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Voluntary slavery in libertarianism: myth or necessity

https://doi.org/10.26907/2079-5912.2025.1.60-64

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to critique the denial of voluntary slavery in Murray Rothbard's philosophy. The main thesis of the article is to argue that Rothbard's argument for the impossibility of voluntary slavery is contradictory. This is done by arguing for the logical possibility as well as the consistency of voluntary slavery based on the notion of full self-ownership. Arguments are made in favour of the fact that voluntary slavery is not inconsistent with individual free will. The article concludes that the denial of voluntary slavery is inconsistent with Rothbard's principle of total self-ownership. Instead, as an outline, it proposes a rejection of full self-ownership in favour of a partial version of it, which in doing so does not violate any of the essential principles of libertarianism.

About the Author

M. G. Doliner
Kazan Federal University
Russian Federation

Doliner Maxim Gennadyevich, post-graduate student, Institute of Social and Philosophical Sciences and Mass
Communications, Department of Social and Political Philosophy

Kazan, 420008



References

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Review

For citations:


Doliner M.G. Voluntary slavery in libertarianism: myth or necessity. The Kazan Socially-Humanitarian Bulletin. 2025;(1(68)):60-64. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.26907/2079-5912.2025.1.60-64

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ISSN 2079-5912 (Print)