A Libertarian Theory of Justice 2400-OG-EN-LTJ

Complete description of the subject The course critically discusses a libertarian theory of justice, its fundamental principles and implications, with special attention to the newest contributions to the libertarian scholarship made by the instructor. The main focus of the course is to analyze and elucidate the contours of the libertarian principles of justice and its implications in light of the current debates in the literature concerning such issues as the argumentation ethics, self-ownership paradoxes, land ownership, labor theory of original appropriation, first possession theory of original appropriation, easements, libertarian rights absolutism, borders of voluntariness, title transfer theory of contracts, accession, blackmail, unjust enrichment, accomplice liability, libertarian theory of nuisance, strict liability, libertarian theory of punishment, dialogical estoppel, evictionism etc. The issues in question will be analyzed from the point of view of the classical contributions made by such leading scholars of the golden generation of the libertarian research of the seventies (and later) as R. Nozick, M. Rothbard, W. Block, H. Steiner, H. Hoppe, S. Kinsella etc. as well as the latest (5 last years) developments in the libertarian scholarship. The course comprises the following topics and their textual basis:

1. Introduction: Libertarianism.
Readings:
(1) Nozick, Robert (1974), Anarchy, State, and Utopia, Blackwell Publishing, Oxford [pp. 149-153].

2. Self-Ownership and Its Problems
Readings:
(1) Steiner, Hillel (1994), An Essay on Rights, Blackwell Publishers, Oxford [Chapter 7: Original Rights, sections: (A) Persons and Things; and (B) Persons and Bodies; pp. 229-248].
(2) Block, Walter (2003), Toward a Libertarian Theory of Inalienability: A Critique of Rothbard, Barnett, Smith, Kinsella, Gordon, and Epstein, Journal of Libertarian Studies, 17(2): 39-85.

3. Self-Ownership and Its Justifications
Readings:
(1) Hoppe, Hans-Hermann (2006), A Theory of Socialism and Capitalism, Ludwig von Mises Institute, Auburn, Ala [pp. 154-159 on argumentation ethics].
(2) Rothbard, Murray N. (1998), The Ethics of Liberty, New York University Press, New York [Chapters 6, 7, 8, pp. 29-50].
(3) Dominiak, Łukasz (2023), Argumentation Ethics, Self-Ownership, and Hohfeldian Analysis of Rights, Journal of Libertarian Studies, 27(1): 19-37.

4. Original Appropriation and Its Theories
Readings:
(1) Epstein, Richard (1979), Possession as the Root of Title, Georgia Law Review, 13: 1221-1243.
(2) Dominiak, Łukasz (2017), Libertarianism and Original Appropriation, Historia i Polityka, 27: 43-56.
(3) Dominiak, Łukasz (2023), Mixing Labor, Taking Possession, and Libertarianism, Studia z Historii Filozofii, 14(3): 169-195.

5. Original Appropriation and Its Problems
Readings:
(1) Vallentyne, Peter (2000), “Introduction: Left-Libertarianism – A Primer,” in P. Vallentyne, H. Steiner (eds), Left-Libertarianism and Its Critics: The Contemporary Debate, Palgrave, New York, pp. 1–20.
(2) Dominiak, Łukasz (2019), Must Right-Libertarians Embrace Easements by Necessity? Diametros: A Journal of Philosophy, 16(60): 34-51.

6. Voluntariness and Theories of Contract
Readings:
(1) Rothbard, Murray N. (1998), The Ethics of Liberty, New York University Press, New York [Chapter 19, pp. 133-148].
(2) Evers, Williamson (1977), Toward a Reformulation of the Law of Contracts, Journal of Libertarian Studies, 1(1): 3-13.
(3) Dominiak, Łukasz & Fegley, Tate (2022), Contract Theory, Title Transfer, and Libertarianism, Diametros: A Journal of Philosophy, 19(72): 1-25.

7. Accession: Another Libertarian Method of Appropriation
Readings:
(1) Rothbard, Murray N. (1998), The Ethics of Liberty, New York University Press, New York, p. 59.
(2) Block, Walter (2019), Libertarian Punishment Theory and Unjust Enrichment, Journal of Business Ethics, 154: 103-108.
(3) Dominiak, Łukasz (2024), Accession, Property Acquisition, and Libertarianism, Diametros: A Journal of Philosophy, early view, 1-24.

8. Voluntariness, Property Rights, and Crimes I
Readings:
(1) Rothbard, Murray N. (1998), The Ethics of Liberty, New York University Press, New York [Chapters 9, 10, 11; pp. 51-75].
(2) Steiner, Hillel (2019), Asymmetric Information, Libertarianism, and Fraud, Review of Social Economy, 77(2): 94-107.

9. Voluntariness, Property Rights, and Crimes II
Readings:
(1) Block, Walter (1998), A Libertarian Theory of Blackmail, Irish Jurist, 33: 280-310.
(2) Rothbard, Murray N. (1998), The Ethics of Liberty, New York University Press, New York [Chapter 16; pp. 121-128].
(3) Dominiak, Łukasz (2024), Free Market, Blackmail, and Austro-Libertarianism, Philosophical Problems in Science, xx.

10. Libertarian Theory of Complicity in Crime
Readings:
(1) Rothbard, Murray N. (1998), The Ethics of Liberty, New York University Press, New York [Chapter 12, 17; pp. 77-84; pp. 129-130].
(2) O’Neill, Ben & Block, Walter (2013), Inchoate Crimes, Accessories, and Constructive Malice in Libertarian Law, Libertarian Papers, 5(2): 219-249.
(3) Dominiak, Łukasz & Block, Walter (2017), Libertarian Theory of Bribery and Incitement: A Reformulation, MEST Journal, 5(2): 95-101.

