Articles
Along Pennsylvania Avenue, by
Aubrey Herbert,
Faith and Freedom, Sep 1955
After some comments on politics and politicians, covers the debate over the TVA from both Republican and Democrat sides and finds a libertarian voice in a young Republican, ending with remarks on regulatory mischief at the Civil Aeronautics Board
Someone should have shown the courage of libertarian principle to answer ... these fundamental questions ... Bruce Alger ... brought the fresh breeze of clear principle into the debate. How shocked his listeners must have been when they heard: "... The development of power ... is not the prerogative of the Federal Government. It is unconstitutional. Public power, by definition, is a form of socialism and no oratory can conceal or change it. ... Government is to protect our rights and freedoms, not compete with them. ... A bad law should not be continued or tolerated by a reduced appropriation ..."
Along Pennsylvania Avenue, by
Aubrey Herbert,
Faith and Freedom, Nov 1955
Discusses the scramble for positioning after Ike's Sept. 1955 heart attack, whether Nixon merits being called a conservative, the planning for a new, yet unnamed political party, and possible candidates of both traditional parties for the 1956 elections
Every libertarian should rejoice to find Bracken Lee's name on the ballot ... Governor Lee has refused to pay his income tax on grounds that the Constitution doesn't provide for taxing us to benefit foreign states. Ask yourself what other politician advocates repeal of the 16th (Income Tax) amendment? Who else urges withdrawal from the UN? What other Governor refuses Federal grants-in-aid for highways? Who else dared to challenge the powerful educationist lobby by cutting school costs and selling state colleges to private enterprise? Who else denounced the fraud of social security? Or proclaimed foreign aid unconstitutional?
Along Pennsylvania Avenue, by
Aubrey Herbert,
Faith and Freedom, Sep 1956
Recounts the activist efforts surrounding passage of the Alaska Mental Healh Enabling Act, then expresses hope that Khrushchev's speech on the cult of Stalin may signal the "crackup" of the Soviet empire
"What can I do?" is a common complaint in politics ... The libertarian is especially prey to this kind of defeatism ... Libertarians can now take heart, because ... the past session of Congress featured the triumph of a vigilant handful of alert libertarians ... [T]he little-known victory on the Alaska Mental Health Bill brings a beacon of hope to America ... The fighting libertarian Hoiles newspapers ... wrote a famous editorial: "Now Siberia U.S.A." ... Most influential was the libertarian medical group, the American Association of Physicians and Surgeons, and Dan Smoot's new newsletter.
Alternative Medicine Is Libertarian Medicine, by
Butler Shaffer, 2 Dec 2006
Discusses several aspects of healthcare, including self-ownership, being responsible for our own care, decentralized information, the collapse of external authorities and the dehumanizing decisions resulting from institutionalized healthcare
How many of you own yourselves? ... From a libertarian perspective, the "self-ownership" question is what this conference is all about. Indeed, this is all that libertarian thinking comes down to. The "war on drugs," conscription, taxation, compulsory education, war, ... everything the state touches, comes down to a question of "who owns you?" Ownership is manifested by control, ... who gets to make decisions about what? State-licensed, state-mandated, state-standardized medical practice, are all at war with the concept and practice of self-ownership.
Anarcho-Capitalism: An Annotated Bibliography, by Hans-Hermann Hoppe, 31 Dec 2001
Lists multiple books as well as
Journal of Libertarian Studies articles considered essential to understanding anarcho-capitalism, categorized into Rothbard and Austro-Libertarianism, Alternative Approaches, Precursors and Congenial Writings
Egalitarianism As a Revolt Against Nature is a marvelous collection of Rothbard essays on philosophical, economic, and historical aspects of libertarianism, ranging from war and revolution to kids' and women's liberation. Rothbard shows his intellectual debt both to Ludwig von Mises and Austrian economics (praxeology) and to Lysander Spooner and Benjamin Tucker and individualist-anarchist political philosophy. This collection is the best single introduction to Rothbard and his libertarian research program.
"And the Pursuit of Happiness": Nathaniel Branden, RIP, by
Sheldon Richman,
The Goal Is Freedom, 12 Dec 2014
Memorial essay, including some personal recollections, with emphasis on Branden's work on self-esteem and self-responsibility, and a preamble on the quoted phrase in the United States Declaration of Independence
I would sum up Branden's opening move in his political thinking this way: What's the point of freedom? Why be a libertarian? ... An essential ingredient of happiness is self-direction: the setting of one's life course, the choosing of worthwhile goals, and the striving to achieve them. To the extent one is not free, to the extent that the state or anyone else is able to commandeer your resources and time without regard for what you want to do with your life—to that extent you are deprived of essential control over your life. You are dehumanized, treated like other people's property.
The Antimilitarist Libertarian Heritage, by
Sheldon Richman,
The Goal Is Freedom, 19 Sep 2014
Reviews writings by Herbert Spencer, "Government Colonization" (in
Social Statics (1851)) and "Patriotism" (in
Facts and Comments (1902)), on the subjects of war, militarism, colonization and patriotism
With the United States on the verge of another war in the Middle East ... we libertarians need to reacquaint ourselves with our intellectual heritage of peace, antimilitarism, and anti-imperialism. This rich heritage is too often overlooked and frequently not appreciated at all. That is tragic ... Libertarianism, to say the least, is deeply skeptical of state power. Of course, then, it follows that libertarianism must be skeptical of the state's power to make war—to kill and destroy in other lands ... (In 1901 a libertarian, Frederic Passy ... shared in the first Nobel Peace Prize.)
Aristotle (382-322 B.C.), by
Fred Miller,
The Encyclopedia of Libertarianism, 15 Aug 2008
Biographical and bibliographical essay
Aristotle's overall political position was conservative rather than libertarian ... Yet he also contributed to libertarian theory, especially ... political justice. He criticized Plato's collectivist ideal, arguing that the best constitution promotes the interests of each and every citizen—and, hence, protects individual rights. Aristotle's constitutional theory also had an indirect, but important, influence on European classical liberals and on the founders of the American constitution. Indeed, some recent American libertarian political theorists explicitly acknowledge their debt to Aristotle.
