| ▲ | bheadmaster 4 hours ago | |||||||
When you say "a society" sets a goal, it always implies a ruling group of people imposing their view of the common good unto everyone. How do you make sure that whoever makes that choice makes it in a way you yourself will agree with? | ||||||||
| ▲ | fireflash38 2 hours ago | parent | next [-] | |||||||
Do you seriously believe that is not happening now? Or that even a libertarian utopia could manage to achieve agreement? If you're going to get philosophical, go all the way. Why have society at all because it's just people imposing their will on others? Or do you at least agree that there exists a line? | ||||||||
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| ▲ | nathan_compton an hour ago | parent | prev [-] | |||||||
I think a mature person accepts some compromise with society at large. How do you make sure your wife always wants to do what you want? You don't. You live with other people, depend on them, pay for them when they are sick or poor (one way or another). You can't escape society. All that the libertarian view appears to do is make everyone miserable with externalities that a properly functioning state would regulate out of existence. People's lives are ruined by gambling all the time, for instance. It is dumb to pretend like the pleasure a few people get out of it is worth someone betting away his family's welfare. It is ok to just decide "this needs to be regulated." Not everything is some intractible philosophical mystery that no consensus will ever coalesce around. Not every single thing every single person wants needs to be taken seriously. | ||||||||