The Philosophy
of Freedom
Caleb Nelson
Kenneth Jeppesen
Copyright © 2012, 2014 by Caleb Nelson and Kenneth Jeppesen
Cover Image: Caspar David Friedrich, Wanderer above the Sea of Fog (1818), Wikimedia.
First Edition 2012
Second Edition 2014
All rights reserved.
“Therefore my people
are gone into captivity,
because they have no knowledge.”
Isaiah 5:13
Table of Contents
Authors’ Note
Introduction
Chapter 1: Principles of Existence
THE SEEN AND THE UNSEEN
REALITY IS REAL
FREEDOM AND REASON MAKE US MEN
OPINION OR FACT?
PRINCIPLES GOVERN
Chapter 2: Morality and Self-Interest
THE PURPOSE OF LIFE
VALUES AND ETHICS
IDEAS HAVE CONSEQUENCES
WHAT IS MORALITY? WHY DO I NEED IT?
COLLECTIVE ACTION HAS NO UNIQUE MORAL AUTHORITY
RATIONAL SELF-INTEREST
ISN’T THAT SELFISH?
FORCE DESTROYS FREEDOM AND PROSPERITY
Chapter 3: Rights
THE BASICS
THE ORIGIN OF REAL (LAND) PROPERTY RIGHTS
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
PROPERTY AS AN ELEMENT OF PERSONAL FREEDOM
PERSONAL FREEDOM REQUIRES PRIVATE PROPERTY
PRIVATE PROPERTY AT HOME
Chapter 4: The Confusion of Rights
THE RIGHT TEST
WHAT ABOUT CIVIL RIGHTS?
GOD-GIVEN RIGHTS?
FALSE RIGHTS
WHAT ABOUT COLLECTIVE RIGHTS?
REVIEW AND SUMMARY OF FOUNDATIONAL PRINCIPLES
Chapter 5: The Proper Role of Government
SHINYVILLE
LEGAL PLUNDER
THE MONOPOLY ON FORCE
ETHICS REVISITED
CONCLUSION
Chapter 6: America’s Government
TYPES OF GOVERNMENT
THE POLITICAL SPECTRUM OF LEFT VS. RIGHT
THE 3-PART AMERICAN REVOLUTION
POLITICAL FREEDOM
RELIGIOUS FREEDOM
ECONOMIC FREEDOM
THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE
THE CONSTITUTION OF THESE UNITED STATES
THE BILL OF RIGHTS
ADDITIONAL AMENDMENTS TO THE CONSTITUTION
Chapter 7: The Proper Environment for Mankind
Chapter 8: Capitalism
JUSTICE AND FREEDOM
The Four Economic Freedoms of Capitalism:
Chapter 9: Principles of Economics
FREEDOM OF CONSCIENCE
ECONOMICS 101
PUBLIC WORKS MEAN TAXES
TAXES DISCOURAGE PRODUCTION
GOVERNMENT MONEY DIVERTS PRODUCTION
PRODUCTION GROWS THE ECONOMY
LUDDITISM: THE BELIEF TECHNOLOGY CREATES UNEMPLOYMENT
GOVERNMENT PRICE CONTROLS
PRICE GOUGING
THE MORALITY OF ECONOMICS
DEBT, DEFICIT, AND LIABILITIES
INFLATION
Chapter 10: Collectivism and Statism
INTRODUCTION
THE GREATER GOOD
THE CITY OF OMELAS
ANTI-MIND AND ANTI-LIFE
The Philosophy of Evil
PART 1: THE COLLECTIVISTS’ CODE OF ETHICS
THE CRUSADE AGAINST SELF-INTEREST
PART 2: PRAGMATISM
SUBJECTIVISM
THE MIXED ECONOMY
HOW TO FIGHT PRAGMATISM
PART 3: PROGRESSIVISM
PART 4: NATIONALISM
PART 5: POLITICAL PARTIES
PART 6: LIBERALISM
CLASSICAL LIBERALISM
SOCIAL LIBERALISM
PART 7: CONSERVATISM
FISCAL CONSERVATISM
SOCIAL CONSERVATISM
COMPASSIONATE CONSERVATISM
PART 8: RACISM
A PRO-RACIST IDEOLOGY
WHITE PRIVILEGE
THERE OUGHT TO BE A LAW!