Ayn Rand (1905–1982), by
Cato Institute, Mar 2003
One of the "Three Women Who Launched a Movement" articles, celebrating during Women's History Month the 60th anniversary of the publication of
The Fountainhead (as well as Rose Wilder Lane and Isabel Paterson books published in the same year)
Many ... future libertarians first encountered libertarian ideas through Rand's novels, whether they ultimately accepted her Objectivist philosophy or not. Her enormous contribution to the growth of libertarianism—a term she herself rejected—was not ... her philosophical arguments for a free society, but rather the literary vision she presented of that society and of the kind of person best suited to it. Her message was personal no less than political, and her readers inspired not only by her depiction of the benefits of political liberty, but of the nobility of the free individual life.
Ayn Rand at 100, by
David Boaz, 2 Feb 2005
Discusses the influence of Ayn Rand, after the publication of her two main novels, during the 1960s through the 1980s and to this day, with sales of about half a million of her books per year
In the dark year of 1943, ... three remarkable women published books that gave birth to the modern libertarian movement. Rose Wilder Lane ... published a passionate historical essay called The Discovery of Freedom. Novelist and literary critic Isabel Paterson produced The God of the Machine ... Although [Rand's] political philosophy was libertarian, not all libertarians shared her views on metaphysics, ethics, and religion ... Rand's work rests squarely within the libertarian tradition, with roots going back to Aristotle, Aquinas, Locke, Jefferson, Paine, Bastiat, Spencer, Mill, and Mises.
Bad Partisanship Drives Out Good, by
Sheldon Richman,
The Goal Is Freedom, 30 Nov 2007
Differentiates between superficial and profound partisanship (loyalty to a party vs. to a set of principles) and discusses the goals of the group Unity08 that during the 2008 U.S. presidential elections was seeking candidates that could "reunite America"
What we don't have—and badly need—is a contest over ideas. A clash between a Party of Liberty and a Party of Power is what we're missing. That kind of polarization would be most welcome. When it comes to profound partisanship, we are woefully in short supply. Serious matters need thrashing out: medical care, energy, Social Security, immigration, protectionism, taxes, foreign policy, and more. But a debate on these things unanchored in the freedom-versus-power framework is mere quibbling over how best to tinker with the status quo. We've seen the results. The game is not worth the candle.
Benjamin Ricketson Tucker, Part 2, by
Wendy McElroy,
Freedom Daily, Sep 2007
Biographical essay on Benjamin Tucker from the first issue of
Liberty until his death
Radical individualism as an organized movement would not appear in America again until the mid 1950s. The movement was due in no small part to a rediscovery of individualism's uniquely American roots—roots that still lived and breathed through the efforts of zealots such as Tucker. An energetic new generation discarded antiquated ideas, such as the labor theory of value. But they also recognized the vast areas of theory in which Tucker sparkled ... By integrating the political theories of Tucker into the economic framework of Austrian economics, the modern libertarian movement was born.
Benjamin Tucker, Individualism, & Liberty: Not the Daughter but the Mother of Order, by
Wendy McElroy,
Literature of Liberty, 1981
Bibliographical essay covering the people and radical movements that influenced Tucker in his founding and publishing of
Liberty, its major themes and contributors
Internal conflicts and compromises over supporting the [Civil] War splintered the [individualist libertarianism] movement so that libertarianism thereafter was basically expressed, not as a movement in its own right, but as the radical faction within other movements such as freethought and free love ... In many ways, Tucker exemplified the golden age of libertarianism which faltered in the face of growing statism and militarism ... His death, like that of Herbert Spencer, marked the end of an era. Libertarianism as an organized movement in America would not appear again for many years.
Related Topics:
American War Between the States,
Anarchism,
Australia,
Children,
France,
William Lloyd Garrison,
Henry George,
Germany,
Government,
Auberon Herbert,
Labor,
Liberty,
Nonviolent resistance,
Relationships,
Religious liberty,
Russia,
Self-ownership,
Spain,
Herbert Spencer,
Lysander Spooner,
Benjamin Tucker,
Josiah Warren
Big News! Lib. Forum Reorganized!, by
Murray N. Rothbard,
The Libertarian Forum, Jan 1982
Editorial for special Aug 1981-Jan 1982 issue, announcing a rededication to internal education, regularization of publishing schedule, a new publisher and a rate increase
All thinking people and all factions in the movement agree that Internal Education is desperately needed. But, just at this critical juncture, we have fewer publications commenting on and judging the real world and the movement, fewer organs of internal education, than over the past decade. Just as the need has become crying, the supply of educational publications has punked out. Libertarian Review, the major organ of our movement, has just been killed ... Everyone else is busily engaged in "outreach", that is, in ignoring movement concerns and movement ideology.
A Bogus Libertarian Defense of War, by
Sheldon Richman,
Freedom Daily, Oct 2007
Criticizes Randy Barnett's
Wall Street Journal op-ed "Libertarians and the War" (17 Jul 2007) and his follow-up post "Antiwar Libertarians and the Reification of the State" (20 Jul 2007) at the Volokh Conspiracy blog
War requires the accumulation and exercise of awesome powers. How can laissez faire be combined with militarism? You'd think this insight would be a pillar of libertarianism. But unfortunately not all libertarians think so ... [H]istorically, war and preparation for it have been the biggest stimuli to the growth of government, which libertarians philosophically oppose; and, ... the Iraq war is an aggressive war, which libertarians also oppose ... [L]ibertarian principles ... tell us that government should not provoke attacks by brutally intervening in other people's affairs ...
Capitalism, by Stephen Davies,
The Encyclopedia of Libertarianism, 15 Aug 2008
Examines the origins of the term "capitalism" and describes distinctive features of a modern capitalist market economy; includes list of works for further reading
In general, libertarians are strongly supportive of capitalism. They hold this view in part because they see capitalism as superior to any of the alternatives on offer, but their support is more positive than simply regarding capitalism as "the worst system, apart from all the others." Libertarians regard modern capitalism as an essential or necessary condition of both liberty and a good life. They also argue that it is a virtuous and morally defensible economic system that articulates a body of moral values or virtues every bit as coherent and admirable as any other one.
Clark For President: A Report on the 1980 Libertarian Presidential Campaign, by
Edward H. Crane III (Communications Director), Chris Hocker (National Coordinator), Dec 1980
Post-mortem analysis of the Clark campaign, focusing on what the authors consider were the ten most important aspects, and in terms of what was learned that could be useful to later campaigns
[The Clark position papers] should serve as the basis for Libertarian position statements in the future. The Clark campaign released the following ...:
- Inflation (Murray N. Rothbard)
- Agriculture (Gary Roewe/campaign staff)
- Women's Rights (Joan Kennedy Taylor)
- Housing (campaign staff)
- First Amendment Freedoms (Ross Levatter)
- Federal Election Laws (Eric Scott Royce)
- Government vs. the Automobile (Clayton Cramer)
- A Nuclear Diad: The Sensible Alternative to the MX (campaign staff)
- Controlled Substances (Jeff Riggenbach)
- Energy (Joe Cobb/Dom Armentano)
Clint Eastwood announces: I'm a "libertarian",
Libertarian Party News, 18 Feb 1997
Libertarian Party press release based on Eastwood's response to a
Playboy interview question: "How would you characterize yourself politically?"
