Consequentialist Defense of Libertarianism

Richard Fumerton is F. Wendell Miller Professor of philosophy at the University of Iowa.

• PrefacePart I: Theoretical Controversies: The Importance of Consequentialist ReasoningChapter 1: Level Distinctions and a Philosophical DilemmaChapter 2: Law, Rationality, and MoralityChapter 3: Controversies in Meta-ethics and Meta-rationalityPart II: Defending FreedomChapter 4: Mill’s Defense of FreedomChapter 5: Consequentialist Arguments for Freedom of Thought and ExpressionChapter 6: Social LibertarianismChapter 7: Economic LibertarianismChapter 8: SummaryReferences

In this wide-ranging study of political theory, ethics, and public policy, Fumerton attempts to incorporate consequentialism and libertarianism. The definition of libertarianism in this volume is indeed "flexible" (p. 197), especially when compared to the traditional view of libertarianism as advocating for constraining and diffusing power. The problem with libertarianism, and the need for interweaving libertarianism with consequentialism, results from the prevailing "'rights-based' conception of rationality and morality" (p. x) found in contemporary libertarian theory. If libertarianism can incorporate some critical elements of consequentialism, namely, certain "constraints" (p. xi) on what can be achieved in the social and political realms, the faulty and impractical limitations of libertarianism can be overcome. Guided by an imaginative reassessment of John Stuart Mill and consequentialism, the author suggests that new policy approaches to the issues of free expression, social life, and economics can replace the "confusing distraction" of debates over rights (p. 15)… [T]he "appeal for more humility when it comes to the political positions one takes on controversial issues concerning freedom" (p. 13) constitutes an enduring scholarly achievement. Recommended. Advanced undergraduates through faculty.