Is Don Quixote A Libertarian Novel? - Learn Liberty

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[LearnLiberty]

What do you think- is Don Quixote a libertarian novel? What other novels have lessons about liberty?

[angelantoniomingotebarrach]

Cervantes had good reasons to hold grievances against the State. He enroled and served in the military for over a decade. While he was fighting for the State, he was maimed from one arm in battle, he was later captured while he was traveling to his homeland on board of a galley of the State (or of the king).

For five years he was a slave of the turks, the State for which Cervantes had fought didn't try to rescue him, he was left to his own devices. Cervantes tried to escape from his captors in several occasions without success, evidence that he wasn't particularly happy with his new situation. It was his family who eventually paid for his ransom.

Once in his homeland, he went from one job to another without much success. Two decades later, while he was working for the State as tax collector, he was imprisoned by the State, apparently twice, after a bank in which he kept much of the money he had collected went bankrupt. It is thought that he came up with the idea for his Don Quixote while staying in jail.

It isn't far fetched to presume that he felt some resentment against the State at that point in his life, and that such resentment could have inspired him or influenced his literary work. The influence of that resentment in the Part 2 of Don Quixote may be even more significative, since apparently the publisher of the Part 1 of Don Quixote swindled him, denying him any share of the profit from the sale of the book, which became very successful.

Once again, this situation probably made him feel helpless and left to his own devices by the State. It's funny how so many don't quite realise that the character of Alonso Quixano is clearly inspired in the very Cervantes, in his life, his misfortunes and misadventures. Don Quixote is the alter ego of Cervantes.

[starrychloe]

Wow I've always wanted to read Don Quixote - now I know why! It also explains why it was never made into a movie.

[jaybooth]

Definitely one of the greatest pieces of literature, a stretch to call it libertarian, I thought he spoke out more against the Church than the State

[LlamaSupreme]

En un lugar de la Mancha, de cuyo nombre no quiero acordarme...

[gavinnichols]

LOL this book went right over your head, didn't it

[tgmolitor]

One of the pillars of libertarian ethics is the non-aggression principle (NAP): To not initial force against anyone's property (our body is our property). Don Quixote certainly violates this principle throughout the novel!

[TheWeakMinded]

I would be interested to see some thriving Anarchist areas. Im sure all the anarchists can point out where anarchy has succeeded.

[nathanoliver]

Is this not the story about the crazy man who attacks windmills

[Grnvolpe]

It's not so much freedom as it is "fuck you, I'm not participating"

[ianwilliams]

This is entertaining nonsense. In the scene with the three captives, Cervantes shows no compassion for the men's plight whatsoever, even though one of them confessed under torture. It is just a scene. Nothing more. Cervantes was not trying to make a point.

[benjamindrexler]

When I think of liberty, I do not think of opposing various parts of the government just because they are parts of the government: only because of their abuses. I am not a fan of Mr. Graf's view of libertarianism and will not be pursuing further videos on this subject should they come up in my subscriptions list.

[vincenmt]

You do realize that DonQuixote is insane right? The conclusion is that he cant stand to look at himself.