… is from page 96 of Deirdre McCloskey’s forthcoming book, Equality of Permission:
What, then, should be the primary-liberal rule in the footrace of life?
It should be – for natural justice to the individual and for the consequent flourishing of the individual’s family and fellows and trading partners and society through loving care and peaceful exchange and liberal conversation – an equality of permission, or allowance, or approval for a general right to do, to venture. Let no obstacles of human design be placed in your path. It is to be permitted to enter the race as an adult, and to accord to others the same permission. It is [Adam] Smith’s “obvious and simple system of natural liberty.”
DBx: By “primary-liberal,” McCloskey means classical liberal, as distinct from the progressive statists who are often inaccurately called “liberals.”
…..
McCloskey’s point here is profound. Equality of outcomes is not only impossible, but attempts to achieve some superficial resemblance of such ‘equality’ would inevitably unleash hellish tyranny and crushing poverty. Equality of opportunity – despite frequently being endorsed by classical liberals – is also practically impossible, and attempts to engineer it would also involve a great deal of authoritarian oppression.
Equality of permission, in contrast, is quite feasible. Achieving in practice something close to such equality requires only that the state abandon all efforts to dispense privileges. No more tariffs, no more subsidies, no more occupational-licensing restrictions, no more government-imposed land-use restrictions and requirements. The result won’t be heaven on earth, but it would be increasing prosperity and protection as firm as is humanly possible against oppression and injustice.
