Seven reasons progressives should be more libertarian

These are my reasons for thinking that progressives should have greater confidence in free markets and civil society to realize their values, and less confidence in government regulation. But even if progressives are not convinced by that claim, I hope they are convinced by another one: namely, that political disagreement does not always, or even usually, imply an irreconcilable conflict of fundamental values. Progressives and libertarians should realize that they share many more values in common than they probably think, and that their different political prescriptions are less the product of an epic battle of good vs. evil and more a function of reasonable disagreement regarding how to prioritize and realize their common goals. Even if disagreement persists, bearing this point in mind should make that disagreement a more civil and productive one.

Matt Zwolinski is Associate Professor of Philosophy at the University of San Diego, and founder of the Bleeding Heart Libertarians blog.