[W]hen he was asked: "How would you characterize yourself politically?" [t]he laconic Eastwood answered, "Libertarian"—and then went on to explain the philosophy in simple terms: "Everyone leaves everyone else alone." ... Eastwood joins a growing number of individuals in the entertainment industry who have identified themselves as libertarians. Included on that list are TV star John Laroquette, humorist Dave Barry, author P.J. O'Rourke, movie actor Russell Means, magician Jillette Penn, author Camille Paglia, TV reporter John Stossell, and comedian Dennis Miller.
The Consequences of Liberty, by
Sheldon Richman,
The Goal Is Freedom, 30 Jan 2015
Compares consequentialism (or utilitarianism) to deontological (rule-based) ethics, also mentioning virtue ethics, and reviews Roderick Long's essay "Why Does Justice Have Good Consequences?"
This enthusiasm is found in two broad categories of radical free-market advocates, or libertarians: those who regard themselves as consequentialists (or utilitarians), that is, those who think moral acts are acts that maximize some good like pleasure or happiness or well-being, and ... deontologists, or advocates of doing one's moral duty ... as good in itself ... I ignore for now a third category of libertarian, the eudaimonists, or virtue ethicists ... Eudaimonist libertarians are also enthusiastic about free markets in part because of the prospect for a high level of general prosperity.
The Constitution or Liberty, by
Sheldon Richman,
The Goal Is Freedom, 7 Dec 2007
Contrasts Article II of the Articles of Confederation with the Tenth Amendment and Article I, Section 8 of the U.S. Constitution, and discusses the implied powers doctrine (a revised version was published in
The Freeman, Jan/Feb 2008)
[Professor] Calvin Johnson makes a strong case that the Constitution was not intended to put strict limits on the national government. He thinks that is a good thing. No libertarian would agree with him. It is important to separate two issues: what the Constitution appears to say and how we evaluate it. We must resist the temptation to let our political-moral views warp our reading of the document. The ultimate political value for libertarians is not the Constitution but liberty-and-justice. If the former fails to support the latter, we must not hesitate to say so.
The Critical Dilemma Facing Pro-War Libertarians, by
Jacob G. Hornberger, 14 Feb 2007
Discusses the contradictions faced by U.S. libertarians and conservatives who endorsed or encouraged imperial and interventionist foreign policies following the attacks of 11 Sep 2001
[C]onservatives have often mocked libertarians ... What [they] could not deny, however, was that ... libertarians hewed to a consistent philosophy—one that did not cause the libertarian to war against himself through a commitment to contradictory principles. Genuinely believing in a free society—a society based on free markets, private property, and limited government—libertarians have always favored the repeal, not the reform, of such socialist and interventionist programs as public (i.e., government) schooling, Medicare, Medicaid, income taxation, the drug war, and economic regulations.
David Nolan: A leading 20th Century thinker?,
Libertarian Party News, Aug 1999
News article about Nolan's inclusion in the book
2000 Outstanding Intellectuals of the 20th Century, his reaction and his choices of who would he include in such a list
If Nolan isn't sure that he belongs in such prestigious company, who would he include as the century's greatest minds? "Tough call," he said. "Stephen Hawking comes to mind, immediately. Among our [Libertarian] own, Ludwig von Mises, Murray Rothbard, Ayn Rand, Henry Hayek and the whole Friedman clan (Milton, Rose, and David) are certainly contenders. And while he'd probably spin like a top in his grave at the thought, I'd have to nominate H.L. Mencken. If I had to narrow it down to three, I guess I'd go with Hawking, Mises, and Mencken."
The Death of Politics, by
Karl Hess,
Playboy, Mar 1969
Discusses libertarianism, contrasting it with both conservatism and modern liberalism, including specific policy differences
This is not a time of radical, revolutionary politics ... [T]he radical-revolutionary position is a lonely one. It is feared and hated, by both right and left ... The radical-revolutionary position is libertarianism ... Libertarianism is the view that each man is the absolute owner of his life, to use and dispose of as he sees fit ... Libertarianism is rejected by the modern left—which preaches individualism but practices collectivism ... The libertarian insistence that men be free to spin cables of steel as well as dreams of smoke is rejected by hippies who adore nature but spurn creation.
Related Topics:
Cold War,
Conservatism,
Corporatism,
War on Drugs,
Entrepreneurship,
Barry Goldwater,
Life,
Monopoly,
Politics,
Ayn Rand,
Freedom of Speech,
Technology
Dialectics and Liberty, by
Chris Matthew Sciabarra,
The Freeman, Sep 2005
Written ten years after publication of the first two of Sciabarra's "Dialectic and Liberty" trilogy, discusses Hayek's and Rand's dialectical analysis approaches and suggests that such context-keeping analysis is important in radical libertarian theory
It is odd to find the word "dialectics" conjoined with anything remotely having to do with "libertarianism." ... A proper defense of the free society is one that must lay to rest the notion that classical liberalism, or libertarianism, as such, depends on static, ahistorical, or atomistic thinking. It is possible, nay, necessary, to present a form of libertarian social analysis that makes use of the very dialectical techniques that are its birthright. It is time to recapture dialectics as a tool for liberty. That was the goal of my "Dialectics and Liberty" trilogy.
Election 2006: A War Referendum, by
Justin Raimondo, 16 Oct 2006
Discusses the then forthcoming 2006 U.S. congressional elections as a referendum on the Iraq War and commentary from Markos Moulitsas and Nick Gillespie in a Cato Unbound debate titled "Should Libertarians Vote Democrat?"
Libertarians should have no compunction about going to where their best audiences reside. In 1930, we were considered extreme Republicans, and allied ourselves with the anti-New Deal coalition that made up the Old Right. In the 1970s, we broke with the conservative movement, staked out a staunchly antiwar position on the Vietnam question, and made a conscious decision to recruit from the Left ... At this moment of crisis, why not reclaim the party of Thomas Jefferson for his beleaguered heirs? Come to think of it, that's a much better designation for libertarians: Jeffersonian Democrats has a nice, salable ring to it ...
