Free State Project campaigner Dennis Platt and Soho Forum director Gene Epstein debated the resolution, “A better way to convince more people of liberalism is to convince them that it stems from self-ownership and ethics based on the non-aggression principle, rather than relying primarily on consequentialist/utilitarian arguments.
New Hampshire libertarian writer and activist Dennis Pratt takes a positive view, arguing that the consequentialist arguments typical of libertarian economists have limited validity and do not represent the core of libertarianism. And it’s too difficult for most people to master quickly. The philosophy of self-ownership is more persuasive to most people, he said.
Gene Epstein, director of the Soho Forum, disagrees. While he espouses the same philosophy as his opponents, he makes the argument that empirical facts about the adverse outcomes of government intervention can make many people rethink their illiberal assumptions.
The debate took place at the Porcupine Freedom Festival in Lancaster, New Hampshire, on June 20, 2024, moderated by Free State Project founder Jason Sorens.
