View source for Social:Consequentialist libertarianism

{{short description|Political ideology}}
'''Consequentialist libertarianism''', also known as '''consequentialist liberalism''' or '''libertarian consequentialism''',<ref>Yeager, Leland B. (2001). ''Ethics As Social Science: The Moral Philosophy of Social Cooperation''. Edward Elgar Publishing. p. 283</ref> is a libertarian political philosophy and position that is supportive of a [[Social:Free market|free market]] and strong private property rights only on the grounds that they bring about favorable consequences such as prosperity or efficiency.<ref name=Wolff>{{cite journal|url=http://www.virginialawreview.org/content/pdfs/92/1605.pdf|last=Wolff|first=Jonathan|title=Libertarianism, Utility, and Economic Competition|publisher=Virginia Law Review|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130112210848/http://www.virginialawreview.org/content/pdfs/92/1605.pdf|archive-date=2013-01-12}}</ref>

== Overview ==
What consequentialist libertarians advocate is derived through cost–benefit calculation, taking a broad account of consequences.<ref>Miron, Jeffrey A. (2010). ''Libertarianism: From A to Z''. Basic Books. p. 39.</ref> It is contrasted with deontological libertarianism which considers the initiation of force and [[Finance:Fraud|fraud]] to be immoral, regardless of consequences.<ref>Bradford, R. W. (2008). "The Two Libertarianisms". ''Liberty''. Liberty Foundation.</ref><ref>{{cite encyclopedia|section-url=http://www.iep.utm.edu/l/libertar.htm|url=http://www.iep.utm.edu/|section=Libertarianism|first=Matt|last=Zwolinski|title=Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy|access-date=23 August 2008}}</ref> Unlike deontological libertarians, consequentialist libertarians do not necessarily see all cases of initiation of force as immoral and do not see it as inherently immoral (i.e., they do not express a belief in natural rights). Rather, their position is that [[Social:Political freedom|political]] and [[Philosophy:Economic freedom|economic liberty]] lead to the best consequences in the form of happiness and prosperity and for that reason alone it should be supported. Some libertarians may have a conception of libertarianism that is a hybrid of [[Philosophy:Consequentialism|consequentialism]] and [[Philosophy:Deontology|deontology]].<ref name=Wolff/>

Unlike deontological libertarians, consequentialist libertarians advocate actions they believe bring about favorable consequences regardless of whether these constitute initiation of force.<ref>Murray, Charles; Friedman, David D.; Boaz, David; Bradford, R. W. (January 2005). [http://www.libertyunbound.com/sites/files/printarchive/Liberty_Magazine_January_2005.pdf "What's Right vs. What Works"]. ''Liberty''. '''19''' (1): 31.</ref><ref>Barnett, Randy E. [http://ssrn.com/abstract=565202 "The Moral Foundations of Modern Libertarianism"]. In Berkowitz, Peter, ed. (2004). ''Varieties of Conservatism in America''. Hoover Press.</ref> Unlike deontological libertarians, some consequentialists libertarians support [[Social:Eminent domain|eminent domain]] in addition to support for involuntary taxes.<ref>Epstein, Richard; Barnett, Randy; Friedman, David D.; Pinkerton, James P. (March 2004). "Coercion vs. Consent". ''Reason''.</ref> Particular views vary among consequentialist libertarians, with political theorist [[Biography:David D. Friedman|David D. Friedman]] supporting a consequentialist form of [[Social:Anarcho-capitalism|anarcho-capitalism]] where the content of law is bought and sold rather than there being an established legal code forbidding initiation of force.<ref>Friedman, David (1973). ''The Machinery of Freedom: Guide to a Radical Capitalism''. Harper & Row. pp. 127–128.</ref>

== Notable consequentialist libertarians ==

* [[Biography:Milton Friedman|Milton Friedman]]<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0PaN9M4WwHw#t=68 "Milton Friedman on Libertarianism (Part 1 of 4)"]. YouTube. Retrieved 22 January 2020.</ref>
* [[Biography:David D. Friedman|David D. Friedman]]<ref name=":0" />
* Peter Leeson<ref name=":0" />
* Ludwig von Mises<ref name=":0">Younkins, Edward W. (6 July 2002). ''Mises' Utilitarianism as Social Cooperation''.</ref> 
* [[Biography:Friedrich Hayek|Friedrich Hayek]]<ref>Liggio, Leonard P. (Winter 1982). "Hayek's Constitution of Liberty: Ethical Basis of the Juridical Framework of Individual Liberty". ''Literature of Liberty''. '''5''' (4).</ref><ref>Gray, John N. (1982). ''F. A. Hayek and the Rebirth of Classical Liberalism''.</ref><ref>Ebenstein, Alan O. (2001). ''Friedrich Hayek: A Biography''. p. 383.</ref>
* R. W. Bradford<ref>{{cite web|url=https://reason.com/2005/12/10/rw-bradford-rip/|title=R.W. Bradford, RIP|last=Walker|first=Jesse|newspaper=Reason|date=10 December 2005|access-date=9 December 2019}}</ref>

== See also ==
{{cols|colwidth=16em}}
* Chicago school of economics
* [[Finance:Classical economics|Classical economics]]
* [[Philosophy:Classical liberalism|Classical liberalism]]
* Debates within libertarianism
* [[Philosophy:Dispersed knowledge|Dispersed knowledge]]
* [[Social:Free-market environmentalism|Free-market environmentalism]]
* [[Social:Geolibertarianism|Geolibertarianism]]
* [[Philosophy:Left-libertarianism|Left-libertarianism]]
* Natural rights libertarianism
* [[Social:Night-watchman state|Night-watchman state]]
* [[Finance:Optimal tax|Optimal tax]]
* [[Philosophy:Outline of libertarianism|Outline of libertarianism]]
* [[Philosophy:Pragmatism|Pragmatism]]
* [[Social:Public choice|Public choice]]
* [[Finance:Right-libertarianism|Right-libertarianism]]
* [[Finance:Subjective theory of value|Subjective theory of value]]
* [[Philosophy:Utilitarianism|Utilitarianism]]
{{colend}}

== References ==
{{reflist}}

{{Libertarianism}}

[[Category:Libertarian theory]]

{{Sourceattribution|Consequentialist libertarianism}}