Steven Horwitz is the Charles A. Dana Professor of Economics at St. Lawrence University and I have grown to respect his intellect and the integrity with which he conducts himself in his profession. In an article, just posted on The Freeman, Professor Horwitz addresses the need for the defenders of freedom to stay on the high road in the political/policy debates that are currently raging in the U.S.
Horwitz explains that intellectual laziness, in the heat of 
debate, makes it
“a lot easier to attack one’s opponents’ motives than actually investigate their arguments and come up with reasoned responses. People of all sorts of political views engage in this sort of intellectual laziness all the time. Assuming bad faith and being intellectually lazy really are the low road of political discourse.”
Horwitz then provides us with an admonishment and some clear directions for engaging those “who would extend the State’s control over our lives,” by writing:
Those of us in the freedom movement need to take the high ground in political debates like these. When we debate those who would extend the State’s control over our lives in all kinds of ways, we should follow a rather simple list of rules to make sure we don’t descend into the sorts of behavior described above.
1. Until confronted with serious evidence to the contrary, assume the other person’s intentions are good and that they wish to make the world a better place.
2. Do not allow others to monopolize the moral high ground; insist that you too want to make the world a better place.
3. Know as many of the other sides of the argument as you can and know them as well as you can.
4. Practice what the economist Ludwig Lachmann called the “Principle of Charitable Interpretation.” That is, read other people’s arguments in the best, most generous light possible.
5. Make reasoned arguments of your own and back them with relevant evidence.
6. Acknowledge where your arguments or evidence are weak or possibly biased; this demonstrates your own open-mindedness and your ability to think critically about your own argument.
7. Finally, do all of this with a smile and a gentle sense of humor. Milton Friedman was the master at this and was, I would argue, the most effective debater for freedom in the twentieth century.
Can I guarantee these will always be successful in convincing others? I cannot. However, with so many Americans fed up with the nastiness of the major parties, we have nothing to lose by taking the high ground of civil and reasoned discourse. What I can guarantee is that you will feel a lot better about yourself for being an ethical defender of freedom and, more important, you will be a role model for the sort of respect for others without which a free society cannot function.
I must admit that the difficulty, that I experience, is that of not wanting to take the time to “actually investigate their arguments and come up with reasoned responses,” and secondly, “assuming bad faith,” regarding the motives of those who want to expand the power of the state. But the battle for liberty must not be tarnished in a manner that looses supporters because of careless arguments and name calling. The importance of engaging in a rational dialogue in an effort to preserve liberty for future generations is well worth the effort. Thanks for reminding us, Professor Horwitz, of the importance of staying on the high road and thanks for your ongoing contributions to preserving freedom.
To read Professor Horwitz’s complete article click here, The Low Road and the High Ground.
