Many selfidentified libertarians, anarchists, and individualists base their views of ethics and liberty on the nonaggression principle. Why the nonaggression principle is useless as a moral. The nap logo was created to embody the non aggression principle and its embrace of both liberty and peace. Zero aggression principle and the acronym zap were first coined by l. Every person is the owner of their own body and has the right to do with their body as the see fit. Hello nappers, my friend is working on a reference book about the non aggression principle. Universally preferable behaviour a rational proof of secular ethics stefan molyneux, ma host, freedomain radio. Nonaggression principle law and legal definition uslegal, inc. The feminine principle is best described metaphorically as the non aggression principle, while the masculine principle is best described metaphorically as the selfdefense principle.
It says dont aggress against others, personally or politically. The non aggression principle tells us nothing, at least directly, about the topic of redistribution because rightful ownership is complex. Jun 18, 2017 non aggression principle ethics, philosophy the ethical principle asserting that initiating physical force against persons or their justly acquired property, or threatening to do so, is illegitimate. At the end i briefly consider the problem of pollution. Non aggression alone does not tell us what property rights people have, or why they have these rights to begin with. Aggression on someones person or property is always immoral and illegitimate. The nonaggression principle explained for the layman. The principle says that except for selfdefense, dont harm others, dont harm or steal their property, dont break your word, dont try to coerce anyone by threatening to do any of these things, and dont delegate or encourage anyone to do any of these things. Libertarianism is rothbards radical alternative that says state power is unworkable and immoral and ought to be curbed and. Some advocates base the non aggression principle on rule utilitarianism or rule egoism. Most of this final part of my series is a general commentary on the nonaggression principle nap rather than responses to specific points raised by matt zwolinski in six reasons to reject the nonaggression principle. To help us create more animation shorts with which to educate the public on principles of liberty, you can donate at the following. The nonaggression principle nap is an ethical and moral principle that aims to avoid conflict between individuals by prohibiting crimes like theft and murder.
The nap holds that aggression against the person or property of others is always wrong, where aggression is defined narrowly in terms of the use or threat of physical violence. Non aggression principle a rational principle of ethics and liberty aggression is inherently illegitimate. The non aggression principle came out of the european enlightenment. Libertarians oppose the initiation of force to achieve social or political goals. The non aggression principle, or nap for short, is a moral stance which asserts that the initiation of force is inherently illegitimate. The limits of the nonaggression principle foundation. The problem with coercion the proper use of coercion vs aggression has long been debated but the intended meaning of nap is to reject initiated force by one.
Only those in favor of aggression would whine and nitpick on the non aggression principle. The feminine principle is best described metaphorically as the nonaggression principle, while the masculine principle is best described metaphorically as the selfdefense principle. In his recent article, six reasons libertarians should reject the non aggression principle, matt zwolinski criticizes the libertarian non aggression principle nap and calls for a radical paradigm shift in which we put aside the idea that non aggression is the sole, immovable center of the moral universe. The non aggression principle is restrictive against initiatory force thats it. Libertarianism is based on a single ideal, the nonaggression principle, so libertarian rhetoric tends to be remarkably consistent. The non aggression principle, or nap, is the belief that individuals should be free to act as they choose with the exception that they may not initiate force, or the threat of force, against another person or their property. An out of balance feminine principle is therefore dominant and coercive in nature, and is played out as either aggression, passivity, or passive aggression, while. Julian sanchez has carried criticism of the nonaggression principle nap to a new level. The nonaggression principle nap, also called the nonaggression axiom, the anticoercion, zero aggression principle, or noninitiation of force, is an ethical stance asserting that aggression is inherently wrong.
There are many historical antecedents to the nap, but libertarians usually trace its current formulation to murray rothbard, who put it as follows. The simple nonaggression principle becomes sacred as we assert of it, there is none higher. History of the nonaggression principle 300s bc epicurus natural justice is a symbol or expression of usefulness, to prevent one person from harming or being harmed by another. Therefore, the right to selfdefense is included within the nap, but the nap is more than just an affirmation of the right to selfdefense. Jan 31, 2016 the non aggression principle also called the non aggression axiom, or the anticoercion or zero aggression principle or non initiation of force is an ethical stance which asserts that. Nap parenting often referred to as peaceful parenting is a style of parenting that adheres to the nonaggression principle. Libertarians, he suggests, should drop the nonaggression principle nap. The nonaggression principle, asheville, north carolina. In simple terms, what is the nonaggression principle. Therealrocknrollas edit that is being discussed here, in addition to the more serious problems already mentioned above, is that the edit wrongly removes important synonyms in boldface from the lead sentence that should remain because those terms redirect to this article. The nonaggression principle also called the nonaggression axiom, or the anticoercion or zero aggression principle or noninitiation of force is an ethical stance which asserts that aggression is inherently illegitimate. The zero aggression principle zap is the key libertarian idea. Some derive the non aggression principle deontologically by appealing to rights that are independent of civil or social convention.
