Your morals are in your pants. At least that’s what the Absolute Moralist would have you believe. It is apparent that when people discuss moral principles and complain about "immoral" activities they are substituting their subjective values for the subjective values of others. They arrogantly decide they know what’s best for the other fellow. Of course the Absolute Moralist plays on these illusions—and gains power by imposing his pseudo-morality on innocent victims.

Vice

What exactly is vice? Here are two definitions from the Merriam-Webster online dictionary:
a: moral depravity or corruption : WICKEDNESS
b: a moral fault or failing

Well those definitions seem to be clear and concise—at least it appears that way. The next question we need to ask is who determines what a moral depravity or a moral fault or failing is? I’m sure there are plenty of people who will happily attempt to explain it all—even if they lack the foundation of objectivity. They will tell you that morality is what they believe. Immorality is the activities they don’t approve of.

Another definition of vice is: an iron instrument which holds fast anything worked upon—vice grips. Now we’re getting somewhere. From this definition we can conclude that smoking a little reefer, gambling occasionally, enjoying an alcoholic beverage now and then, experimenting with drugs and experiencing some "illicit" sex is not vice. Unless a person has unwittingly transformed these activities into obsessions and they have an iron grip on him, they cannot be considered vice—no matter what petty tyrants and the Absolute Moralist claim to the contrary.

Voluntary Exchanges

Tragically many activities that absolute moralists have mislabeled as vices are now illegal. Close to 80% of all arrests are for victimless crimes. Even worse it is estimated that drug addicts commit 75% of all property crimes. Since drug legislation drives up the price of illegal drugs at least tenfold—addicts are forced to steal to support their habit. The Absolute Moralist—in one of his favorite roles as anti-drug crusader—considers drug use far more detrimental to "society" than violent attacks on a person’s property and person. Anti-drug crusaders are obviously idiots who are ignorant of basic economic law.

For more information on the disastrous results of the drug war see my report "How to Win the Drug War."

Let’s determine if "vice" should be legal or prohibited by law. First you have to distinguish the difference between voluntary and involuntary exchange. Only individuals or groups of individual can partake in an exchange. It is absurd to believe that "society" as a whole can exchange goods and services.

A voluntary exchange is an exchange between two or more individuals. Each participates of his own free will.

An involuntary exchange occurs when at least one party to the transaction is involved against his will. Examples of this type of exchange are robbery, rape, assault and murder. Only this type of exchange can be defined as criminal.

Drug use, alcohol consumption, adult pornography, prostitution, consensual sexual activities, gambling and cigarette smoking are voluntary exchanges. There should be no legal prohibitions against these activities. Should a person have a compulsion to engage in one or more of these activities—his vice(s) is a personal problem—not a problem that the Absolute Moralist and his enforcer, the government needs to "solve."

The Absolute Moralist – A Mindless Disaster

Moralists are probably the most dangerous people on earth—or for that matter on any planet. In an earlier article "The Tyranny of the Absolute Moralist or a New Age of The Libertarian Way" I explained the philosophy of absolute moralism. Following is an excerpt.

Our civilization is under the sway of a philosophy called Absolute Moralism. The reason: People have a range of emotions that determine their beliefs and their subsequent actions. They have a choice of whether the positive emotions dominate their lives or if they allow themselves to succumb to the negative emotions. Unfortunately the vast majority of people have consciously or unconsciously chosen the negative emotions of hate, intolerance, lack of forgiveness, envy, jealousy, covertness, anger, etc. They have become Absolute Moralists.

When you combine the above with the fact that 99% of the people are ignorant of basic economic law a deadly combination is created. I call this combination of negative emotions and ignorance the "Absolute Moralist." He always rises up to power when the negative traits of humans begin controlling the affairs of mankind.

Since the anti-life philosophy of the Absolute Moralist defies all logic and reason it is mindless. Floating abstractions based on negative feelings and emotions do not constitute a working philosophy of life. World-improvers, altruists and do-gooders—subsets of the ideal type Absolute Moralist—claim they are only attempting to help people see the light of all the is pure and moral. Of course they never ask the individuals they are "helping" whether they actually want assistance or not. Usually the "help" arrives in the form of gross violations of individual rights, prohibitions, prisons and torture chambers. One of the definitions of vice is wickedness. I believe that this definition is more applicable to the Absolute Moralist.

Conclusion:

You have every right to indulge in voluntary exchanges and any consumption that results from voluntary exchanges. The Absolute Moralist is out of line when he insists that you adhere to his spurious moral code. It is pure treachery when he convinces government—the apparatus of violent compulsion and coercion—to outlaw the pleasure of your choice.

Following is some guidelines concerning voluntary exchanges.

1. Sadly, certain voluntary exchanges are illegal. I would never advise you to break the law and endanger your liberty and freedom. Use your power of logic and reason in all of your activities. Hone your intuitive powers through daily meditation.
2. Compulsively indulging in activities that endanger your health and well-being is irrationally selfish. The impeccable individual who practices rational selfishness makes decisions by weighing the pros and cons. He acts in rational self-interest—always. He does not act in a self-defeating manner.
3. I expect you to enjoy all the Libertarian Pleasures life has to offer. Life is meant to be pleasure and ecstasy—not pain and suffering. Live life to its fullest and celebrate the joy of your existence daily.

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