http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bizeD_v9CA4
I watched this video again today, and I’m reminded of the same complaints I had then. Spawktalk questions the idea that value is some common theme that links together possible choices. I don’t exactly know how to define value, but Rothbard seems correct in throwing out a bunch of possible descriptions (satisfaction seems good enough for me). Value motivates choice and the actor’s preferences are revealed through choice, or at least that is how I’ve always seen the definition of value.
At any rate, his major complaint is that he thinks libertarians assume that people doing what they value is best for them. I don’t know of any libertarian who believes this, as in my experience most libertarians only say that it is either immoral to force somebody to do something they don’t want to do (as that would be akin to slavery and a violation of self-ownership) or that people acting in accordance with their value tends to be the most beneficial as long as it is done in non-aggressive ways.
