Can We Live Together by Living Apart? - Lachlan Kerr

About this event

Can We Live Together by Living Apart? A philosophical discussion on Hans-Hermann Hoppe's "Democracy: The God That Failed" Join us for a presentation and discussion on Hans-Hermann Hoppe's Democracy: The God That Failed, where we explore his provocative argument that the transition from monarchy to democracy did not eliminate coercive rule, it merely changed who manages it. Hoppe contends that democratic leaders, unlike monarchs with long-term ownership interests, have little incentive to think beyond the next election cycle, encouraging redistribution, short-term thinking and what he sees as moral and economic decline. He famously writes: "If the right to vote were expanded to seven year olds … its policies would most definitely reflect the 'legitimate concerns' of children to have 'adequate' and 'equal' access to 'free' French fries, lemonade and videos." Beyond his critiques of socialism and social democracy, Hoppe asks a broader philosophical question: Can people with fundamentally different values coexist more peacefully by granting one another greater freedom to separate? Rather than seeking a single political system for everyone, he imagines a world of voluntary communities, radical decentralisation, private property, free trade, owner-consented immigration and competing legal systems, allowing different ways of life to flourish side by side. Whether you find his conclusions compelling, troubling or wildly unrealistic, Hoppe's work raises enduring questions about democracy, authority, property, freedom and whether lasting peace depends less on persuading our “opponents” than on learning how to live differently. The book is available as a PDF here: • https://www.riosmauricio.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Hoppe_Democracy_The_God_That_Failed.pdf • https://www.yumpu.com/en/document/view/20163822/democracy-the-god-that-failedpdf On the second Monday of the month, Philo Agora has a speaker on a philosophical topic and a Q&A and discussion after. On the fourth Monday we meet again for open philosophical discussion. Philo Agora's format is a talk for 20 - 30 minutes starting at 7:15 for 7:30. The presenter then answers any questions of clarification from the floor. We then take a break of 5 minutes for more coffee and to mull over the talk and discuss it within small groups. The microphone is then passed around the audience for comment, opinion, and often counter argument to a maximum of 3 minutes. The presenter is then given a 5 minute right of reply. We usually finish up at 9pm. The cover charge is $5 cash for the talk. There are tea and coffee facilities available in-house. Sam Alexander - Convener (0457 749 310)