The nonaggression principle, voluntaryism and liberty are the key fundamentals to a freesociety. Jun 07, 20 one of the mainstays of libertarianism is the nonaggression principle, or nap for short. Libertarian party founder david nolan created the pledge in 1971. Only those in favor of aggression would whine and nitpick on the nonaggression principle. Aggression is defined as the initiation of force against persons or property, the threat of such, or fraud upon persons or their property. This excerpt was taken from the phil donahue interview. Kodi archive and support file community software vintage software apk msdos cdrom software cdrom software library console living room software sites tucows software library shareware cdroms software capsules compilation cdrom images zx spectrum doom level cd. However, the nonaggression principle does not preclude violent selfdefense.
The non aggression principle, or nap, is a rational principle of ethics. The libertarian pledge, a statement individuals must sign in order to join the libertarian party of the united states, declares, i hereby certify that i do not believe in or advocate the initiation of force as a means of achieving political or social goals. The principle or idea that every person has the right to live as heshe chooses so long as it does not involve initiating force or fraud against another person. Hello nappers, my friend is working on a reference book about the nonaggression principle. Thinkers in the natural law tradition include lysander spooner, murray rothbard, and robert nozick.
But it is often presented as a resting upon a simple, indeed commonsense, moral principle. The libertarian nonaggression principle nap prohibits aggression against the persons or property of others, and it is on this basis that the libertarian opposition to redistributive taxation, legal paternalism, and perhaps even the state itself is thought to rest. Furthermore, i would argue that abortion violates the non aggression principle. The non aggression principle nap, also called the non aggression axiom, the anticoercion, zero aggression principle, or non initiation of force, is an ethical stance asserting that aggression is inherently wrong. People can also acquire property by using one of three different methods. The non aggression principle nap is the idea that individuals have the right to make their own choices in life so long as those choices do not involve the initiation of force or fraud against others applying the non aggression principle leads libertarians to argue that actions or policies such as murder, enslavement, kidnapping, theft, and fraud are illegitimate whether practiced by. What is the libertarian non aggression principle or non aggression axiom. An introduction to the non aggression principle where its noted that the nap as a principle only has validity as a consequence of a more fundamental philosophy. The nonaggression principle the grounded libertarian. Daniel alexander brackins, private property, law, and the state. It is a collection of questions and short essay answers on the nap.
In this context, aggression is defined as initiating or threatening any forceful interference with an individual or their property. The lost and recovered history of the nonaggression principle. Whether or not the pledge is primarily about keeping the party non violent and opposed to terrorist actions against the government, or is itself intended as a statement of the non aggression principle, has been disputed. All propertarian anarchists believe in the defense of private property for themselves and others. The libertarian nonaggression principle by matt zwolinski.
Ayn rand explains the nonaggression principle youtube. An animated music video explaining the nonaggression principle. Abortion and the nonaggression principle the fuller files. Neil smith as an alternative name for the non aggression principle with its too pacifistsounding, lethargic acronym, nap. Jan 03, 2012 the non aggression principle, voluntaryism and liberty are the key fundamentals to a freesociety. The non aggression principle faces three kinds of criticism. But in these exceptional cases, where the non aggression standard would be contrary to utilitarian principles, it should be jettisoned. Six reasons libertarians should reject the nonaggression.
The non aggression principle the non aggression principle nap restates this truth, and is the bedrock foundation for libertarianstyle politics. The nonaggression principle, or nap, is a rational principle of ethics. Finally, if the nap is granted to apply to both persons and their property, then the nonaggression principle is held by its supporters to lead to the rejection of theft, vandalism, assault, fraud, pollution and the concept of victimless crimes. The lost and recovered history of the nonaggression. The libertarian nonaggression principle by matt zwolinski abstract. Ayn rand, franciscos money speech i have already shown elsewhere why this guy is just confused.
