About 70 people filled a classroom Tuesday for a debate the Fairfield Society held between juniors Brendan Noble and Razi Lane. Noble represented libertarianism, and Lane argued for conservatism. Junior John Gage, president of the Fairfield Society, said the issue is a hot topic on campus and deserved time for discussion.
“I think the depth of this debate is much greater than typically understood,” senior Chuck Ahee said. “And tonight shed light on the vast differences between these two philosophies.”
Their major topics of discussion included the philosophical foundations of their ideologies along with foreign and social policy. Since Noble and Lane said they largely agreed on economic issues, favoring the free market, they passed over them.
Noble and Lane debated about military spending, regime change, and the National Security Agency. In terms of social issues, they discussed marriage and immigration at length.
Although Noble pointed out that immigration is largely an economic issue, Lane accused libertarians of supporting open borders, which he said undermines American society.
“Rule of law and culture is important when determining immigration policy,” Lane said.
Striking at libertarian philosophy, Lane said it takes the field of economics and masquerades it as a political philosophy, adding that the conservative approach looks at history, philosophy, and politics comprehensively. Noble said this doesn’t discredit libertarianism because all political questions involve economics.
“Conservatives go through history like a buffet and pick out the ideas that they like,” senior Nate Hollern said. “Libertarianism is superior because it correlates to the praxeological nature of man.”
Freshman Celina McGowan disagreed: “I think Razi’s description of libertarians as primarily focused on economics is accurate. It’s dangerous to ignore important social issues.”
Noble’s discussion of non-interventionist foreign policy and the Libertarian Party’s presidential candidate drew his most applauded line of the night.
“Gary Johnson is defeating Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump among veterans in the polls,” Noble said. “It’s because they don’t want to send people around the world and get their family members killed.”
Lane said he rejected the idea that the United States’ contemporary foreign policy is conservative.
“Much of what is considered conservative foreign policy is actually progressive,” Lane said. “If attacked, then the United States must absolutely destroy the enemy’s ability to make war against them.”
The audience indicated by a show of hands that it was evenly split between libertarianism and conservatism before the debate began.
Sophomore Garrison Grisedale said Lane’s arguments resonated with him more.
“I agree with Razi in that libertarianism is utopian, while conservatism deals with politics as the art of the possible in light of man’s fallen nature,” Grisedale said.
Sophomore Andrea Wallace said she sided with the libertarians and thought the exact opposite.
“Razi argued more generally and abstractly, while Brendan argued in the realm of practicality,” Wallace said.
Gage said he was ecstatic about the turnout and thought both sides defended their positions well.
