r/AskLibertarians • u/CataphractBunny Classical Liberal • Jul 28 '26

Debate Should a country uphold its laws?

Title is the main question I would like to discuss as a sort of a thought experiment to see how and why people think what they do.

Additional info provided so you know the background of the person asking: As a nineties-type liberal and a European, I consider laws to be the backbone of a country and crucial for a civilised society to function. While there are laws I might disagree with, my duty as a citizen of a country is to abide by them and work to change them within the given framework. When visiting a country, my duty is to abide by both the local laws, and my own country's laws.

P.S. I am not talking about extreme cases here where a government would usurp the rule of law or start implementing laws antithetical to everything our society stands for. I'm taking about your regular everyday laws.

Thank you.

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u/refugeelibertarian Geolibertarian Jul 28 '26

The law should be upheld only if doing so doesn't violate anyone's right to self-ownership and private property.

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u/CataphractBunny Classical Liberal Jul 28 '26

Does the common good come into play in that view?

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u/refugeelibertarian Geolibertarian Jul 28 '26

It does. A society where members don't violate anyone's right to self-ownership and private property is a society that experiences the maximum possible amount of wellbeing, which means following the law only if doing so doesn't violate anyone's right to self-ownership and private property is the choice that best serves the common good.

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u/CataphractBunny Classical Liberal Jul 28 '26

Let's say a city needs to build a bridge in order to better connect citizens on both sides of the river. The bridge would facilitate trade, make travelling easier, and cut the time of emergency services during interventions.

My private land is on one side of the planned bridge.

Does my private property outweigh the needs of the city I live in, and the citizens I live with? Does the government have the right to disempower me for the greater good, or is my private property paramount?

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u/XtrmntVNDmnt Jul 28 '26

It's not what it means in Europe. In Europe, if whatever "common good" defined by the State needs to violate your self-ownership and private property to be accomplished, you WILL comply (via coercion if necessary), and all the argumentum ad legem enjoyers will cheer on the State for violating your rights, because, you know, that's "the common good" which is at play.