I
smell trouble, I can say at least, I'm not
deeper in the belly of the beast. In other
words, Hooray, Im not yet whale poop!
Tom W. Bell, Living Lives that Respect Liberty,
slide 11, IHS Liberty Society Seminar, Bryn
Mawr, PA, July 13, 2007
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Addendum Hello, Jonah (page 5)
Introduction I. Only Political?
II. Personal III. Interpersonal IV.
Professional Conclusion Addendum
Verse 1 Well, hello, Jonah! Andwhaddya'
know? I see Geppetto and Pinnochio! It's
gettin' crowded, from head to tail. Guess we're
all livin' in the belly of the whale. At least
it's cozy, and nice and warm, And it gives us
shelter from the ragin' storm, And though I
smell trouble, I can say at least, I'm not
deeper in the belly of the beast. Refrain 1 We
stumble through this world of darkness, pain, and
doubt. We suffer in this prison, we struggle to
get out. With strivin', strength, and study, we
might finally find a way. To flee the night and
finally see the day. Some other stuff might
help, too, granted, but we will almost certainly
require hard work, good character, and research
in the human sciences. And I love alliteration.
Tom W. Bell, Living Lives that Respect Liberty,
slide 12, IHS Liberty Society Seminar, Bryn
Mawr, PA, July 13, 2007
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Addendum Hello, Jonah (page 6)
Introduction I. Only Political?
II. Personal III. Interpersonal IV.
Professional Conclusion Addendum
Verse 2 Hey, now, Geppetto, what's that you've
got? As ideas gohah!I'd say that's hot. Count
me in! I like your plan, To burn the belly of
leviathan. Thank you, Jonah, I liked your
prayer. But will you now please get over
here. You've got to labor, and not just
wish, To get out of the belly of the
fish. Please note that Im not anti-prayer.
Im just saying that you need good works,
too. And, yes, I know that whales are not fish.
Thats poetic license, my friends.
Tom W. Bell, Living Lives that Respect Liberty,
slide 13, IHS Liberty Society Seminar, Bryn
Mawr, PA, July 13, 2007
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Addendum Hello, Jonah (page 7)
Introduction I. Only Political?
II. Personal III. Interpersonal IV.
Professional Conclusion Addendum
Verse 2 Hey, now, Geppetto, what's that you've
got? As ideas gohah!I'd say that's hot. Count
me in! I like your plan, To burn the belly of
leviathan. Thank you, Jonah, I liked your
prayer. But will you now please get over
here. You've got to labor, and not just
wish, To get out of the belly of the
fish. Everybody! Refrain 2 We stumble
through this world of darkness, pain, and
doubt. We suffer in this prison, we struggle to
get out. With strivin', strength, and study, we
might finally find a way. To join the fight to
win the light of day.
Tom W. Bell, Living Lives that Respect Liberty,
slide 14, IHS Liberty Society Seminar, Bryn
Mawr, PA, July 13, 2007
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Addendum Hello, Jonah (page 8)
Introduction I. Only Political?
II. Personal III. Interpersonal IV.
Professional Conclusion Addendum
Verse 3 Hurray, brothers! We're finally
out! Hallelujah sisters! Raise a joyful
shout! From hell below we've now been hurled. .
. . Sounds good, eh? Hold on, though. Here
comes the kicker
Tom W. Bell, Living Lives that Respect Liberty,
slide 15, IHS Liberty Society Seminar, Bryn
Mawr, PA, July 13, 2007
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Addendum Hello, Jonah (page 9)
Introduction I. Only Political?
II. Personal III. Interpersonal IV.
Professional Conclusion Addendum
Verse 3 Hurray, brothers! We're finally
out! Hallelujah sisters! Raise a joyful
shout! From hell below we've now been
hurled. But were still livin in the belly of
the world.
Tom W. Bell, Living Lives that Respect Liberty,
slide 16, IHS Liberty Society Seminar, Bryn
Mawr, PA, July 13, 2007
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Addendum Hello, Jonah (page 10)
Introduction I. Only Political?
II. Personal III. Interpersonal IV.
Professional Conclusion Addendum
Refrain 3 We stumble through this world of
darkness, pain, and doubt. We suffer in this
prison, we struggle to get out. With strivin',
strength, and study, we might finally find a
way. To seize the light and make a brighter
day. Thus the struggle continues. Utopia is
not an option. But we can make the world a
better place, and make ourselves better in the
process.
Tom W. Bell, Living Lives that Respect Liberty,
slide 17, IHS Liberty Society Seminar, Bryn
Mawr, PA, July 13, 2007