Political philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau, whose influence on leftist radicalism is hard to overestimate, believed that equality is essential to both compassion and liberty. His notion of compassion, however, was an insubstantial shadow of the real thing, for which he wished to substitute state coercion wrongly called freedom.

Max Hocutt is Professor of Philosophy Emeritus at the University of Alabama.
EconomistsEconomyFreedomGovernment and PoliticsLaw and LibertyPhilosophy and ReligionPolitical TheorySocialism, Communism, and Collectivism
Other Independent Review articles by Max Hocutt
Fall 2013 The Fruits and Fallacies of Fred Skinner on Freedom
Summer 2012 Rights: Rhetoric versus Reality
Winter 2007/08 In Defense of Herbert Spencer
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