"I don't need a mask!" declared the San Diego woman to a Starbucks barista. The woman apparently believed she had a right to enter mask-free, contrary to the coffee bar's policy.
A surprising number of Americans treat expectations of mask-wearing during the coronavirus pandemic in a similar way as if these expectations were paternalistic, limiting people's liberty for their own good. They are dead wrong.
Their thinking reflects what we might call "faux libertarianism," a deformation of the classic liberal theory. Libertarianism is the political and moral philosophy according to which everyone has rights to life, liberty and property and various specific rights that flow from these fundamental ones.
Libertarian rights are rights of noninterference, rather than entitlements to be provided with services. So your right to life is a right not to be killed and does not include a right to life-sustaining health care services. And your right to property is a right to acquire and retain property through your own lawful actions, not a right to be provided with property.
Libertarianism lies at the opposite end of the political spectrum from socialism, which asserts positive rights to such basic needs as food, clothing, housing and health care. According to libertarianism, a fundamental right to liberty supports several more specific rights, including freedom of movement, freedom of association and freedom of religious worship. Neither the state nor other individuals may violate these rights of competent adults for their own protection. To do so would be unjustifiably paternalistic, say libertarians, treating grown-ups as if they needed parenting.
Why do I claim that Americans who resist mask-wearing in public embrace faux libertarianism, a disfigured version of the classic liberty-loving philosophy? Because they miss the fact that a compelling justification for mask-wearing rules is not paternalistic at all not focused on the agent's own good but rather appeals to people's responsibilities regarding public health. This point is entirely consistent with libertarianism.
Consider your right to freedom of movement. This right does not include a right to punch someone in the face, unless you both agree to a boxing match, and does not include a right to enter someone else's house without an invitation. Rights extend only so far.
Once we appreciate that rights have boundaries, rather than being limitless, we can see the relationship between liberty rights and public health.
Your rights to freedom of movement, freedom of association, and so on do not encompass a prerogative to place others at undue risk. This idea justifies our sensible laws against drunk driving. So even a libertarian can, and should, applaud Starbucks and its barista for insisting on mask-wearing during the coronavirus pandemic.
The fallacy of faux libertarianism is thinking that liberty rights have unlimited scope. That would mean there could be no legitimate laws or social norms since all laws and norms limit liberty in some way or another. Then the only legitimate government would be no government at all. And if no social norms were legitimate, then each of us would lack not only legal rights but also moral rights. In that case, we would have no right to liberty or anything else.
I am no fan of libertarianism, which I find problematic. But it is far more compelling than its incoherent impostor, faux libertarianism. Mask up, people, before you enter crowded, public spaces!
David DeGrazia is the Elton Professor of Philosophy at George Washington University.
More:
Theres no right to infect - Sarasota Herald-Tribune
- Why Libertarians Are Idiots. - Video [Last Updated On: September 7th, 2012] [Originally Added On: September 7th, 2012]
- Libertarianism Vs. Socialism with Austin Petersen - Video [Last Updated On: September 7th, 2012] [Originally Added On: September 7th, 2012]
- "Libertarian" Ron Paul Exposes His True Self: a Corporate Feudalist - Video [Last Updated On: September 7th, 2012] [Originally Added On: September 7th, 2012]
- Ask a Libertarian Lightning Round: Recalls, Libertarian Paternalism, [Last Updated On: September 7th, 2012] [Originally Added On: September 7th, 2012]
- Ask a Libertarian Lightning Round: Libertarianism in Pop Culture [Last Updated On: September 7th, 2012] [Originally Added On: September 7th, 2012]
- Gary Johnson invigorates the Libertarian vote [Last Updated On: September 21st, 2012] [Originally Added On: September 21st, 2012]
- Breitbart Writer Begs Libertarians To Vote Romney — Sorry, It Ain’t Going To Work [Last Updated On: September 25th, 2012] [Originally Added On: September 25th, 2012]
- Quick Hits: Muse, Christina Aguilera, Nicki Minaj, Outasight, Interpol [Last Updated On: September 30th, 2012] [Originally Added On: September 30th, 2012]
