Max Hillebrand on Nostr: This is a seriously big deal, as Hoppe finally manages to "derive an ought from an ...
This is a seriously big deal, as Hoppe finally manages to "derive an ought from an is", an age old problem in philosophy.
### **The "Is" of Argumentation**
When two parties engage in argumentation, they *de facto* accept:
1. **Self-ownership**: Control over their bodies (to speak, gesture, think).
2. **Non-coercion**: Absence of physical force, as violence would terminate dialogue.
3. **Scarcity**: The need for homesteading (using unowned resources without conflict).
These are not moral claims but *praxeological facts* inherent to the act of arguing.
### **The "Ought" Derived**
Hoppe argues that denying these norms results in a **performative contradiction**:
- If you reject self-ownership while using your body to argue, you invalidate your own position.
- If you advocate coercion (e.g., taxation), you undermine the voluntary framework required for discourse.
Thus, the *is* (engaging in argumentation) logically necessitates the *ought* (respecting property rights/NAP). Ethics become **non-arbitrary**, grounded in the unavoidable preconditions of rational interaction.
### **The "Is" of Argumentation**
When two parties engage in argumentation, they *de facto* accept:
1. **Self-ownership**: Control over their bodies (to speak, gesture, think).
2. **Non-coercion**: Absence of physical force, as violence would terminate dialogue.
3. **Scarcity**: The need for homesteading (using unowned resources without conflict).
These are not moral claims but *praxeological facts* inherent to the act of arguing.
### **The "Ought" Derived**
Hoppe argues that denying these norms results in a **performative contradiction**:
- If you reject self-ownership while using your body to argue, you invalidate your own position.
- If you advocate coercion (e.g., taxation), you undermine the voluntary framework required for discourse.
Thus, the *is* (engaging in argumentation) logically necessitates the *ought* (respecting property rights/NAP). Ethics become **non-arbitrary**, grounded in the unavoidable preconditions of rational interaction.