Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site cbosgd.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!ratex!mck From: mck@ratex.UUCP (Daniel Kian Mc Kiernan) Newsgroups: net.politics,net.philosophy Subject: Vulgar Libertarians Message-ID: <754@cbosgd.UUCP> Date: Fri, 18-Jan-85 17:50:14 EST Article-I.D.: cbosgd.754 Posted: Fri Jan 18 17:50:14 1985 Date-Received: Sat, 19-Jan-85 04:18:53 EST Distribution: net Organization: Terran Mystery Poodles Lines: 26 Xref: watmath net.politics:6956 net.philosophy:1366 This is a re-posting; the original vanished mysteriously. "Lord, protect me from my friends; my enemies I can take care of myself." Voltaire I am appalled by what some of the alleged Libertarians on the net are saying. Let's get one thing clear: Libertarianism is a POLITICAL philosophy; nothing more. It is NOT a general theory of ethics, meta-ethics, epistemology, or ontology. For example: IT IS NOT A THEORY OF ETHICAL RELATIVISM!!! Some Libertarians are Relativists; some (in fact: MOST) are not. Libertarianism, PER SE, has little to say on the matter. It is galling to me to see people preaching Relativism and calling it Libertarianism for two reasons: 1) I am a Libertarian; and I am not a Relativist. 2) As any half-assed philosopher realized before he reached puberty, the logical conclusion of Relativism is Nihilism. I'll be damned if I'll sit quietly as some one attempts to erect an edifice that I care so much about on a foundation of rotten wood! I have other complaints about those who we may call "vulgar Libertarians", but I always feel like Sisyphus when writing to net.politics or net.philosophy. Disgusted again, Daniel Kian Mc Kiernan