- Philip Pilkington: The 19th Century Long Depression: How it Fostered Oligopolistic Capitalism and Serves as a Model ... [Last Updated On: September 30th, 2012] [Originally Added On: September 30th, 2012]
- Muse singer rips Glenn Beck for liking his music [Last Updated On: September 30th, 2012] [Originally Added On: September 30th, 2012]
- Myth and Truth About Libertarianism [Last Updated On: October 3rd, 2012] [Originally Added On: October 3rd, 2012]
- What Is Neoclassical Liberalism? [Last Updated On: October 3rd, 2012] [Originally Added On: October 3rd, 2012]
- Glenn Beck's extraordinary open letter to Muse [Last Updated On: October 3rd, 2012] [Originally Added On: October 3rd, 2012]
- Lord Wood of Anfield:the crisis of Conservative values [Last Updated On: October 6th, 2012] [Originally Added On: October 6th, 2012]
- Libertarians are wrong about smoking bans [Last Updated On: October 10th, 2012] [Originally Added On: October 10th, 2012]
- Anonymity and its limits: Reddit v Gawker [Last Updated On: October 15th, 2012] [Originally Added On: October 15th, 2012]
- Friedman on Intolerance: A Critique [Last Updated On: October 16th, 2012] [Originally Added On: October 16th, 2012]
- Libertarianism not likely to yield third party [Last Updated On: October 31st, 2012] [Originally Added On: October 31st, 2012]
- Ayn Rand Institute Bigwigs Piss on Libertarianism, Libertarians Fight Back! [Last Updated On: October 31st, 2012] [Originally Added On: October 31st, 2012]
- 2 comments [Last Updated On: October 31st, 2012] [Originally Added On: October 31st, 2012]
- The Hard Truth About Libertarianism - Video [Last Updated On: October 31st, 2012] [Originally Added On: October 31st, 2012]
- Ayn Rand's First Appearance on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, 1967 - Video [Last Updated On: October 31st, 2012] [Originally Added On: October 31st, 2012]
- FDR 960 - Why Libertarianism Fails: Part 1 - Video [Last Updated On: October 31st, 2012] [Originally Added On: October 31st, 2012]
- FDR 961 - Why Libertarianism Fails: Part 2 - Video [Last Updated On: October 31st, 2012] [Originally Added On: October 31st, 2012]
- FDR 962 - Why Libertarianism Fails: Part 3 - Video [Last Updated On: October 31st, 2012] [Originally Added On: October 31st, 2012]
- FDR 672 - Minarchism, Libertarianism and Logic - Video [Last Updated On: October 31st, 2012] [Originally Added On: October 31st, 2012]
- FDR 614 - Political Libertarianism: Part 2 - Video [Last Updated On: October 31st, 2012] [Originally Added On: October 31st, 2012]
- FDR 613 - Political Libertarianism: Part 1 - Video [Last Updated On: October 31st, 2012] [Originally Added On: October 31st, 2012]
- FDR 235 - Libertarianism for the Young: Freedom for the tweens - Video [Last Updated On: October 31st, 2012] [Originally Added On: October 31st, 2012]
- FDR 86: Top Ten Myths About Libertarianism - Video [Last Updated On: October 31st, 2012] [Originally Added On: October 31st, 2012]
- FDR 37: What is Libertarianism? - Video [Last Updated On: October 31st, 2012] [Originally Added On: October 31st, 2012]
- THRIVE! 30.1 - Video [Last Updated On: October 31st, 2012] [Originally Added On: October 31st, 2012]
- Norman Barry: Differing Foundations in Libertarian Thought - Video [Last Updated On: October 31st, 2012] [Originally Added On: October 31st, 2012]
- Ron Swanson's Libertarianism - Nothing The Government Does is Important - Video [Last Updated On: October 31st, 2012] [Originally Added On: October 31st, 2012]
- Libertarian Transhumanism - Wiki Article - Video [Last Updated On: October 31st, 2012] [Originally Added On: October 31st, 2012]
- THE CORRECT VIEWS HIT SHARE! I AM SPEAKING AT CONESTOGA NOV 19 - Video [Last Updated On: November 2nd, 2012] [Originally Added On: November 2nd, 2012]
- Parks and Recreation - Ron and Andy Bonding over Politics - Video [Last Updated On: November 2nd, 2012] [Originally Added On: November 2nd, 2012]
- More hypocrisy from the MRAs. - Video [Last Updated On: November 2nd, 2012] [Originally Added On: November 2nd, 2012]
- CONSTITUTION PARTY EXPLAINED! HD - Video [Last Updated On: November 2nd, 2012] [Originally Added On: November 2nd, 2012]
- Dr Stephen Davies: British Individualism and Libertarianism the Past and Today - Video [Last Updated On: November 2nd, 2012] [Originally Added On: November 2nd, 2012]
- Vallentyne and Zwolinski on 'Libertarianism' | Jan Lester - Video [Last Updated On: November 4th, 2012] [Originally Added On: November 4th, 2012]
- Libertarianism Is Simple To Describe But Not Simple To Argue For - Video [Last Updated On: November 4th, 2012] [Originally Added On: November 4th, 2012]
- Watch Wayne's World (1992) Full Movie Free Online - Video [Last Updated On: November 4th, 2012] [Originally Added On: November 4th, 2012]
- American History with George H. Smith, Part Three - Video [Last Updated On: November 4th, 2012] [Originally Added On: November 4th, 2012]
