Doing the right thing - Do we own ourselves? / Libertarianism

Question

Some people think that inequality (between rich and poor) is unjust and they favor taxing, Other disagree. They say its not unfair (when there's no fraud/force), it depends on the choices people make in a market economy. F.e. take 1 million from Gates (75 billion), give it to 100 needy families. Collective utility would go up more than Gates utility goes down. What are the 2 main objections?

Answer 1

1 Within utilitarian-thinking: high tax rates (on income) reduce the incentive to work and invest, leading to a decline in productivity. That also declines the amount that can be redistributed and therefore the overall utility might go down.
2 Taxing the rich to help the poor is unjust (libertarianism). It violates a fundamental right. Taking money is coercive. It violates the liberty to do with their money whatever they please.

Answer 2

Libertarians favor unfettered (free) markets and oppose government regulation, not in name of economic efficiency but in the name of human freedom. Their central claim is that each of us has a fundamental right to liberty. (Liberty = the right thing to do whatever we want with the things we own, provided we respect other people's right to do the same).

Answer 3

-Hayek (economic-philosopher) argued that any attempt to bring about greater economic equality was bound to be coercive and destructive of a free society
-Friedman (economist) argued that many widely accepted state activities are illegitimate infringements on individual freedom. Social security, or any mandatory, government-run retirement program is an infringement (inbreuk/schending). He wonders if we are entitled to use coercion to prevent someone from doing what he chooses to. Other examples: minimum wage laws, employment discrimination or occupational licensing requirements.

Answer 4

Nozick offers a philosophical defense of libertarian principles and a challenge to familiar ideas of distributive justice. Individual have rights 'so strong and far-reaching' that they raise the question of what (if anything) the state may do. He promotes the libertarian state.

Answer 5

1 Justice in initial holding (asks if the resources used are legitimately yours in the first place, f.e. no stolen goods).
2 Justice in transfer (money made through free exchanges in the marketplace or from voluntary gifts).
> If the answer to both question is yes, you are entitled to what you have and the state may not take it without your consent.

Answer 6

It illustrates two problems with patterned theories of distributive justice:
1 Liberty upsets patterns. Anyone else who believes that economic inequality is unjust, will have to intervene in the free market, repeatedly and continuously, to undo the effect of the choices people make.
2 Intervening in this way (taxing Jordan to support the disadvantaged) not only overturns the results of voluntary transactions; it also violated Jordan's rights by taking his earnings. It forces him to make a charitable contribution against his will.

Answer 7

Taxation of earnings from labor is on par with forced labor. If the state has the right to claim some portion of someone's earnings, it also has the right to claim portion of my time (taking 30% of the income is the same as let you work for 30% for the state). If the state can force people to labor on its behalf, it essentially asserts a property right in me (ergo: slavery).

Answer 8

I own myself, therefore I own my labor. If I own my labor, I must be entitled to the fruits of this labor. If someone else is entitled to my labor, that person would own me as well. That's why taxes, violates someones rights.

Answer 9

1 Government should protect the nation + citizens. Everybode has the right to decide for its own.
2 Libertarians have 2 arguments regarding drugs:
A Self ownership: if people like to use them, its up to themselve.
B If you make drugs illegal, you will create criminality (utilitarianism)