Value of freedom

[natedogg]

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is freedom valuable in and of itself, or is it a means to an ends.

I'm fairly sure that the liberterian leaning people here, are entirely confident that more freedom leads to better outcomes, but i'm wondering if it's seen as a means towards greater happiness or resulting in greater happiness in and of itself.

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The important thing is that it doesn't matter. With more freedom, some will be more happy, and some will be less happy. But it's not the state's role to coerce you into being more happy (as determined by some bureucrate empowered to do so). You as my neighbor have no right to decide for me whether I'm happy, or how I can best achieve happiness.

Even if we knew exactly how to make everyone happy, deliriously happy (and actually we do), it would be wrong to enforce such a lifestyle on people.

natedogg

[microbet]

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if we knew exactly how to make everyone happy, deliriously happy (and actually we do)

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Mmmmmm Soma.

[lastchance]

The ability to make decisions definitely has a positive correlation with better decisions, otherwise known as +EV.

However, this does not always mean more decisions is always better. For example, in the Monte Hall Dilemma, you don't want to have the decision to stay. Of course, giving your freedom away generally allows the other person to do what he wants.

But there are definitely places where freedom is not always good. I think living in a world where people didn't have the freedom to kill others would be nice.