11. Libertarian Theory of Nuisance
Readings:
(1) Rothbard, Murray (1982), Law, Property Rights, and Air Pollution, Cato Journal, 2(1): 55-99.
(2) Wilkinson v. Downton, [1897] 2 Q.B. 57.

12. Libertarian Theory of Liability
Readings:
(1) Rothbard, Murray (1982), Law, Property Rights, and Air Pollution, Cato Journal, 2(1): 55-99.
(2) Epstein, Richard (1973), A Theory of Strict Liability, Journal of Legal Studies, 151: 151-204.
(3) Hoppe, Hans-Hermann (2004), Property, Causality, and Liability, Quarterly Journal of Austrian Economics, 7: 87-95.

13. Libertarian Theory of Children’s Rights
Readings:
(1) Rothbard, Murray N. (1998), The Ethics of Liberty, New York University Press, New York [Chapter 14, pp. 97-112].
(2) Block, Walter E. (2014), Evictionism and Libertarianism, Journal of Medicine and Philosophy, 39(3): 247-258.
(3) Block, Walter E. (2004), Libertarianism, Positive Obligations and Property Abandonment: Children’s Rights, International Journal of Social Economics, 31 (3): 275–286.
(4) Dominiak, Łukasz & Wysocki, Igor (2023), Evictionism, Libertarianism, and Duties of the Fetus, Journal of Medicine and Philosophy, 2023, 48(6): 527-540.

14. Libertarian Theory of Punishment
Readings:
(1) Rothbard, Murray N. (1998), The Ethics of Liberty, New York University Press, New York [Chapter 13; pp. 85-96].
(2) Nozick, Robert. “Retributive Punishment.” In Robert Nozick, Philosophical Explanations, 363-397. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1981.
(3) Kinsella, Stephan (1997), A Libertarian Theory of Punishment and Rights, Loy. L.A. L. Rev. 30, no. 2: 607-45.
(4) Dominiak, Łukasz (2023), Is the Rothbardian Theory of Punishment Retributive?, Roczniki Filozoficzne/Annals of Philosophy, 71(3): 5-23.

15. Non-Aggression Principle and Rights Absolutism
Readings:
(1) Zwolinski, Matt (2016), The Libertarian Nonaggression Principle. Social Philosophy and Policy, 32(2), 62-90.
(2) Dominiak, Łukasz & Igor Wysocki (2023), “Libertarianism, Defense of Property, and Absolute Rights,” Analiza i Egzystencja/Analysis and Existence, 61(1): 5-26.
(3) Stanisław Wójtowicz, Łukasz Dominiak, Igor Wysocki (2024), “A Duty to Rescue and Its Cost,” Analiza i Egzystencja/Analysis and Existence, 65(1): 91-124.

Total student workload

Contact hours with teacher: np. - participation in discussion seminar 30 hrs - consultations- 10 hrs Self-study hours: - preparation discussion seminar - 15 hrs - writing essays - 15 hrs - reading literature- 40 hrs Altogether: 110 hrs (4 ECTS)

Learning outcomes - knowledge

Student W1: has basic knowledge about the libertarian theory of justice, self-ownership, theories original appropriation, title transfer theory of contracts, libertarian theory of voluntariness, applied libertarianism etc. W2: knows main arguments and controversies pertaining to libertarianism, methods of appropriation, voluntariness, applied libertarianism etc. W3: is familiar with contributions of the main scholars in the field (R. Nozick, M. Rothbard, W. Block, H. Steiner, H. Hoppe etc.) W4: is acquainted with fundamental problems and arguments in libertarianism and applied libertarianism

Learning outcomes - skills

Student U1: is able to reason and argue about legal and moral dilemmas concerning freedom, private property rights, the state, stateless society, minimal government in the target language U2: is capable of reasoning by analogy, analyzing arguments, recognizing the structure of moral and legal reasoning in the target language U3: has basic skills in writing argumentative essays in the target language U4: can define libertarianism and explain its main theories and problems in the target language

Learning outcomes - social competencies

Student K1: understands the significance of private property rights, freedom, voluntariness, the state, stateless society, anarcho-capitalism, libertarian tradition and libertarian philosophy K2: understands the need for critical and analytical thinking K3: is well prepared to argue about the state, minimal government, private property rights, freedom, voluntariness in the target language both orally and in writing K4: is aware of the complexity of moral and legal dilemmas concerning freedom, private property rights, the state, minimal government, stateless society K5: identifies structures of arguments and interconnections of ideas K6: participates in critical and analytical discussions K7: can cooperate with fellow students and the instructor

Teaching methods

Expository teaching methods: - participatory lecture - problem-based lecture - discussion Explanatory teaching methods: - Classic problem-solving - Brainstorming

Type of course

elective course

Prerequisites

Command of the English language

Course coordinators

Łukasz Dominiak

Assessment criteria

Assessment methods & criteria Assessment methods:
- activity – (0-28 pts) 80%
- essay – (0-12 pts) 20%

Assessment criteria:
Credit and grade is based on attendance (necessary condition), activity during classes (each class meeting the student can win 0, 1 or 2 pts for active participation, which gives up to 28 pts over the entire course [first, introductory class excluded]) and essays to be written until the 8th class meeting (0-12 pts).

fail- less than 20 pts (less than 50%)
satisfactory- 20-23 pts (50%)
satisfactory plus- 24-25 pts (60%)
good – 26-29 pts (65%)
good plus- 30-31 pts (75%)
very good- 32-40 pts (80%)

Additional information

Additional information (registration calendar, class conductors, localization and schedules of classes), might be available in the USOSweb system:

Description of 2400-OG-EN-LTJ in USOSweb