Neo Kervoskia
15-02-2006, 02:05
This is the introduction to my research paper, it gives a brieg background and my thesis. I will expand on the history and how it shaped the libertarian movement and what Objectivism did to it. (I believe that it gave libertarianism a moral framework in which it could work and evolve into an independent movement. And yes, I do realise that Rand despised libertarianism, but the point still stands.) This is my introduction, but with a minimum requirement of only five pages double-spaced, I am thinking that perhaps it should be more brief to allow myself to develop it in great detail without making it too lengthy. What do you think?
EDIT: Goddamn it, it's supposed to be An intro to my paper.
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Though World War II had ended in Europe in 1945, the intellectual battle between the proponents of economic and social collectivism and the proponents of the free market and individualism was beginning to accelerate. Such eminent economists, most notably those from the Austrian School, had fled to Great Britain prior to the war in the 1930s. Friedrich August von Hayek was amongst this group of refugees. Other economists and sociologists such as Ludwig von Mises fled to the United States of America. In the years following the war, the United States would become the new battleground for the continuation of the scholarly debate that had begun in Europe. America would also be the site of the revival of nineteenth century liberalism and the birthplace of a new political and intellectual movement-- libertarianism.
Libertarianism was not, at first, an entirely independent movement in the sense of its modern day predecessor, rather it was widely viewed as a connected movement, and indeed even a branch, of the early post-war conservative movement. The early days of what is popularly referred to as the Old Right, were ones when academics who held common views pursued similar ends, but did not constitute a united front. It would not be until 1947 and into the early 1950s that the Old Right would develop into a concerted effort to promote the ideals of free enterprise, individual liberty, and combat the growing tide of what was referred to as economic collectivism; the theory that government interference could engineer a functioning , centrally planned economy.
The libertarian branch of the Old Right would maintain close intellectual ties with the early conservative movement until the 1950s. With the rise of Senator Joseph McCarty, traditional began to evolve into the predominant philosophy in the American conservative movement. This Neoconservatism had more reverence for the traditional morality and it was not uncommon for a proponent of Neoconservatism to disassociate himself with the libertarians. Libertarianism was considered libertine by many because it did not condemn certain activities, but rather it condemned the coercion if any was involved. There was no moral framework on which libertarianism could construct a lasting foundation.
In his book, "The Conservative Intellectual Movement in America", George N. Nash characterises this sentiment, particularly the attitude of Russell Kirk, "Indeed, nearly all of the leading new conservatives took pains to disassociate themselves from the "nineteenth-century liberalism" that was also enjoying a new vogue on the Right. In a lengthy critique of Ludwig von Mises, dean of the Austrian School, Kirk warned of the dangers of rationalistic, atomistic capitalism and utilitarianism: "...once supernatural and traditional sanctions are dissolved, economic self-interest is ridiculously inadequate to preserve order." On one occasion he even rebuked The Freeman." (Nash, 81)
This schism within the intellectual-conservative movement had the potential to weaken the foundation of the libertarian community. What was needed was a strengthened framework within which libertarianism could expand its roots. This came in the form of the philosophy of Objectivism. It was contrived by Russian immigrant Alissa Zinovievna Rosenbaum, otherwise known as Ayn Rand. Objectivism provided a moral framework for the ideals of individual liberty and laissez-faire capitalism.
The libertarians could defend themselves against the charges of moral nihilism brought forth by Robert Nisbet and Russell Kirk. The consequentialist economic arguments of Milton Friedman, Ludwig von Mises, and Friedrich Hayek could serve as a defence of capitalism, but the new moralistic libertarianism could provide justification. Due to this, the libertarian movement could evolve independently of the conservative movement, with which it had been connected in its infancy, and form a political movement, the policies and philosophy of the Libertarian Party.
EDIT: Goddamn it, it's supposed to be An intro to my paper.
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Though World War II had ended in Europe in 1945, the intellectual battle between the proponents of economic and social collectivism and the proponents of the free market and individualism was beginning to accelerate. Such eminent economists, most notably those from the Austrian School, had fled to Great Britain prior to the war in the 1930s. Friedrich August von Hayek was amongst this group of refugees. Other economists and sociologists such as Ludwig von Mises fled to the United States of America. In the years following the war, the United States would become the new battleground for the continuation of the scholarly debate that had begun in Europe. America would also be the site of the revival of nineteenth century liberalism and the birthplace of a new political and intellectual movement-- libertarianism.
Libertarianism was not, at first, an entirely independent movement in the sense of its modern day predecessor, rather it was widely viewed as a connected movement, and indeed even a branch, of the early post-war conservative movement. The early days of what is popularly referred to as the Old Right, were ones when academics who held common views pursued similar ends, but did not constitute a united front. It would not be until 1947 and into the early 1950s that the Old Right would develop into a concerted effort to promote the ideals of free enterprise, individual liberty, and combat the growing tide of what was referred to as economic collectivism; the theory that government interference could engineer a functioning , centrally planned economy.
The libertarian branch of the Old Right would maintain close intellectual ties with the early conservative movement until the 1950s. With the rise of Senator Joseph McCarty, traditional began to evolve into the predominant philosophy in the American conservative movement. This Neoconservatism had more reverence for the traditional morality and it was not uncommon for a proponent of Neoconservatism to disassociate himself with the libertarians. Libertarianism was considered libertine by many because it did not condemn certain activities, but rather it condemned the coercion if any was involved. There was no moral framework on which libertarianism could construct a lasting foundation.
In his book, "The Conservative Intellectual Movement in America", George N. Nash characterises this sentiment, particularly the attitude of Russell Kirk, "Indeed, nearly all of the leading new conservatives took pains to disassociate themselves from the "nineteenth-century liberalism" that was also enjoying a new vogue on the Right. In a lengthy critique of Ludwig von Mises, dean of the Austrian School, Kirk warned of the dangers of rationalistic, atomistic capitalism and utilitarianism: "...once supernatural and traditional sanctions are dissolved, economic self-interest is ridiculously inadequate to preserve order." On one occasion he even rebuked The Freeman." (Nash, 81)
This schism within the intellectual-conservative movement had the potential to weaken the foundation of the libertarian community. What was needed was a strengthened framework within which libertarianism could expand its roots. This came in the form of the philosophy of Objectivism. It was contrived by Russian immigrant Alissa Zinovievna Rosenbaum, otherwise known as Ayn Rand. Objectivism provided a moral framework for the ideals of individual liberty and laissez-faire capitalism.
The libertarians could defend themselves against the charges of moral nihilism brought forth by Robert Nisbet and Russell Kirk. The consequentialist economic arguments of Milton Friedman, Ludwig von Mises, and Friedrich Hayek could serve as a defence of capitalism, but the new moralistic libertarianism could provide justification. Due to this, the libertarian movement could evolve independently of the conservative movement, with which it had been connected in its infancy, and form a political movement, the policies and philosophy of the Libertarian Party.