1+2=Free

Freedom is so simple that many fail to see it. One should note that I consider freedom and base morality equivalent. This is not to say that people cannot or should not hold themselves to a standard higher than base morality, for indeed I believe they should, only that base morality is all we should be able to demand from another human. Because any transgression of base morality means, necessarily, that someones freedom has been abridged, it is proper to use these terms interchangeably.

It is no mistake in saying that the encapsulation of the Libertarian philosophy is that no one has the right to initiate force or fraud in human relationships.

Freedom really is that simple. But if it is so simple, then how can so many people have difficulty grappling with it? Because it is buried under a mountain of details.

Let me draw on another field that is essentially very simple, yet gives many people fits: math. Mathematics is so simple it's frustratingly difficult! All of math boils down to two things, addition and notation. Subtraction is addition. Multiplication is addition. Division, you guessed it, addition. Even calculus functions and transcendental functions can be reduced to addition. All mathematical operations are definable in terms of addition.

Notation is the other foundation of all mind boggling mathematics. How we express such things as fractions and exponents are essentially simple.

The mountain of details is the exact numbers and the complexity of the functions layered one atop another. The same is true for freedom. When one begins to grapple with a morality problem you must approach it much like a math problem. You define your terms, look at the order of precedence and apply the rules to arrive at a result. If you have done it properly you will not only arrive at the correct result, but your work will be independently reproducible.

This is key. An answer to a problem, either in math or morality, must be reproducible to be of any value. It is for this reason that I put forth this fundamental theorem of freedom:

Freedom is the absence of the use of force or fraud in human relationships.

You will immediately grasp the simplicity of this rule, and then also immediately have difficulty seeing how it applies in many situations. None the less, now that you know the fundamental theorem of freedom you will be able to peel away the layers of any morality problem, reducing each in step to either contributing to force and fraud, and thus indicating oppression, or not contributing to force or fraud and thus indicating freedom.

However, like mathematics, morality problems also have notation. Notation in math is often used to signify precedence. Unfortunately morality problems rarely are so explicit in their formulation and so one must apply order of precedence to render a proper understanding.

Mathematics has a standard precedence which is in operation at all times, that is, evaluation precedes from left to right. Morality problems have no need for topographic directions, but they do have need of a fundamental precedence, and thus I give you the fundamental precedence:

The individual is supreme.

Like mathematics, morality problems only have one correct solution. In all morality problems you will be able to arrive at the correct solution if you apply the fundamental order of precedence and the fundamental theorem of morality. Any failure will be found in a mistake of either of these two principles.

When faced with a morality problem, identify the individuals involved, and look for force or fraud. As you find these things, or don't find them, so too shall you arrive at the correct solution.