Enemy of the State, by
Lew Rockwell,
Mises Daily, 24 Nov 2006
Review of Raimondo's biography of Rothbard,
An Enemy of the State, analyzing several of the conventional critiques of Rothbard that are countered in the book; includes quote of Rothbard to Robert Kephart about Rothbard's life choices
Rothbard was the architect of the body of thought known around the world as libertarianism. This radically anti-state political philosophy unites free-market economics, a no-exceptions attachment to private property rights, a profound concern for human liberty, and a love of peace with the conclusion that society should be completely free to develop absent any interference from the state, which can and should be eliminated ... Rothbard kept plugging away on extending the libertarian framework, with pieces throughout the 1970s ... and, most importantly, The Ethics of Liberty appeared in 1982.
Epstein, Richard A. (1943- ), by Aaron Steelman,
The Encyclopedia of Libertarianism, 15 Aug 2008
Biographical and bibliographical essay
Although Epstein's discussions of eminent domain and antidiscrimination laws may appear radical to some observers, they in fact reveal how his worldview differs from those libertarians who see themselves as more uncompromising in their views. Epstein is no anarchist, nor does he believe that government action should be confined to protecting people from violence. In other words, he is no advocate of a night watchman state. Instead, he argues that the state must intervene in the provision of key public goods, such as supplying the nation's infrastructure in transportation and energy to overcome coordination problems ...
The essence of liberty: What is it that really makes one a libertarian?, by
David F. Nolan,
Libertarian Party News, Mar 1995
Discusses five points of "no compromise" that Nolan considered essential to libertarianism
First and foremost, libertarians believe in the principle of self-ownership ... Libertarians yield to no one in their support for our right as individuals to keep and bear arms ... [L]ibertarians believe that individuals have the right to own and use anything—gold, guns, marijuana, sexually explicit material—so long as they do not harm others through force or the threat of force ... In an ideal world, there would be no taxation ... [A]ll libertarians oppose any form of income tax ... The ... final key test of anyone's claim to being a libertarian is their support for an honest money system ...
A Fairy Tale of the Austrian Movement, by
Joseph Salerno,
Mises Daily, 25 Sep 2007
Review of Brian Doherty's
Radicals for Capitalism (2007), in particular of the section in chapter 7 where Peter Boettke discusses Austrian economics
The outstanding merit of Brian Doherty's book is that it contains a treasure trove of valuable information regarding the events, personalities, periodicals and organizations whose complex interplay influenced the intellectual and institutional development of the modern American libertarian movement ... [Doherty] takes at face value and naively repeats without critical discussion the most absurd and self-serving pronouncements ... Nowhere is this more evident than in his treatment of the contemporary revival of Austrian economics, a key factor that drove the evolution of the modern libertarian movement.
Fighting Discrimination without the Government, by
Sheldon Richman,
Future of Freedom, Jun 2014
Comments on an amendment to Arizona's Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA), about discrimination by non-government individuals or groups; revised version of "We Can Oppose Bigotry without the Politicians" (28 Feb 2014)
In other words,
Libertarians need not shy away from the question, "Do you mean that whites should have been allowed to exclude blacks from their lunch counters?" Libertarians can answer proudly, "No. They should not have been allowed to do that. They should have been stopped—not by the State, which can't be trusted, but by nonviolent social action on behalf of equality."
The libertarian answer to discrimination is community organizing.
...[P]rivate owners have the right to set the rules for their property. But that should not stop libertarians from realizing that ... collectivist discrimination ... corrodes ... a free society.
Floyd Arthur 'Baldy' Harper, RIP, by
Murray N. Rothbard,
The Libertarian Forum, May 1973
Biographical remembrance of "Baldy" including his involvement in the Foundation for Economic Education (FEE), the Volker Fund and the Institute for Humane Studies (IHS)
Baldy's abiding passion was a deep concern for strategy, for the development of a strategic theory and practice for the libertarian cause. It was out of this concern for strategy that Baldy developed his lifelong dream, his vision of the course which libertarians must take for ultimate victory. He saw that the nub and the heart of libertarian strategy must be ideas and scholarship, that activism could never succeed unless informed by a body of ideas and research on the deepest and most advanced levels. Baldy's great vision was to guide and develop a body of libertarian scholarship and research.
Foreword, by
R.A. Childs, Jr.,
Egalitarianism as a Revolt Against Nature and Other Essays, Jan 1974
Foreword to the 1974 edition, compares Rothbard to Karl Marx as a "system builder" of anarchist thought; reprinted in second edition (2000) and as "The System Builder" on 7 Nov 2008 at Mises.org
"Left and Right: The Prospects for Liberty" is one of the most important essays ever penned ... Here, in just a few short pages, Rothbard presents the closest thing ... to a true libertarian manifesto comparable to The Communist Manifesto. Here is the entire libertarian worldview, the unique way of viewing history and world affairs ... [U]ntil Rothbard's work is carefully studied by every advocate of liberty, the value of his contributions to the libertarian system cannot be fully appreciated and, moreover, the unity and true historical context of libertarianism will not even be fully grasped.
Frederic Bastiat, Ingenious Champion for Liberty and Peace, by
Jim Powell,
The Freeman, Jun 1997
Biographical essay of Frédéric Bastiat, covering those who influenced him as well as those influenced by him, his writings (including correspondence with his friend Coudroy), his roles in the French Constituent and Legistative Assemblies and his legacy
Amidst the upheaval (of the French revolution of 1848), Bastiat published about a dozen issues of La République française, a two-page periodical defending libertarian principles. He insisted that people must be secure in "all rights, those of the conscience as well as those of intelligence; those of property, like those of work; those of the family as those of the commune; those of the country as those of humanity. I have no other ideal than universal justice; no other banner than that of our flag: Liberty, Equality, Fraternity."
Related Topics:
Frédéric Bastiat,
Richard Cobden,
Foundation for Economic Education,
Benjamin Franklin,
Government,
Henry Hazlitt,
Law,
The Law,
Liberty,
Gustave de Molinari,
Rights,
Jean-Baptiste Say,
Adam Smith,
Socialism,
The State,
Trade
Free-Market Socialism, by
Sheldon Richman,
The Goal Is Freedom, 14 Nov 2014
Counters the progressives' caricature of libertarians as hyperindividualists or atomistic and explains the benefits that could be gained from truly freed markets
Libertarians are individualists. But ... that statement isn't terribly informative. Does it mean that libertarians are social nonconformists on principle? Not at all ... Nothing about libertarianism commits its adherents to what critics call "atomistic individualism." That would be a curious descriptor for people who love the ideas of trade and the division of labor, even among perfect strangers at great distances ... Libertarians, to the extent that they grasp the fundamentals of their philosophy, care about social dynamics, which accounts for their fascination with economics ...
