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SpeakerJan Narveson is another libertarian writer. In Part II of The Libertarian Idea he takes a contractarian view of ethics and argues that it leads to libertarian principles (including property rights).

Here's some of what he says about contractarianism in general:

The theory we need is Contractarianism. The general idea of this theory is that the principles of morality are (or should be) those principles for directing everyone's conduct which it is reasonable for everyone to accept. They are the rules that everyone has good reason for wanting everyone to act on, and thus to internalize in himself or herself, and thus to reinforce in the case of everyone....

Without resort to any obfuscating intuitions, of "self-evident rights" and the like, the contractarian view offers an intelligible account both of why it is rational to want a morality and of what, broadly speaking, the essentials of that morality must consist in: namely, those general rules that are universally advantageous to rational agents....

Our question is whether contractarianism would underwrite libertarianism as so characterized. It is a long way to the end of arriving at true clarity on this matter, but we must make a start. The most important thing to emphasize about the contractarian approach is that it hopes to generate moral principles for societies out of the nonmoral values of individuals. That is what is fundamental, and all problems of interpretation should be viewed in the light of this....What is needed is to show that the concern we must by nature have with our own values, virtually whatever they may be, is such as to underwrite a social principle of allowing each to pursue that person's possibly very different ones -- and that no other moral principles can take precedence to this one. [The Libertarian Idea, p. 131, 148, 166]

Does a hypothetical contract lead to libertarianism and its strong individual rights? Narveson thinks is does. Of course, the libertarian contract would have to be better for everyone. What about predators like the Vikings? Narveson argues that even they, eventually, came to the conclusion that a peaceful life was better than one of pillage.

Narveson concludes that libertarianism (including strong property rights) is not only internally consistent but would also be chosen by rational contractors seeking to improve their lot.


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