The Politics of Evil
PART 1: STATISM
PART 2: COMMUNISM
HISTORY’S ONE EVIL ACCORDING TO COMMUNISM
COMMUNIST GOALS
THE FAMILY AND PRIVATE PROPERTY
ECONOMIC DETERMINISM
PEOPLE ARE ASSETS
AN EXERCISE IN COMMUNISM
PART 3: SOCIALISM
PART 4: FASCISM
PART 5: DEMOCRACY
CONCLUSION
Chapter 11: Prosperity Principles
WHAT IS MONEY?
THE MORALITY OF MONEY
WEALTH AND PROSPERITY
EXCHANGE CREATES WEALTH
DOLLARS FOLLOW VALUE
PROFIT
A DIRTY WORD
AN IMPORTANT TOOL
THEORIES OF VALUE
HUMAN LIFE VALUE
PERSPECTIVE DETERMINES ACTION
FREEDOM vs. SECURITY
VICTIM vs. STEWARD
PRODUCTIVITY IS THE STANDARD
HIERARCHY OF VALUES
Chapter 12: The Attack on Capitalism
MORAL vs. PRACTICAL
TRADITIONAL ATTACKS ON CAPITALISM
ECONOMIC DEPRESSIONS
CHILD LABOR
SLAVERY
POOR FOOD/DRUG QUALITY
POLLUTION
WAR
GOVERNMENT CORRUPTION
CONTRADICTORY ATTACKS
ATTACK #1
A FREE MONOPOLY: EXCHANGE, EMPOWERMENT, EFFICIENCY
“MONOPOLIES” IN HISTORY
THE “ROBBER BARONS”
ATTACK #2
POVERTY
GREED
ATTACK #3
INFLATION
THE GOLD STANDARD
ATTACK #4
IMPERIALISM
CONSCRIPTION—THE MILITARY DRAFT
ATTACK #5
ATTACK #6
THREE ASSAULTS ON THE CONCEPT OF RIGHTS
Chapter 13: Knowing the Enemy
STRATEGIES AND LANGUAGE OF THE STATISTS
CONCEPTUAL AMBIGUITY
THE TYRANNY OF NEED
THE SMEAR CAMPAIGN OF EXTREMISM
THE APOTHEOSIS OF COMPROMISE
THE ZEAL FOR MORAL GRAYNESS
POLARIZATION THROUGH FALSE DICHOTOMY
OPPOSITE DAY
WEALTH “CONTROL”
Chapter 14: The Best Defense
ISSUES vs. PRINCIPLES
FAILED DEFENSES
ARGUMENT FROM PRACTICALITY
ARGUMENT FROM THE GREATEST GOOD
ARGUMENT FROM MAN’S DEPRAVITY
THE SOCIAL DARWINIST DEFENSE
THE HIGH GROUND OF THE ENEMY
SELLING CAPITALISM
TACTICAL RULES
NICE GUYS AND FUNNY GUYS
EFFECTIVE DEFENSE
A Principled Look into Some Major Issues of Today
Chapter 15: Immigration
PRINCIPLES OF IMMIGRATION
IMMIGRATION OBJECTIONS
CONCLUSION
Chapter 16: Education
THE PRINCIPLES OF EDUCATION
GOVERNMENT SCHOOLS
THE SOLUTION
SCHOOL VOUCHERS
EDUCATION TAX CREDITS
Chapter 17: Welfare and Charity
THE PRINCIPLES
THE POOR
THE DISABLED
THE HELPLESS
IS IT MORAL TO ACCEPT WELFARE?
Chapter 18: Health Care
WASTE AND CORRUPTION
&
nbsp; Chapter 19: Principles of War
THE PURPOSE OF WAR
THE MORALITY OF WAR
WARS OF AGGRESSION
WARS OF SELF-SACRIFICE
Chapter 20: Environmentalism
THE PERCEPTION
ENVIRONMENTALISM IS ANTI-HUMAN
ENVIRONMENTALISM IS ANTI-CAPITALISM
DO PEOPLE REALLY NEED ALL THIS STUFF?