Free Market Thinking: Not Applicable, by
Per Bylund, 12 Jun 2006
Discusses how many libertarians associate themselves with conservative political positions overlooking one important fact
Many libertarians, including myself, were ... brought up politically with rightists, even in rightist clubs and parties, and that could generate a feeling of loyalty towards the right. I have a number of radical libertarian friends who used to belong to organizations of the "right" and they still consider voting for the conservative party even though they really have nothing in common with their platform or philosophy. Such common history ... is interesting, but I don't think it sufficiently explains why libertarians believe they are "rightists" rather than "leftists" ...
Gil's Libertarian Mix Tape, by Gil Guillory, 6 Jan 2007
Proposed "mix tape" (or playlist) of songs illustrating libertarian ideas; includes lyrics to the 18 selected songs; broken into categories of Economics (five songs), Fight the Man (four), Omnipotent Government (six) and The Promise of Freedom (four)
The point is to demonstrate and explain libertarian ideas, so I will comment on or explain each song ... One could rightly say that all of politics begins with production and distribution–that is, economics ... Pirate Radio ... rails against regulation by the FCC ... The Foggy Dew ... chronicles the Easter Uprising of 1916 in Ireland ... This traditional song, with libertarian consistency, calls conscription and political subjugation what they are: slavery ... Right Here, Right Now ... is a song that came out a couple of years after, and in response to, the spontaneous destruction of the Berlin Wall that started in Nov 1989.
Give Them Libertarianism, and a Moving Van: For 4,800 people seeking a bastion of hands-off rule, the most alluring state has the motto 'Live Free or Die', by Seth Stern,
The Christian Science Monitor, 17 Oct 2003
Describes the beginnings of the Free State Project, shortly after New Hampshire was selected as the destination state
It wasn't just the cheap rent and quiet living that convinced Justin Somma to move ... to ... New Hampshire last month. Equally appealing to this libertarian-minded 20-something is his new state's lack of an income tax or even a motorcycle-helmet law ... Maine, Vermont, and New Hampshire share the "live and let live" attitude that puts privacy first in social policies such as gay rights or abortion, says Dartmouth College professor Richard Winters. Yet what libertarian wouldn't prefer a state where legislators take such pride in their own thrift that they haven't raised their $100 annual salaries since 1889?
Hess, Karl (1923-1994), by
Brian Doherty,
The Encyclopedia of Libertarianism, 15 Aug 2008
Biographical and bibliographical essay
After the Goldwater campaign, Hess went through personal and political changes that found him aligned more toward the culturally leftist end of the libertarian movement ... He brought to the libertarian movement of the late 1960s and early 1970s, particularly its campus branches, a colorful Left-leaning revolutionary style that many found attractive, especially within the context of Vietnam War-era student unrest. He described himself as the "master of ceremonies" of the libertarian breach with the conservative youth group Young Americans for Freedom in 1969.
Home Study Course: Module 12: The Modern Quest for Liberty
Last module of the Cato Home Study Course, includes link to listen or download audio program (3:03:35), questions and suggested readings
The final module of the Cato University curriculum examines the rebirth of libertarian thought from the 1940s onward ... The publication in 1943 of books by three American writers, Rose Wilder Lane (The Discovery of Freedom), Isabel Paterson (The God of the Machine), and Ayn Rand (The Fountainhead), all extolling the creativity of the free and responsible individual, and in 1944 of books by the Austrian economists Ludwig von Mises (Omnipotent Government) and F. A. Hayek (The Road to Serfdom), both warning of the dangers of statism, helped to launch the modern libertarian movement.
Hope for the Politically Homeless, by
Marshall Fritz,
The Fresno Bee, 4 Sep 1988
Introduces David Nolan's Chart which Fritz turned into a Diamond Chart, and Fritz's (original) World's Smallest Political Quiz to help people place themselves within the Chart
If you scored "libertarian," and were surprised, you may wonder if the quiz is biased. A quick way to demonstrate that it is not biased is to answer the questions for your congressman, senator or presidential candidate. They will not come out libertarian ... The Diamond Chart ... gives a home to 30 million Americans who have been politically homeless—the latent libertarians. What's the defi-nition of "libertarianism"? According to family physician Kenneth Bisson ... "Libertarianism is what your mom taught you: 'Behave yourself and don't hit your sister.'" ... According to ... Marshall Fritz: "Libertarianism is self-government ..."
How I Became a Libertarian, by
Mary Ruwart, 14 Dec 2002
Dr. Ruwart recounts some key moments in her path to libertarianism and anarchism, from Swamp Fox to
Atlas Shrugged to Morris and Linda Tannehill; reprinted in Walter Block's
I Chose Liberty (2010)
My first introduction to hard-core libertarian concepts was ... when a friend insisted that I read Atlas Shrugged. Although I enjoyed the book immensely, I was concerned with its apparent lack of compassion ... In considering this dilemma, I suddenly became aware of a pivotal point: although refusing to help others might not be very loving, pointing guns at our neighbors to force them to help those in need was even less so. Honoring our neighbor's choice was more loving than the forcible alternative. If people needed helping, I should expend my energy to offer that help ...
How I Became a Libertarian and an Austrian Economist, by
Richard M. Ebeling, 2 May 2016
Autobiographical essay highlighting the people and events who influenced Ebeling in his path to libertarianism and Austrian economics
I suppose I can date my interest in both libertarianism and Austrian Economics from the day I was born. The doctor grabbed me by my little feet, turned me upside down and spanked my tiny bottom. I began to cry out ... I appreciated that what the doctor had done was in violation of the "non-aggression" principle ... [Murray Rothbard] was the radical libertarian–"Mr. Libertarian" as some came to call him–the master system-builder of a "science of liberty" based on the "natural rights" of individuals to freedom on Aristotelian philosophical foundations.
