So... how libertarian are you... really? Libertarian Purity Test! ***

[Sentient Void]

So guys, how libertarian are you, really? This is a *great* solid test, and it even explores the demographics of the results at the end - and it is maintained and administered by the George Mason University.

http://www.bcaplan.com/cgi-bin/purity.cgi

It'd be great to see exactly *how* libertarian a lot of the people here at RPF really are. I know the forum isn't all libertarians - as a past poll showed, there are some statists, liberals, liberaltarians, ancaps, mutualists, social anarchists, minarchists, etc.

Please, be honest about your answers so we all get an accurate representation - try not to skew your, the test's, and this polls results if you can.

Take the poll, post your results in this thread, thoughts, questions, etc - and DISCUSS!

 

[MRoCkEd]

91.

Almost all "No" on the last section, because I'm not an anarchist.

 

[Sentient Void]

91.

Almost all "No" on the last section, because I'm not an anarchist.

It's all good - that's still fairly libertarian.

I definitely not not noticed that the first set of questions were slow-balls, but the next section then especially the last one got increasingly hardcore.

Have you read any Rothbard, Ruwart, et al MRoCkEd?

 

[amy31416]

124.

ETA: Maybe it should be lower, because I voted to end Medicare/Social Security and welfare--but I wouldn't just cut those things immediately--there was no option for phase outs of social programs.

 

[sailingaway]

I don't consider 'libertarian' to be a goal. To the extent it describes me, fine. However, many who go for purity tests of whatever type seem to use the word to try to control the attitudes of others, which seems ironically un-libertarian in itself to me.

 

[cswake]

I suppose it is worth asking what Bryan Caplan's definition of libertarian is - a 160 score is pure anarchy. ("Private" laws, no State, including no uniform rule to prohibit murder, for instance)

 

[Sentient Void]

I don't consider 'libertarian' to be a goal. To the extent it describes me, fine. However, many who go for purity tests of whatever type seem to use the word to try to control the attitudes of others, which seems ironically un-libertarian in itself to me.

I don't possibly see how merely suggesting an understanding of libertarianism, and wondering how logically, morally, and economically consistent one is of libertarianism, as an achievement, is 'unlibertarian' - or in conflict with principles of libertarianism in any way, shape or form, and am curious as to how you can justify that statement.

And you may not consider it to be a goal - but for many, achieving a stateless and voluntary society is a very noble and lofty goal. Even if the initial goal is merely to educate as many people as possible as to the merits of such a society.

Either way - it's just the name of the test. I think you're bring a bit sensitive about it.

 

[Cowlesy]

70

 

[hazek]

111

 

[ibaghdadi]

114

 

[farrar]

160. I don't think anarco-capitalist makes me a pure libertarian though. There are many other underling ideas that can lead one to libertarianism and even anarco-capitalism without being "pure". Not to mention a anarco-primitive would show up as being "tainted" when they just have a different theory for what liberty is. It assumes that there is only a capitalist side to libertarianism. While I reject the socialist libertarian philosophy, I know if they made their version of this test I would have a problem with it, and they would consider me less libertarian for it.

Still interesting.

 

[Travlyr]

102

 

[Arion45]

Your Libertarian Purity Score

Your score is...

160

 

[Son of Detroit]

Rolled in with a 60.

INB4STATIST.

 

[jmhudak17]

94

 

[Zatch]

92

 

[Sentient Void]

160. I don't think anarco-capitalist makes me a pure libertarian though. There are many other underling ideas that can lead one to libertarianism and even anarco-capitalism without being "pure". Not to mention a anarco-primitive would show up as being "tainted" when they just have a different theory for what liberty is. It assumes that there is only a capitalist side to libertarianism. While I reject the socialist libertarian philosophy, I know if they made their version of this test I would have a problem with it, and they would consider me less libertarian for it.

Still interesting.

Agreed. I think ultimately, probably for the sake of simplicity of scoring, demographics, etc, this is just one-dimensional in regards to how much Statism one believes in.

I think you're right that other anarchist philosophies would have gotten a 160 or so, because the test definitely doesn't touch on the question of private property, hierarchy, etc.

I can't wait to see how everyone scores though, and how the spread is for the forum.

 

[KevinR]

150

 

[osan]

So guys, how libertarian are you, really? This was a *great* test, and it even explores the demographics of the results at the end - and it is maintained and administered by the George Mason University.
!

I'd call it OK, but definitely not great. Some of the questions were well constructed and some were shyte. Some were just ambiguous, e.g. "Are you for free trade?" does not make clear whether they refer to "free trade" or "Free Trade", the two being nearly diametric opposites.

I think a lot of good stuff issues from GMU, but this needs some serious work.

I would also challenge the tacit presumption that there is but one legitimate meaning of "libertarian".

 

[1000-points-of-fright]

107. I had problems with some of those questions as I always do in tests like this. For example, should public education be abolished? Wouldn't answering "yes" mean that libertarians want to impose a one size fits all (everything private) solution on the whole country? Isn't that what we're fighting against? What if a state or even a city wants to provide public education?

These quizzes need to get much more specific.