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RE: What a Libertarian Society Would Look Like
It's fun to think about how a "libertarian society" would look like and I have thought about it a lot over the years, although I've become increasingly interested in diagnosing what obstacles are blocking from this ever happening or more importantly what can one do who finds himself in a world where respecting the individual has been tossed outside.
There are some root questions sunken deep in our civilization that need to be resolved and looking at how it would be like on top of utopias hill definitely aides in having a vision to strive for, I just think without some awareness and understanding it's like trying to get there without a compass.
That is a very thought-provoking comment. Thank you. I think the main obstacles are, as mentioned above, cognitive bias and cognitive dissonance. People just don't like to be proven wrong or even just to find out for themselves that they are wrong. That is a huge obstacle to overcome. As far as what one can do, I believe that theme has been thoroughly explored in most dystopian novels and films. Nearly every protagonist in such works of the imagination are individualistic. And yes, you're right -- without awareness and understanding, there is no progress. Thanks again for your interesting input!
Thanks for the post, made me think about this subject again.
I agree bias and dissonance is the fundamental reason why people don't change or even begin to question things. This makes me wonder why some do and others don't. What makes someone a more individualistic versus collectivist ? Obviously you have this awareness along with many others, so perhaps it's something ingrained in us brought out and strengthened by our temperament in how we deal with circumstances in life...who knows. Also, indoctrination and propaganda are massive tools used by the controllers.
Yes, and I have always been particularly questioning of authority, so I grew up with a natural suspicion of propaganda and even fads.
Part of the difficulty in this question is that there doesn't seem to be a specific consensus on what a "libertarian society" would be. That being said, the older I get, the more unlikely it seems that any ideology perfectly realized will lead to good results.
The problem with ideologies is that they are imperfect models that attempt to constrain the abundant and varied details, desires, and contradictions of man (and woman).
This is true and for sure a problem, although I take it most libertarians would say it's a society which is based on liberty not domination; one based on self-interest, looks at things as they are using reason, where everyone respects the individual, is laissez-Faire, and promotes one's own pursuit of happiness.
Yeah, at the end of day I think having common sense and awareness is what matters.
I think that's a great definition, and as I said above, for the most part, it's my starting point when discussing issues. Even so, it can still be twisted into problematic contradictions if you twist hard enough. :)
"I take it most libertarians would say it's a society which is based on liberty not domination; one based on self-interest, looks at things as they are using reason, where everyone respects the individual, is laissez-Faire, and promotes one's own pursuit of happiness." That sounds about right to me, and let's not forget taking care of each other, because that's the way things worked before the 20th century.
Again, it's just a bit strange to call libertarian ideas "models" because we propose a bottom-up, grass-roots approach to solving problems, not a plan or grid to impose on individuals or groups of individuals. That is also why there is no "consensus." The one exception to imposing a model would be on government, as laid out in the American Constitution and the Bill of Rights, as I see it. The Magna Carta is another apt example.