Related Topics:
Economics,
Austrian Economics,
Bettina Bien Greaves,
F. A. Hayek,
Institute for Humane Studies,
Israel Kirzner,
Ludwig Lachmann,
Man, Economy, and State,
Ludwig von Mises,
Ayn Rand,
Murray N. Rothbard
How To Sell Liberty, by
Jarret Wollstein, Jun 1998
Discusses eight principles of effective salesmanship and how to apply them to market liberty
Some groups are particularly solid prospects for libertarianism, including:
- Baby Boomers–affluent Americans between 40 and 60 (polls indicate that most of them are already informal libertarians);
- Generation Xers–born after 1960, they are strongly individualistic and suspicious of authority;
- Students–their minds are still open;
- Beleaguered Taxpayers–they are already fed up with big government;
- Small Business Owners–their tax and regulatory burden grows every year; and
- Victims of the State–the unjustly arrested, law-abiding gun owners, peaceful drug users, and those with unconventional lifestyles.
How We Started "Liberty", by
R. W. Bradford,
Liberty, Sep 1992
Reflections on the fifth anniversary of publishing
Liberty
By the middle of 1967, it was the inability of libertarians to realize that the principle of inalienable rights led inexorably to anarchism that annoyed me ... For our May issue, Waters wrote an essay entitled "The Two Libertarianisms," which elaborated his thinking about the tension between moralistic libertarianism and consequentialist libertarianism, concluding that some sort of synthesis of the two might be worked out ... John Dentinger and Murray Rothbard squared off in our March issue on the question of whether libertarianism was too closely identified with the political right.
I Can't Help That I'm a Libertarian, by
Sheldon Richman,
The Goal Is Freedom, 1 Aug 2014
Explains why libertarians hold the beliefs they do, in contrast to political conventional wisdom, and why they cannot be silent about them
Critics notwithstanding, the libertarian philosophy is not dogma or revealed truth ... My understanding of what it means to be human, of the conditions under which reason-bearing, language-using social animals can flourish, of the nature of violence, and of the essence of the state all lead me to conclude that individuals should be free of aggression ... And that means all persons should be unmolested as they peacefully go about their lives, formulating plans and aspirations, justly acquiring possessions ..., and engaging in voluntary cooperation—such as trade—with other persons.
Independence Day Propaganda, by
Anthony Gregory, 4 Jul 2011
Argues that the American Revolution, albeit of a libertarian flavor, had several unsavory shortcomings both before and after 4 July 1776
[T]he American Revolution had a distinctive libertarian flavor. The liberal values of anti-imperialism and anti-taxation were central. The grand ideals of legal equality for women, anti-slavery, and religious toleration began to flourish, thanks to the revolutionary spirit in the air. The colonial Americans inspired a philosophical revolution of global significance whose wonderful effects continue to this day ... [T]here are elements in American independence that should give hope to all who hold freedom dear. But from a libertarian standpoint, the American Revolution has a very dark side.
The Indivisibility of Liberty, by
Mary Ruwart, 23 Apr 2008
Discusses how advocating that others be deprived of some liberties results in negative repercussions on our own liberties
I cringe when some well-meaning individuals, even those who call themselves libertarian, insist that society is better off when we deprive a select few of liberty. They just don't understand ... To be for liberty, you must be for it consistently, respecting the lives of others in all matters. You cannot make an exception for the War on Terror ... on Poverty ... on Drugs. You cannot make an exception for gays or prostitutes. You can't let bureaucrats deny dying patients life-saving medicine just because the FDA hasn't yet approved it. You can't take another's money or land and give it to another.
The Inherently Humble Libertarian, by
Sheldon Richman,
The Goal Is Freedom, 13 Feb 2015
Defends libertarianism from those who charge its advocates of "know-it-allness"
[C]ritics of the libertarian philosophy throw the charge of know-it-allness at its exponents all the time ... To put it succinctly, libertarianism has humility baked in at the most fundamental level. Humility is not to be conflated with radical doubt, however. One can be humble while also believing it is possible to know things. And some things, including the nature and market implications of human action, can be known conceptually. One can know, for example, that intelligently planning an economy or even a particular market is beyond anyone's, including one's own, capacities.
In Praise of "Thick" Libertarianism, by
Sheldon Richman,
The Goal Is Freedom, 4 Apr 2014
Examines "thin" and "thick" libertarianism, explaining how being noncomittal about racism undermines the principle of non-initiation of force, contrasting libertarian and progressive views on dealing with racism
[I]f a libertarian observed a growing propensity to embrace (nonviolent) racism, that person, qua libertarian, ought to be concerned. Why? Because that attitude and resulting conduct can be expected to eat away at the values conducive to libertarianism. It's the same sort of reason that a libertarian would be concerned by, say, a growing acceptance of Keynesian ideas, even though merely ... advocating those ideas does not require the use of force ... In its denial of dignity to individuals merely by virtue of their membership in a racial group, there is a potential for violence implicit in racism that is too strong for libertarians to ignore.
The Invisible Gnomes and the Invisible Hand: South Park and Libertarian Philosophy, by Paul Cantor, 4 Dec 2006
General discussion of
South Park with more detailed review and discussion of the season 2 "Gnomes" episode
Libertarianism is a philosophy of radical freedom, and particularly celebrates the free market as a form of social organization ... Libertarianism is especially grounded in the work of the Austrian School of economics ... The word libertarianism was popularized by Murray Rothbard ... who developed the most radical critique of state interference in economic and social life–a philosophy of freedom that borders on anarchism. With its support for unconditional freedom in all areas of life, libertarianism defies categorization in terms of the standard ... political spectrum of right and left.
Book Review: Isabel Paterson and the Ideas of America, by
Wendy McElroy, 30 Mar 2005
Review of the book
Isabel Paterson and the Idea of America: The Woman and the Dynamo (2004) by University of California, San Diego professor of literature Stephen Cox
[W]hy did and does the libertarian movement ... not celebrate and embrace its fiction writers in the same manner as the Left? ... [Cox] believes that the "Old Right"—as libertarians of Paterson's time (circa the 1930s) are commonly called—has been defined by a handful of historians, especially by Murray Rothbard ... I continue to ascribe Paterson's obscurity far more to libertarianism's tendency to ignore its literary figures ... Yet nowhere are fiction writers—even successful ones such as Robert Heinlein—granted the same respect as university professors, economists, and those who are elected to office.
