Metaethics: Reconstructing Hoppean Argumentation Ethics

The purpose of this article is to reconstruct Hoppean argumentation ethics by making explicit its fundamental elements and presenting a more refined and cogent formulation of it—particularly through the introduction of the concepts of monstration and decision —and to show how it proves property rights without committing the naturalistic fallacy or assuming value judgments. The article consists of three parts. In the first, we present the key concepts of the thesis and the sense in which they must be understood. In the second part, we show that there are norms inherent to every discursive act and show the existence of one of these norms in particular—the self-ownership axiom. In the third part, we demonstrate property rights based on the self-ownership axiom in conjunction with the concept of action.