Libertarians recognize the inevitable pluralism of the modern world and for that reason assert that individual liberty is at least part of the common good.
quote by Tom G. Palmer
Added by Lucian Velea
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Abstraction is a mental process we use when trying to discern what is essential or relevant to a problem; it does not require a belief in abstract entities.
quote by Tom G. Palmer
Added by Lucian Velea
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Equality of rights means that some people cannot simply impose obligations on others, for the moral agency and rights of those others would then be violated.
quote by Tom G. Palmer
Added by Lucian Velea
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To repeat, communitarians maintain that we are constituted as persons by our particular obligations, and therefore those obligations cannot be a matter of choice.
quote by Tom G. Palmer
Added by Lucian Velea
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But there is no obvious reason for holding that some normal adults are entitled to make choices for other normal adults, as paternalists of both left and right believe.
quote by Tom G. Palmer
Added by Lucian Velea
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Libertarians typically argue that particular obligations, at least under normal circumstances, must be created by consent; they cannot be unilaterally imposed by others.
quote by Tom G. Palmer
Added by Lucian Velea
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Libertarians recognize the difference between adults and children, as well as differences between normal adults and adults who are insane or mentally hindered or retarded.
quote by Tom G. Palmer
Added by Lucian Velea
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The reason the government sells the census as your ticket to getting goodies - rather than as your civic duty - is that distributing goodies is now all the government does.
quote by Tom G. Palmer
Added by Lucian Velea
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Libertarians argue that no normal adult has the right to impose choices on other normal adults, except in abnormal circumstances, such as when one person finds another unconscious and administers medical assistance or calls an ambulance.
quote by Tom G. Palmer
Added by Lucian Velea
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The first census in 1790 asked just six questions: the name of the head of the household, the number of free white males older than 16, the number of free white males younger than 16, the number of free white females, the number of other free persons, and the number of slaves.
quote by Tom G. Palmer
Added by Lucian Velea
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