Philosophy
Freedom
- The capacity to choose wisely and to act well as a matter of habit
- Laws and control are only meant as guides and they educate us on the path towards freedom
Negative liberty
Free to do what I want
Absence of external restrictions
Limited positive liberty
E.g. nation has no laws on banning smoking but
one’s true self does not choose to smoke
Increases when the authority allows R-rated
movies
Less when no freedom of individual expression
External environment
About whether doors are locked
People know what’s best for themselves
The Harm Principal
The only purpose for which power can be
rightfully exercised over anyone against his will
is to prevent harm to others.
We have no right to infringe on other’s right to
harm himself.
Cannot control
Positive liberty
Master of my own decisions
One’s decisions are freely chosen by one’s true
self
Very limited negative liberty
E.g. a person in prison (external restriction to
prevent you from doing what you want) but you
can do a lot of things inside the cell (despite the
limitations)
Increases when self-control
Decreases when compelled to follow
Internal mind scope
How many doors are open to you
Masses are ignorant, wise knows best
Offence
Can choose to accept it or not
Paternalism
-
The policy of practice on the part of people in positions of authority of restricting the freedom
and responsibilities of those subordinate to them in the subordinates’ supposed best interest
Miscllanous:
Assumption: Individual knows what’s best for him (2 exceptions: minor (child), psychological problems)
Infallibility argument: If an argument is silenced, it may for all you know be true.
Dead dogma argument: Superstition
Partial truth argument: Although the silenced opinion may be an error, it may contain a portion of
truth.
Link with action argument: The truth means nothing to the person
BOXES
NOTE: Definition/fallacies (must explain fallacy)
BECAUSE: Reason
BUT: Object
HOWEVER: Object objections
EXAMPLE
Support everything with reason and examples 
Fallacies
Doubtful cause (Because one event follows another, the first event must be a cause of the second)
Slippery slope (Series of doubtful causes)
4 appeals
-
Pity
Popularity
Authority
Anonymous authority
2 generalizations
-
Hasty generalization (not enough samples to proof)
Unqualified generalization (no samples, not qualified to generalize)