Political Science 1020E Lecture Notes - Lecture 7: Positive Liberty, Totalitarianism, Rationality
3 Aug 2016
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Swift considers five answers: taxation need not reduce the freedom of those who are taxed. Robert dworkin: taxes restrict my freedom only if i have a right to my money (fits with individual liberty) Cohen: taxes always restrict my freedom because they limit my choices (individual. Swift: redistributive taxation reduces the freedom of the rich but increases the freedom of the poor: redistribution can help people regardless of its effect on freedom. Taxes can be used to provide public goods or to improve prospects for the lower/ less fortunate class of society. So, redistribution can promote efficiency, equality and happiness. Freedom is valuable, but it is not the only value: redistribution can increase the total amount of effective freedom. Taxes reduce the effective freedom of those who are taxed, but can increase the total amount of effective freedom. If just counting the quantity of freedoms afghanistan wins.