One of the mainstays of libertarianism is the nonaggression principle, or nap for short. These approaches hold that though violations of the non aggression principle cannot be claimed to be objectively immoral, adherence to it almost always leads to the best possible results, and so it should be accepted as a moral rule. It takes logic and assumption about the way we humans look or more importantly, dont look at the government and eventually even the entire universe, and. Like the golden rule, the nap can be a beacon of light to guide each of us through the journey of a lifetime. The non aggression principle, for them, is a good rule of thumb, which sometimes, rarely, should be ignored. Also called the non aggression axiom, the anticoercion principle, the zero aggression principle zap, the non initiation of force, or nap for short.
Nonaggression principle libertarianism wiki fandom. In his highly controversial piece six reasons libertarians should reject the non aggression principe, matt zwolinski gave laid out reasons for rejecting the stupid and cumbersome principle. Polling slider 21 comments 21 responses to what is the zero aggression principle zap. It is free to be used and shared by all those who value freedom and who are opposed to the use of aggression and coercive power, whether it be. Philosophy, anarchocapitalism, austrian economics, non aggression principle, private property, rights, individualism, collectivism collection opensource. So, the natural state of things is for all of us to have equal rights and to refrain from violating each others rights in other words, to always follow the non aggression principle. The nonaggression principle, or nap for short, is a moral stance which asserts that the initiation of force is inherently illegitimate.
Beware anyone who objects to the nonaggression principle. His goal was to convince government authorities that the lp was. There are several grave problems with these critiques of the non aggression axiom. One version of the nap states that while it is legitimate to use physical violence in defense of ones rights, initiating violence against another person is wrong and can be met with proportional violence in selfdefense. Aggression, for the purposes of nap, is defined as initiating or threatening the use of any and all forcible interference with an individual or. What is the libertarian nonaggression principle or nonaggression axiom. The nonaggression principle, or nap, is the belief that individuals should be free to act as they choose with the exception that they may not initiate force, or the threat of force, against another person or their property. The nonaggression principle refers to a moral attitude that aggression is inherently unlawful. The non aggression principle nap is an ethical and moral principle that aims to avoid conflict between individuals by prohibiting crimes like theft and murder.
The limits of the nonaggression principle foundation for. This idea, unlike pacifism, makes exception for the use of aggression in the case of selfdefense. We especially like original content including analysis of, and commentary on, others content. A comic guide to voluntaryism, free markets, and the nonaggression principle is quite an amazing comic book or politically correctly, graphic novel. Thus, in effect, for humanity, nap is the essence of natural law. All material should be related to the nap non aggression principle or nappers people who subscribe to a nap theory of ethics.
The non aggression principle, an idea central to libertarian thought, is a moral stance that holds that aggression is inherently illegitimate. The non aggression principle is a very important part of the natural rights philosophy. Run for your life from any man who tells you that money is evil. The nonaggression and selfdefense principles the unity. Such approaches often reference selfownership, ethical intuitionism, or the right to life. What you should know about the nonaggression principle. The term common law has several meanings or derivations. Libertarianism is based on a single ideal, the non aggression principle, so libertarian rhetoric tends to be remarkably consistent. The work is still in the making and needs some input criticism or suggestions. Jul 26, 2016 the following are the top 10 misconceptions about the nonaggression principle nap.
The nap is an ethical stance which asserts that aggression is inherently illegitimate or immoral. It is free to be used and shared by all those who value freedom and who are opposed to the use of aggression and coercive power, whether it be by individuals, groups or the state. Many selfidentified libertarians, anarchists, and individualists base their views of ethics and liberty on the non aggression principle. If aggression is defined as initiatory force, then that is pretty specific, namely. The main issue at hand is how one defines aggression. The nap is a moral stance which asserts that aggression is inherently illegitimate. The non aggression principle the non aggression principle is a moral stance which asserts that aggression is illegitimate. In the last post, we saw that rights are moral principles sanctioning an individuals action in a social context. Chapters 5 and 6 show reasonable strategies, tactics, and practical actions for overcoming. The libertarian manifesto, rothbard proposes a onceandforall escape from the two major political parties, the ideologies they embrace, and their central plans for using state power against people.
Libertarianism is a controversial political theory. Jun 12, 2016 the non aggression principle came out of the european enlightenment. The nonaggression principle, natural law, and universal. In other words, the non aggression principle is simply another of way of saying individuals have a right against aggression from others as a result of property. That sentence is the lepers bell of an approaching looter. An act of physical force or fraud initiated by one against another in a free society, without aggression fraud, no felony crime exists alleged purpose of government is to prevent aggression and mend.
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