ENVIRONMENTALISM AS A POLITICAL WEAPON
OWNERSHIP AND STEWARDSHIP
THE PROPER PRINCIPLES
Chapter 21: Social Issues
THE SEPARATION OF MARRIAGE AND STATE
THE SOLUTION
ABORTION
THE CONTROVERSY
A REASONABLE SOLUTION
Chapter 22:Government Funding in a Free Society
Afterword: What Now?
THE GOLDEN PATH
Appendix A: Philosophy, Dialectics, and Logical Fallacies
PHILOSOPHY SUMMARY
METAPHYSICS
EPISTEMOLOGY
ETHICS
POLITICS
WHAT AND HOW TO TEACH
DIALECTICS
THE SOCRATIC METHOD
HOW TO INTERACT WITH PEOPLE
COMMON FALLACIES
IRRELEVANT CONCLUSION FALLACIES
OTHER FALLACIES
Appendix B: List of Principles
MAJOR PRINCIPLES
Appendix C: Recommended Reading
PRINCIPLED ANALYSIS OF CURRENT EVENTS, BOOK AND MOVIE REVIEWS, AND MORE
PRINCIPLES OF PROSPERITY AND ECONOMICS
CAPITALISM AND COLLECTIVISM
Acknowledgements
Contact Us
About the Authors
Photo Credits
Authors’ Note
This book is designed to be read the first time from front to back, like a novel. The concepts and facts we discuss are built up from a foundation carefully laid in the beginning chapters. This foundation is essential to understand before reaching the higher-level applications found later in the book. Our explanations of issues near the end will not be correctly understood outside the context of the principles that come before.
At the end of every chapter are review questions. We know from experience that if we do not understand an idea well enough to state it precisely and explicitly, then we really don’t understand the concept. Our goal is to provide readers with the information and exercises to ensure that they come away, not with a sense of some vague ideas, but with concrete comprehension and application to their personal lives.
For ease in writing, the words man and he are often used throughout the book, and are intended to represent individuals of any gender.
To our international readers: While much of this book is centered in the context of American life and history, its principles are still universally applicable to all nations of the world. Freedom and prosperity can be enjoyed anywhere.
About the Second Edition: The core content of this book remains unchanged from the First Edition. Spelling and grammar errors have been corrected, and some small portions have been rewritten for better understanding. Some stories, pictures, and illustrations have been added to better personalize and visualize the ideas presented. An index has also been included to assist in research.
Introduction
Freedom is never voluntarily granted by governments; it must be claimed by the citizens. Knowledge is the first step in claiming the liberty and prosperity possible to the human race. This book was written to assist in that first step. Our purpose is to awaken, to enlighten, to inspire, and to educate. Our aim is to present, in one comprehensive introductory volume, an explanation of the origins and applications of the philosophy of mankind’s freedom.
There are many books on the subject of freedom, and some of them contain excellent insights—so why did we write this book?
Because we couldn’t find one comprehensive volume that contained an explanation of human rights, the proper role of government, principles of economic and personal prosperity, and how to live a principled life. We combine our ideas with the best ideas of many others to produce this complete introductory handbook for personal and political freedom and prosperity.
We begin in Chapter 1 with important training in thinking by principle. We discuss the nature of reality and how its laws govern everything.
We explain in Chapter 2 what humans need for survival and happiness on earth and how a life-serving code of conduct can be achieved through this understanding.
In Chapters 3 and 4, we demonstrate the origin of individual rights, and how the existence and necessity of human rights can be established by using only observable facts of reality. We show how these principles are applicable to every human being regardless of religious belief or personal opinion.
We show how force is evil because it infringes on man’s agency to work for his own self-interest—his happiness.
In Chapter 5, we explain the relationship between private property and personal freedom, followed by an analysis of the simple, yet essential, understanding of the proper role of government in our lives.
We identify the source of America’s unique character and the cause of its spectacular achievements in Chapter 6.
