Liberty Matters
On Natural Rights and Harm
Ebeling is correct that there is no utilitarian calculation that can provide us with definitive answers. Mill would agree and was not a utilitarian. That is why it is always necessary to restate the case for liberty.Ebeling's appeal to "natural" rights is useless (nobody can agree on this metaphysics) and dangerous (it turns into unlimited "human" rights).
Mill is not ambiguous on the meaning of "harm." The "harm" that trumps all others is denying individuals the opportunity to decide for themselves.
Freedom trumps efficiency (philosophical point), and, as a matter of fact, enhances efficiency (inductive-historical argument that keeps us in business).
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