Preface-Studies in Dialectical Libertarianism
The beginnings of my preface, poke holes in it!
The libertarian ethos is sometimes criticized as being too atomistic with not enough emphasis on the non-political or economic aspects of human existence. Surely, there is a need to examine issues from other vantage points while still keeping in mind the above. There would be an appreciation of the wider context that questions can be placed in. In the process, connections among the elements making up this totality could be made. A dialectical method “stresses the necessity of context,the “totality” of systemic and dynamic connections among social problems…”1 and I’ll make use of it to consider important issues. The first part of this work defines my perception on the meaning of libertarianism according to several levels of generality. Introductory material of this kind serves as a prelude to a number of case studies. A fleshing out of these cases will provide the basis for the meat of the book. These studies will be followed by the final part that ties the connections between my own broad preferences together in dialectical fashion. Let me clarify that libertarianism is used to encompass both the left and right varieties in this text. In doing this, I am sidestepping the exclusive claim often made to the label libertarian by aficionados of the right and left variants alike. I operate on Roderick Long’s definition of libertarianism as “any political position that advocates a radical redistribution of power from the coercive state to voluntary associations of free individuals.”2. An attention to drawing from wherever I can, regardless of ideological label, is paid while still maintaining the commitment to a libertarian perspective.
Footnotes
1.Chris Matthew Sciabarra, Total Freedom: Towards A Dialectical Libertarianism, (Pennsylvania,2000), pg. 1
2.Roderick T. Long, “Toward A Libertarian Theory Of Class” Social Philosophy & Policy 15:2 (1998).
This will be revised and expanded over time.
Natasha | Studies in Dialectical Libertarianism