We draw the conclusion in Chapter 7 that the proper environment for mankind to live in is a social system that recognizes individual rights and bans the use of force.
We explain this social system—capitalism—and debunk many myths and misconceptions about it in Chapters 8 and 12. We identify the antithesis of a philosophy of individual freedom—collectivism—and its various offshoots from socialism to pragmatism to conservatism in Chapter 10.
In Chapters 9 and 11, we discuss economic principles and personal principles of prosperity. We identify the tactics of the enemies of freedom in Chapter 13 and offer that the most effective defense of liberty must occur in the field of morality in Chapter 14.
This book is primarily concerned with principles, not issues. However, to give some examples of how principled thinking can clarify and resolve some tough political issues, the final chapters are primarily devoted to examining such issues as immigration, health care, war, and environmentalism through the lens of the principles discussed throughout the book.
The American Founders knew they had laid the foundation for the most spectacular experiment in freedom in the known history of the world. This book is to assist us all in honoring that inheritance and completing it
Chapter 1: Principles of Existence
“There are certain primary truths or first principles upon which all subsequent reasonings must depend.”
[1]
- Alexander Hamilton
“Mom!” my daughter whined. “It just isn’t fair!”
“What isn’t fair, sweetie?”
We were waiting in line to enter our school’s Fall Carnival where already throngs of families were enjoying the possible festivities. Bobbing for apples, searching for prizes in the hay, having their faces painted, and shooting foam darts at scarecrows were just a few of the games that had children screaming with glee.
“Liam has a lot of money and I don’t,” she replied, her eyes focused on the cotton candy machine just inside the fence.
It was true that my oldest child, a boy of eight, who was currently dressed as a ninja, had more money than my daughter, age five, a princess in a golden gown.
“What about that isn’t fair?” I asked. Though it may seem like quite the question for a five year old, both my kids were pretty clever. Not to mention, you take life lesson teaching moments wherever you can in this day and age, and by the look of things we were going to be in this line for a while anyway.
As with most children, her answer was entirely reactionary, “He’ll get to do all the fun things and buy stuff and I won’t!”
I believe in encouraging her when she recognizes fact and so answered, “Yep, he will.”
“But I want money!”
I knelt down to chat on her level, “River,” I began,
“Remember earlier today when I had a lot of jobs around the house and asked who wanted to earn money?”
She avoided my gaze but answered, “Yeah.”
“And what did you say?”
“But Liam is bigger than me!”
I tickled her, “That’s not what you said, silly girl!” She laughed. “What did you say?”
She was now sitting on one of my knees, “I didn’t want to do it.”
“That’s right.” She had chosen to watch a Barbie movie and dance around in her Halloween costume, complete with tiara and cape. “But what did Liam say?”
My son piped up, “I said, ‘I DO, I DO!’”
“And he did, didn’t he?” My son had cleaned the kids’ bathroom, washed the windows of the kitchen door, and even picked up his sister’s toys and put them away to earn a total of $5 over the course of the day.
River moved the hair out of her eyes before going on, “I didn’t want to do the jobs you wanted me to do. I want you to pay me for doing what I want to do.”
“That would be awesome,” I answered with enthusiasm. “What did you want to do?”
“Not jobs.”
“Ah.” Of course. It would be nice if we could be paid to dance about in pretty dresses and watch movies. “Well, River, at least you still have the $2 left over from your birthday. So you have some money for fun things.”
This did not placate her, “Not as much as Liam.”
“But, honey, you didn’t work as hard as Liam.”
“But I want it!”
By now we had reached the head of the line, showed them our pre-purchased admission wristbands and were allowed into the carnival. However, River was still a basket case over her desire for Liam’s money, and Liam was concerned about her happiness, as he often was. So we made our way over to a picnic table and I sat my daughter on my lap.
“Let me ask you something, kids. Let’s say that you each earned $10 and came to the carnival. But another kid didn’t have any money and went to your teacher and demanded that she take half of your money from you and give it to them. Would that be right?”
Again reactionary, my daughter emphatically answered, “NO!”
“Why not? If you had half and the teacher gave the other kid half, then it would be fair, wouldn’t it?”