Author: Patrick Barron
The views of the Author are not necessarily the views of Enigmose
From 2009 to 2012, I taught an introductory course in Austrian school economics at the University of Iowa. On the first day of class, I would tell my students that the Austrian school would change the way they looked at the world, not just from an economic perspective, but from an overall life perspective. Nothing would ever appear to be the same again. They would learn to think for themselves and would not fall prey to all the propaganda from government, the mainstream news media, and poorly thought out opinions of friends and acquaintances. Of course, that does not make one the most popular person at a cocktail party!
Methodological Individualism vs. Collectivism I would explain that economic science falls within the overall science of human action. All action is individual, subjective, and purposeful. Ludwig von Mises used the phrase methodological individualism to explain the basis of what can be known about economics in particular and human action in general. It is the individual, and not the group, that attempts to achieve a higher level of satisfaction as he perceives it at any point in time. Of course, these "preferences" are subjective, meaning that they undoubtedly are different for different people and are subject to constant change within the individual himself. (Consider the subjective desire for a glass of water after mowing the lawn on a hot day. At that point in time a cool glass of water ranks very highly on a person's individual preference scale, but drops down the scale once the thirst is satisfied. Others may not be satisfied with a glass of water; perhaps only a cold beer or a lemonade will do.)
There is no such thing as "group" human action, such as Americans chose to sell stock last week, Frenchmen like to go to the Riviera in August, or Germany declared war on America on December 11, 1941. Some individual Americans may have sold stock last week, and some individual Frenchmen go to the Riviera each August, and certain people controlling the German government passed a resolution declaring war on America on December 11, 1941. Aggregates do not act; only individuals act. Collective action is a fallacy, as Ludwig von Mises explained. At first this seems strange, but upon further reflection it becomes self-evident and many bogus statements are dethroned. For example, the mainstream media is noted for headlines such as "Americans Are Fearful of the Coronavirus." This is a meaningless statement, since there is no such entity as "Americans," only individual people who live in America. The fear of catching the coronavirus that is attributed to Americans in general ranges individually, from so afraid that one will not leave one's home to hardly any fear at all.
The Problem with Government Restrictions Since all action is individual, purposeful, and subjective, in the case of a crisis it is impossible for government to take collective action that would not be coercive to almost everyone. The coronavirus is a case in point. At the present time (April 16, 2020), forty-one of the fifty US states have declared some form of what is called a "lockdown." Supposedly "nonessential" businesses must remain closed, and there are various restrictions on the movement and interaction of the populace. The stated purpose in all cases is to "stop the spread" of the virus.
Yet there is no way for a government bureaucrat to know which purchases and which businesses are truly "essential." The individual himself must decide what action he will or will not take in order to both avoid catching the disease AND satisfy his other preferences, such as keeping a roof over his head and feeding his family. If it were the preference of all people to isolate themselves, close their businesses, not patronize businesses, refuse to show up for work, or refuse to socialize with their friends and neighbors, then the government would not need to implement any of these measures. The only conclusion to be drawn is that the state-imposed restrictions are violations of the preferences of many individuals. Since it is only the individual who acts purposefully and not groups, government restrictions upon these individuals are illogical and cannot be justified.
Man Is an End and Never a Means to an End
Suppressing the spread or lethality of the virus is a result of individual human action and is not an end in itself that justifies using man as a means. Immanuel Full Article - Mises Wire
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It’s actually not under assault -- it’s gone -- suspended indefinitely in the name of “the common good.” Governors have declared coronavirus emergencies and wiped clean the rights our nation was founded for the purpose of putting those rights beyond the reach of government. Read More