Reflections on the Libertarian Role in Society | Octavio Bermudez
"The “common good” is a paradigm of thought in which the one who provides and makes society work is the state. A paradigm in this scenario is a structure and a trend of thought that sees the state as the good guy. It doesn’t necessarily see the market as evil but does not consider it as contributing to society for its sake.
If libertarians desire to advance toward a free society, they should not only argue for specific policies but to overturn this paradigm. Thus, the role of the libertarian in society is a critical one, critical not only of the statist dogma but of “common knowledge.” “Common knowledge” is built within the framework of the statist dogma; if it were not this way, the whole struggle for freedom wouldn’t be necessary. Demystification is the task of the libertarian as a political actor in society. The critique of common knowledge and intuitive notions (as the Austrian School has taught, many truths are counterintuitive) is a path that the intellectual libertarian should take.
The idea of the libertarian as a critique of societal discourse and knowledge seems to go way beyond the usual libertarian way of doing things. The libertarian must realize that the fight against the state is all-encompassing; it is not only specific policies that are to be battled with, but the entire edifice of thought built around the state.
The libertarian, in this particular case, is not only a bringer of liberty but of enlightenment. This may seem to be too much, but the enemy we face is relentless and overwhelming; it does not compromise nor does it leave things untouched. Statism is all around us, and engaging particular public policies is helpful but not enough. A shift of paradigm is needed. It is not the state that helps the people but the market, which is the system of social cooperation that human action coordinates."