MICRO AND MACRO LIBERTARIANISM: REJOINDER TO McMAKEN

Abstract

Microlibertarianism concerns issues upon which the overwhelming proportion of libertarians agree: minimum wages, rent control, free trade, drug legalization. Macro libertarianism concerns issues upon which there is little or no consensus: voluntary slavery, immigration, abortion, covid vaccinations and the Israeli war with Hamas. The present paper is concerned with only the latter two controversies. McMaken (2024) takes the position that while Block’s views on microlibertarianism are valid, and even, perhaps, commendable, his perspective on these latter two issues is nothing short of highly problematic, not to say abominable. The specific charge of McMaken’s is the Block places his support for Jews in general, and Israel in particular, ahead of libertarianism. Thus, while he may be a good microlibertarian, he is no longer, if ever he was, a good macrolibertarian. The present paper offers a defense of the views of the latter vis a vis the charges of the former.