Comments on: Elinor Ostrom’s Nobel Prize in Economics http://fee.org/articles/elinor-ostroms-2009-nobel-prize/ Home to freedom and prosperity, and free-market education for over 50 years Thu, 18 Mar 2010 21:10:15 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: John McGinnis http://fee.org/articles/elinor-ostroms-2009-nobel-prize/comment-page-1/#comment-10093 John McGinnis Sat, 17 Oct 2009 14:07:11 +0000 http://fee.org/?p=9142#comment-10093 I think Dr. Boettke has done a marvelous job at elucidating the important contributions of Professor Omstrom to the workings of liberty. I would take issue with the comment of Vincent Ostrom referenced in the essay: "In that work Vincent asks what are the preconditions for a self-governing citizenry. He answers that a self-governing society must be composed of citizens fully capable of embracing the “cares of thinking and the troubles of living.”" I do not know what "cares of thinking and the troubles of living" are, but it seems to me that all one needs for a self-governing citizenry is an ethic of respect for other people's property and liberty. In other words, adherence to the 8th Commandment (irrespective of one's religious beliefs) will take us much more efficiently to a self-governing citizenry than any other approach. I think Dr. Boettke has done a marvelous job at elucidating the important contributions of Professor Omstrom to the workings of liberty. I would take issue with the comment of Vincent Ostrom referenced in the essay:

“In that work Vincent asks what are the preconditions for a self-governing citizenry. He answers that a self-governing society must be composed of citizens fully capable of embracing the “cares of thinking and the troubles of living.””

I do not know what “cares of thinking and the troubles of living” are, but it seems to me that all one needs for a self-governing citizenry is an ethic of respect for other people’s property and liberty. In other words, adherence to the 8th Commandment (irrespective of one’s religious beliefs) will take us much more efficiently to a self-governing citizenry than any other approach.

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