![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Oct. 22nd, 2003
There’s been a discussion over on a board I read about Terry Pratchett’s politics; is he, like Eric S Raymond suggests a full on libertarian?
I can see the paper now:
It has been suggested that the governmental structure of Ankh-Morpork under the Patrician Lord Vetinari is a typically Libertarian government. There is little direct government, rival Guilds work independently with few legal restrictions to deliver services without further interference or taxation. The character of Sam Vimes is a self reliant individual with a high sense of personal freedom and the ideals of a Libertarian. However, while this view could be supported from the novels written from the perspective of Sam Vimes, how does it compare with the city as portrayed from other perspectives. Can the actions of Commander, Sir Samuel Vimes, the Duke of Ankh, from, for example, The Truth, be anything other than those of a classic large state police chief.
What conclusions if any can be drawn from the Discworld series concerning the politics of the author or the characters?
I can see the paper now:
It has been suggested that the governmental structure of Ankh-Morpork under the Patrician Lord Vetinari is a typically Libertarian government. There is little direct government, rival Guilds work independently with few legal restrictions to deliver services without further interference or taxation. The character of Sam Vimes is a self reliant individual with a high sense of personal freedom and the ideals of a Libertarian. However, while this view could be supported from the novels written from the perspective of Sam Vimes, how does it compare with the city as portrayed from other perspectives. Can the actions of Commander, Sir Samuel Vimes, the Duke of Ankh, from, for example, The Truth, be anything other than those of a classic large state police chief.
What conclusions if any can be drawn from the Discworld series concerning the politics of the author or the characters?
