Today’s quote is brought to you by none other than F.A. Hayek from his book The Constitution of Liberty:

“If one objects to the use of coercion in order to bring about a more even or more just distribution, this does not mean that one does not regard these as desirable. But if we wish to preserve a free society, it is essential that we recognize that the desirability of a particular object is not sufficient justification for the use of coercion.””]
This quote encapsulates much of the classical liberal tradition of toleration in that it rejects the use of coercion to attempt to make people equal. Our individual differences and preferences are what make our society pluralistic, and attempts to create equality through government fiat deny individuals their autonomy and often lead to negative, unintended consequences.
Aeon Skoble discusses the idea of coercive attempts at creating equality in the following Learn Liberty video, “Equality and Respect.” Let us know what you think in the comments!