- American History with George H. Smith, Part Two - Video [Last Updated On: November 4th, 2012] [Originally Added On: November 4th, 2012]
- American History with George H. Smith, Part One - Video [Last Updated On: November 4th, 2012] [Originally Added On: November 4th, 2012]
- Liberty conference comes to UNC [Last Updated On: November 5th, 2012] [Originally Added On: November 5th, 2012]
- Libertarianism in Ancient China | by Murray N. Rothbard - Video [Last Updated On: November 5th, 2012] [Originally Added On: November 5th, 2012]
- Ron Paul, Rothbard and Race 2 of 2 - Video [Last Updated On: November 5th, 2012] [Originally Added On: November 5th, 2012]
- Ron Paul, Rothbard and Race 1 of 2 - Video [Last Updated On: November 5th, 2012] [Originally Added On: November 5th, 2012]
- Voting: The Seen and the Unseen [Last Updated On: November 7th, 2012] [Originally Added On: November 7th, 2012]
- Gary Johnson at the LAST third party debate on RT - Video [Last Updated On: November 7th, 2012] [Originally Added On: November 7th, 2012]
- Puerto Rico Will Be The 51st State - Video [Last Updated On: November 9th, 2012] [Originally Added On: November 9th, 2012]
- Pro-Market Intervention vs. Free Market Volatility (Libertarian Dilemma) - Video [Last Updated On: November 9th, 2012] [Originally Added On: November 9th, 2012]
- Robert Poole and Samuel Konkin: What is a Libertarian? - Video [Last Updated On: November 9th, 2012] [Originally Added On: November 9th, 2012]
- Kokesh 1of4 - Video [Last Updated On: November 9th, 2012] [Originally Added On: November 9th, 2012]
- Republicans Must Focus on Social Libertarianism to Win Back Voters [Last Updated On: November 11th, 2012] [Originally Added On: November 11th, 2012]
- Do You Have a Duty to Vote? - Video [Last Updated On: November 11th, 2012] [Originally Added On: November 11th, 2012]
- Free Speach The Non Aggression Principle Voluntaryism Adam Kokesh - Video [Last Updated On: November 11th, 2012] [Originally Added On: November 11th, 2012]
- Peter Schiff, Austrian, Libertarianism, Right Wing, FOX Logic. - Video [Last Updated On: November 12th, 2012] [Originally Added On: November 12th, 2012]
- Part 4 - Prof. Anderson on Liberalism vs. Libertarianism - Video [Last Updated On: November 12th, 2012] [Originally Added On: November 12th, 2012]
- Part 6 - Prof. Anderson on Liberalism vs. Libertarianism - Video [Last Updated On: November 12th, 2012] [Originally Added On: November 12th, 2012]
- Part 5 - Prof. Anderson on Liberalism vs. Libertarianism - Video [Last Updated On: November 12th, 2012] [Originally Added On: November 12th, 2012]
- Part 2 - Prof. Anderson on Liberalism vs. Libertarianism - Video [Last Updated On: November 12th, 2012] [Originally Added On: November 12th, 2012]
- Part 7 - Prof. Anderson on Liberalism vs. Libertarianism - Video [Last Updated On: November 12th, 2012] [Originally Added On: November 12th, 2012]
- Part 3 - Prof. Anderson on Liberalism vs. Libertarianism - Video [Last Updated On: November 12th, 2012] [Originally Added On: November 12th, 2012]
- Part 1 - Prof. Anderson on Liberalism vs. Libertarianism - Video [Last Updated On: November 12th, 2012] [Originally Added On: November 12th, 2012]
- What Happened to Conservatism? - Video [Last Updated On: November 12th, 2012] [Originally Added On: November 12th, 2012]
- Praxis, Praxis, Praxis - a lecture by Patrick M. Byrne - Video [Last Updated On: November 14th, 2012] [Originally Added On: November 14th, 2012]
- Milton Friedman: The Future of Freedom - Video [Last Updated On: November 14th, 2012] [Originally Added On: November 14th, 2012]
- ExplainIng Obamacare to simplefolk. - Video [Last Updated On: November 14th, 2012] [Originally Added On: November 14th, 2012]
- Barrack Obama - The Food Stamps President - Video [Last Updated On: November 14th, 2012] [Originally Added On: November 14th, 2012]
- Why Obama Beat Romney - Video [Last Updated On: November 14th, 2012] [Originally Added On: November 14th, 2012]
- Templeton, Craig, Shermer, and Rand - Nov. 12, 2012 - Video [Last Updated On: November 16th, 2012] [Originally Added On: November 16th, 2012]
- Penn Jillette - On Atheism, Libertarianism, and 9/11 - Video [Last Updated On: November 16th, 2012] [Originally Added On: November 16th, 2012]
- The GOP’s Libertarian Problem [Last Updated On: November 18th, 2012] [Originally Added On: November 18th, 2012]
- Ron Paul Farewell Speech: What Did He Get Right Over The Course Of His Career? [Last Updated On: November 18th, 2012] [Originally Added On: November 18th, 2012]
- National Liberation - Video [Last Updated On: November 18th, 2012] [Originally Added On: November 18th, 2012]
- How I Stopped Spanking My Kids: A Fathers' Roundtable - Video [Last Updated On: November 18th, 2012] [Originally Added On: November 18th, 2012]
- +Dolan on the Elections [Last Updated On: November 20th, 2012] [Originally Added On: November 20th, 2012]