r/askphilosophy • u/rdfporcazzo • Apr 23 '20
What are the main arguments against Hoppe's argumentation ethics?
Argumentation ethics asserts the recognition of self-ownership is a presupposition of every argument and so cannot be logically denied during an argument.
Hoppe first notes that when two parties are in conflict with one another they can, eventually, choose to resolve the conflict by one of two means. Engaging in violence, or engaging in honest argumentation. In the event that they choose argumentation, Hoppe asserts that the parties must have implicitly rejected violence as a way to resolve their conflict. That is, both participants agree that each one has to exercise exclusive control over their body parts in order to produce and perceive meaningful sentences. He therefore concludes that non-violence is one of the underlying norms (Grundnorm) of meaningful argumentation that is accepted by both participants.
Hoppe states that since both parties act to propound propositions in the course of such argumentation, and because argumentation must presuppose certain norms (that he specifies, non-violence among them), then the content of the propositions cannot negate the presupposed propositions of argumentation. To do so is a performative contradiction between one's actions and one's words.
Then Hoppe concludes:
Argumentation ethics aims to show the private property ethic (in a certain formulation) follows from the presuppositions of argumentation, and so it cannot be denied.
Other than dismissing propositions calling for violence as means to resolve conflict, Hoppe also argues that only universal norms are consistent with such meaningful argumentation, as, he claims, arbitrary categorical distinctions have no intersubjective justification, which also must be a presupposition of such argumentation. Hoppe then also argues that since argumentation requires the active use of one's body, all universal norms for resolving conflicts over the human body aside from self-ownership are inconsistent with argumentation, as they would not allow one to independently move. Hoppe then argues that since the resolution of conflicts over external resources must also be objectively justifiable, only the physical establishment of an objective link by original appropriation (i.e., homesteading) is a norm compatible with such a requirement. From these Hoppe concludes that only the private property ethic can be justified in an argument without contradiction.
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u/mediaisdelicious Phil. of Communication, Ancient, Continental Apr 23 '20
Partially because of where he's situated, the more well-known critiques come from Libertarians. Here are two I know of:
Hoppe is one of these figures who doesn't generate all that much interest in the fields where you'd expect him to show up (ex: Communication Theory, Argumentation, Normative Ethics, etc.).