It Usually Ends With Murray Rothbard: My Long and Winding Road to Libertarianism and Austrian Economics, by
Joseph Salerno, 23 Jun 2005
Lengthy autobiographical essay recounting Prof. Salerno's progression from conservatism to anarcho-capitalism, from classical to Austrian economics, and meeting and getting to know Murray Rothbard
[T]he cover article of the New York Times Magazine (1971) entitled "The New Right Credo–Libertarianism" [by] Stan Lehr and Louis Rossetto, Jr. ... presented the first comprehensive account ... of the unadulterated libertarian political philosophy, carefully differentiating it from both establishment liberalism and conservatism as well as from the New Left, whose positions it shared on the abolition of the draft and all drug laws and an immediate U.S. withdrawal from Vietnam. [It] also portrayed libertarianism as a vital and flourishing political movement that drew inspiration from Rand and science fiction writer Robert Heinlein ...
Jane Cobden: Carrying on Her Father's Work, by
Sheldon Richman,
The Goal Is Freedom, 25 Jul 2014
Biographical essay on Jane Cobden, daughter of Richard Cobden, who continued her father's advocacy of free trade and other ideals
The triplet land reform, peace, and social justice has a left-wing sound today ... because the modern classical liberal/libertarian movement from the 1930s onward got sidetracked by an alliance of convenience with the conservative ... American Right, which ... also opposed the New Deal ... That alliance, ... had the unfortunate effect of cutting libertarians off from their true heritage. That heritage included a focus on the class conflict and rights violations inherent in mercantilism (protectionism, corporatism), government control of land distribution, and many other state activities.
Joan Kennedy Taylor, by
Jeff Riggenbach, 14 Jan 2011
Biographical essay, including a review of Taylor's book
Reclaiming the Mainstream: Individualist Feminism Rediscovered; transcript of "The Libertarian Tradition" podcasts of 28 Dec 2010 and 12 Jan 2011
It seemed to [Taylor] that any individualist was by definition also a feminist. Were not women individuals, just as men were? It seemed to Joan that any libertarian was by definition also a feminist. Did not women own their own bodies, just as men did? Were they not entitled to the same rights that men enjoyed? What sort of "libertarian" would balk at amending the US Constitution to recognize the equal rights of women, when these rights had been systematically abrogated and denied in large and small ways, both by the federal government and by state and local governments ...?
John Lilburne: The First English Libertarian, by Peter Richards, 29 Mar 2008
Detailed biographical essay of "Freeborn John" concluding with reasons to use the modern term "libertarian" for him
In the 19th century, John Lilburne would have been accurately described as a liberal. At that time the word "liberal" indicated someone who believed in the liberty of the individual. Liberalism favored "laissez-faire" economics and the protection of civil liberties ... [A] new word was needed to describe someone who believed in liberty of the traditional kind. "Libertarian" was the new word coined to describe liberal in its original meaning, i.e., that of a classical liberal. Libertarians believe in life, liberty, and property and I believe there is adequate evidence in his life story to show that John Lilburne believed in this philosophy too.
The Justice and Prudence of War: Toward A Libertarian Analysis, by
Roderick T. Long,
Mises Daily, 20 Sep 2006
Examines the ethics of war from a libertarian viewpoint, considering both deontological (is war itself right or wrong) and consequentialist (are war's consequences right or wrong) perspectives
What view of warfare is most consistent with libertarian principles? Here I shall distinguish between libertarianism as a normative ethical theory—a theory of justice—and libertarianism as a descriptive social theory. Libertarians disagree with one another as to the extent of the former's dependence on the latter; utilitarian libertarians profess to believe the dependence total, while natural-rights libertarians profess to believe it nonexistent, but in practice both groups tend to treat the dependence as partial, and so will I.
Karl Hess: 1923-1994: His Words, by
Karl Hess,
Libertarian Party News, Jun 1994
Selections from "The Death of Politics",
Dear America, "The Playboy Interview", "If I Were Running Against Reagan", "Why Me?", "The Most Unforgettable Libertarian I Ever Knew" and "A Fond Farewell"
My mother, without ever having heard the term as far as I know, raised me to be a libertarian ... Had my mother ever paused practicing libertarianism long enough to ponder it, I think she would have defined it in stern (Stirnerite?) terms of individualism. Liberty, to her, was simply being human to the hilt; being absolutely responsible for your own choices in life, questioning authority, being honest in all dealing with others, and never initiating force to get your way or condoning it for someone else to get their way.
From "The Most Unforgettable Libertarian I Ever Knew"
Karl Hess and the Death of Politics, by
Jeff Riggenbach, 13 May 2010
Biographical essay; transcript of the 6 May 2010 "Libertarian Tradition" podcast
Under Rothbard's influence, Hess wrote an essay on libertarianism called "The Death of Politics," which appeared in Playboy in March 1969 and is now widely regarded, and quite properly, as one of the founding documents of the contemporary libertarian movement ... When he started writing his autobiography in the late '80s and early '90s, he chose to portray himself in pretty much the way I have done in this essay—as a lifelong libertarian who had, somewhat ironically, spent most of his life wandering around searching for his true political identity and his true ideological home.
LeFevre, Robert (1911-1986), by
Brian Doherty,
The Encyclopedia of Libertarianism, 15 Aug 2008
Biographical essay
LeFevre's beliefs were similar to those taught by Murray Rothbard and F. A. Harper, a property-based libertarianism that saw any initiation of force or abrogation of property rights as crimes. But LeFevre's views on several subjects were more radical, even in libertarian terms. For example, he held even defensive force completely impermissible. He also was resolutely against any political action to spread libertarian ideas—in fact, against any action at all other than the education of others in libertarian principles and personal attempts to disengage from the state.
Leonard P. Liggio (1933–2014), by
Sheldon Richman,
The Goal Is Freedom, 17 Oct 2014
A memorial tribute to Richman's "favorite teacher"
Leonard studied with Ludwig von Mises ... He knew the founders of the modern libertarian movement: F.A. Harper, Leonard Read, Pierre Goodrich, Ayn Rand, and more ... He literally was present at the creation of the movement and helped to make it what it would become ... His role in building the modern global libertarian movement may be unappreciated by many friends of freedom because he was so unostentatious. But he is beloved by libertarians throughout the world for his indefatigable efforts. Leonard had few rivals when it came to the number of young libertarians he advised as they embarked on their intellectual careers.
Libertarian as Logician: The True Essence of Libertarianism, by
Arnold Kling, 3 Dec 2012
Discusses the results of the study "Understanding Libertarian Morality: The Psychological Dispositions of Self-Identified Libertarians", which showed self-identified libertarians tend to reason logically about moral issues rather than rely on heuristics
What is the essence of libertarian thinking? Most libertarians would point to libertarian principles, such as the non-aggression principle ... The research by Ravi Iyer, et al, found evidence that libertarians have a propensity to employ what Kahneman would call System Two [works slowly and logically] ... Thus, we should consider taking the core belief of libertarianism to be the attempt to substitute logic for heuristics in the analysis of moral issues. The emphasis should be on the word attempt. For libertarians, logical thinking ... is an obligation that we should try to fulfill.
