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Notes
1. For an excellent historical overview of the parallel growth of ethical individualism, the
recognition of individual rights, and the breakdown of feudal social structure see: Michael Oakeshott
, "The Masses in Representative Democracy," in American Conservative Thought
in the Twentieth Century, ed. W. F. Buckley Jr. ( Indianapolis: Bobbs-Merrill, 1970), pp.
103-123.
2. For a detailed argument in favor of the individualist principle see Eric Mack, "How to
Derive Ethical Egoism," The Personalist, Autumn 1971, pp. 735-743, and the references
cited therein. For a detailed discussion of noncoercion and the applicability of the latter
principle see: Eric Mack, "Egoism and Rights," The Personalist, Winter 1973, pp. 5-33.
3. Thomas Hobbes, Leviathan, ed. Michael Oakeshott ( Oxford: Basil Blackwell, 1966) p.
84.
4. John Locke, Two Treatises on Government, ed. Peter Laslett ( Cambridge: Cambridge
University Press, 1967) p. 289.
5. See especially Nathaniel Branden, "Rational Egoism Continued," The Personalist,
Summer 1970, pp. 305-313.
6. Of course, Smith may have a contractual obligation to other persons to abstain from
burning the manuscript. More on contractual obligations later.
7. Note that one cannot argue as follows: since each person's acting for his own
well-being has moral value, each person should act in such a way that each other person may
act for his (the latter's) well-being--as long as such actions themselves do riot prevent some
third party from acting in his respective self-interest. For this argument assumes that the
individualist principle implies that Jones' acting for Jones' well-being is a valuable end for
Smith--hence, Smith ought to pursue this end. But the individualist principle involves no
such implication.
8. Hence the obscenity of Commissioners of Human Resources.
9. To be strictly correct, "nor a greater number/degree of coercive actions" should he
added to the antecedent.
10. To be strictly correct, "nor a greater number/degree of coercive actions" should be
added at this point.
11. Locke, Two Treatises, p. 306.
12. On this issue I am indebted to Mary Sirridge for her insightful suggestions.

-15-

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Publication Information: Book Title: The Libertarian Reader. Contributors: Tibor R. Machan - editor. Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield. Place of Publication: Totowa, NJ. Publication Year: 1982. Page Number: 15.
    
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