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tremendoustie
02-08-2009, 04:14 AM
According to Miriam-Webster voluntarism is: "the principle or system of doing something by or relying on voluntary action or volunteers" -- MW does not have anything on voluntaryism.

According to wikipedia:

* Voluntarism -- the use of or reliance on voluntary action to maintain an institution, carry out a policy, or achieve an end.

* Voluntaryism -- the philosophical position that the only legitimate interactions between and among people are those freely assented to by all parties concerned.

I'm just wondering, why do voluntaryists not call them selves voluntarists? It seems that the meaning is quite similar -- a person who believed that voluntarism should be used in all circumstances would be a voluntaryist -- and a voluntarist.

The word voluntarist sounds nicer to me (no nasty "yist" ending), and I think it would tap into a lot of positive public perception. So, why not co-op it?

Truth Warrior
02-08-2009, 05:37 AM
http://www.voluntaryist.com/ (http://www.voluntaryist.com/)

mediahasyou
02-08-2009, 10:15 AM
The spelling is far less important than the philosophy.

Read the philosophy in under 5 minutes:
http://www.voluntaryist.com/fundamentals/introduction.php

torchbearer
02-08-2009, 10:17 AM
that is the libertarian philosophy.

Truth Warrior
02-08-2009, 10:48 AM
Question: Your solutions, on stopping drug trade, is, give up, give up to world drugs. I say zero tolerance, we use the military (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_on_Drugs) for aid, we stop it from getting into the country, we cut it off at the source. Why give up on that fight?



Ron Paul: What you give up on is a tyrannical approach to solving a social and medical problem. We endorse the idea of voluntarism (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voluntarism_(politics)), self-responsibility, family, friends, and churches to solve problems, rather than saying that some monolithic government is going to make you take care of yourself and be a better person. It's a preposterous notion, it never worked, it never will. The government can't make you a better person, it can't make you follow good habits. Why don't they put you on a diet, you're a little overweight...

The Morton Downey Jr. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morton_Downey,_Jr.) Show, July 4, 1988

tremendoustie
02-08-2009, 12:43 PM
that is the libertarian philosophy.

Sure, and I agree with it (except, I do disagree on strategy with the traditional voluntaryist view -- e.g. I vote). All I'm asking is, what's the difference between voluntaryist and voluntarist? It's not a big deal, it just seems like the definitions are so close, I don't understand why we need a separate word. Perhaps it's not really worth bringing up, I just don't understand the distinction.

I suppose I'm not going to convince everyone to steal the world "voluntarist" anyway.

Actually, I'm not really sure what to call myself -- I'd say voluntaryist, but I agree with changing the government from the inside. I'd say anarcho-capitalist, but most people seem to think a voluntary "government" is a government, in which case I'd have no problem with it. I'd say minarchist, but I disagree with coercive government, no matter how small ...

tremendoustie
02-08-2009, 12:56 PM
Question: Your solutions, on stopping drug trade, is, give up, give up to world drugs. I say zero tolerance, we use the military (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_on_Drugs) for aid, we stop it from getting into the country, we cut it off at the source. Why give up on that fight?



Ron Paul: What you give up on is a tyrannical approach to solving a social and medical problem. We endorse the idea of voluntarism (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voluntarism_(politics)), self-responsibility, family, friends, and churches to solve problems, rather than saying that some monolithic government is going to make you take care of yourself and be a better person. It's a preposterous notion, it never worked, it never will. The government can't make you a better person, it can't make you follow good habits. Why don't they put you on a diet, you're a little overweight...

The Morton Downey Jr. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morton_Downey,_Jr.) Show, July 4, 1988


Nice :). See! RP's a voluntarist! I'm right :D (Although I think he might believe in government coercion under some circumstances).

Truth Warrior
02-08-2009, 02:42 PM
Nice :). See! RP's a voluntarist! I'm right :D (Although I think he might believe in government coercion under some circumstances). There's a very good REASON that he's called Dr. NO. ;) :D

Paulitician
02-08-2009, 09:10 PM
I have no idea. I agree with you, I think 'voluntaryist' sounds horrible, which is why I never use it. You don't call it voluntaryism, lol. Voluntarism FTW.

cujothekitten
02-09-2009, 05:47 AM
* Voluntarism -- the use of or reliance on voluntary action to maintain an institution, carry out a policy, or achieve an end.

* Voluntaryism -- the philosophical position that the only legitimate interactions between and among people are those freely assented to by all parties concerned.

I'm just wondering, why do voluntaryists not call them selves voluntarists? It seems that the meaning is quite similar -- a person who believed that voluntarism should be used in all circumstances would be a voluntaryist -- and a voluntarist.

The word voluntarist sounds nicer to me (no nasty "yist" ending), and I think it would tap into a lot of positive public perception. So, why not co-op it?


They're not the same thing. One is a philosophy about social interactions in an anarchist society, the other is describing the act of volunteering. One includes a market, the other is non-profit (like volunteering at a homeless shelter). Voluntaryism is describing a society free of coercive action. Voluntarism is something you do out of the kindness of your heart, usually without pay. It's spelled differently because they want to distinguish between the two.

Truth Warrior
02-09-2009, 05:54 AM
Statement of Purpose: Voluntaryists are advocates of non-political, non-violent strategies to achieve a free society. We reject electoral politics, in theory and in practice, as incompatible with libertarian principles. Governments must cloak their actions in an aura of moral legitimacy in order to sustain their power, and political methods invariably strengthen that legitimacy. Voluntaryists seek instead to delegitimize the State through education, and we advocate withdrawal of the cooperation and tacit consent on which State power ultimately depends.

http://www.voluntaryist.com/ (http://www.voluntaryist.com/)