Libertarian Class Analysis, by
Sheldon Richman,
Freedom Daily, Jun 2006
Examines the class analysis of Charles Comte, Charles Dunoyer and Augustin Thierry and its basis on the work of J. B. Say, drawing on writings by Ralph Raico, Leonard Liggio, David M. Hart and Walter E. Grinder
Marx did not originate class analysis ... These things have their roots in radical liberalism, or libertarianism, predating Marx's writings ... Marx himself paid homage to the originators, a group of historians in post-Napoleonic France who have been neglected by all but a handful of modern-day libertarians ... What can libertarians do about it? First, they must themselves understand liberal class theory. They must not shy away from it because it was hijacked by the Marxists. Second, they should use whatever influence they have to raise the class-consciousness of all honest, productive people.
Libertarian GOP defection?, by Bruce Bartlett,
The Washington Times, 13 Dec 2006
Discusses the history of the libertarian movement from 1969, when the split from Young Americans for Freedom (YAF) occurred, to the mid-2000s, and ponders the impact of many libertarians leaving the Republican Party
[Libertarians] believe in the free market and freedom of choice in areas such as drugs, and favor a noninterventionist foreign policy ... I first became aware of the libertarian philosophy in 1969 when there was a big split in a college-based group called Young Americans for Freedom, ... supposed to be the right-wing alternative to the left's Students for a Democratic Society ... Libertarians probably don't represent more than 10 percent of the electorate ... But they are represented in much larger percentages among opinion leaders and thus have influence disproportionate to their numbers.
Libertarianism and the Great Divide, by
Justin Raimondo, 16 Mar 2007
Review of Brian Doherty's
Radicals for Capitalism (2007) concluding with remarks about a Cato Unbound debate on the book
Radicals for Capitalism chronicles the forgotten organizational history of the libertarian movement ... [T]he magisterial Mises, the imperious Rand, the uproarious Rothbard, Hayek the dreamer and Friedman the exemplar (in Doherty's view) ... are treated at length, but it's the second-tier "movement" types, such as Leonard Read, Frank Chodorov, "Baldy" Harper, Rose Wilder Lane, and other even less known individuals who provide us with some really fascinating glimpses into the libertarian mindset and give us a sense of libertarianism as more than just an idea, but a movement.
Libertarianism and the War, by
Justin Raimondo, 2 Apr 2007
Criticizes a Cato Unbound symposium titled "Libertarianism: Past and Prospects" with contributed essays from Brian Doherty, Brink Lindsey, Tyler Cowen, Tom G. Palmer and Virginia Postrel
[T]he libertarian "pragmatists" are arguing that it's time to dissolve libertarianism into the Sensible Center–to give up the idea that libertarians can ever significantly roll back the size and power of government ... [T]he prospects for the growth of libertarianism as a popular ideology ... have never been better ... Libertarianism has a long and glorious tradition, not the least of which is the principled anti-imperialist legacy of Leonard Read, Frank Chodorov, Murray Rothbard, and a long list of others ... [L]ibertarians have every reason to face the future with growing confidence.
Libertarianism Is Not Atheist, Is Not Religious, by
Wendy McElroy,
The Daily Bell, 9 Oct 2014
Examines Rothbard's views in a 1987 article about freedom and religion, in particular regarding Ayn Rand's atheistic influences on early modern libertarianism
What is libertarianism? [Rothbard]'s definition: "Libertarianism is not and does not pretend to be a complete moral, or aesthetic theory; it is only a political theory, that is, the important subset of moral theory that deals with the proper role of violence in social life ... Libertarianism holds that the only proper role of violence is to defend person and property against violence, that any use of violence that goes beyond such just defense is itself aggressive, unjust, and criminal." ... Past the point of eschewing violence, however, [a peaceful person's] behavior is irrelevant to the question of libertarianism.
Libertarianism Is the Key to Our Future, by
Jacob G. Hornberger,
Freedom Daily, Jul 2006
Examines three reasons—freedom, morality and pragmatism—that suggest that Americans will eventually return to their libertarian heritage
Once Americans ... realize the true socialist nature of their economic system—and its immoral premises ..., there is but one alternative for the American people to turn to: freedom and the free market—economic liberty. In a word, libertarianism. Libertarianism, not socialism or interventionism, is the cornerstone of our nation's heritage of freedom. Libertarianism succeeds in producing rising standards of living, nurtures voluntary charity, and promotes harmonies among people. It is a philosophy grounded in the moral foundations of freedom. Libertarianism is the key to the future of our nation.
Libertarianism: Left or Right?, by
Sheldon Richman,
Freedom Daily, Jun 2007
Examines the origin of the political terms "left" and "right" and makes the case that libertarianism is "planted squarely on the Left"
Is libertarianism of the Left or of the Right? ... Left and Right did not refer merely to which side of the assembly one sat on or one's attitude toward the regime ... The Left understood that historically the state was the most powerful engine of exploitation ... Thus [it] was identified with the liberation of workers ... Today we don't associate libertarians with such a notion, but it was at the heart of the libertarian vision ... [They] also showed their Left colors by opposing imperialism, war, and the accompanying violations of civil liberties, such as conscription and arbitrary detention.
Related Topics:
Conservatism,
Corporatism,
France,
Karl Hess,
Labor,
Property,
Murray N. Rothbard,
Socialism,
The State,
Benjamin Tucker,
War
Libertarianism Rightly Conceived, by
Sheldon Richman,
The Goal Is Freedom, 2 May 2014
Responds to criticisms made by Walter Block and Lew Rockwell about Charles W. Johnson's "Libertarianism through Thick and Thin" (July 2008) and Richman's "What Social Animals Owe to Each Other" (April/July 2014)
The proposition on the table is that the most robust case for the libertarian philosophy ... entails commitments not only to the Nonaggression Principle ... but also to other values that don't directly relate to aggression (for example, opposition to even non-rights-violating forms of racism). Charles W. Johnson spells this out ... [but] he does not say that someone who rejects these commitments is not a libertarian. He says only that rejection of the commitments weakens the best case for libertarianism, which in turn could weaken a particular libertarian's commitment to libertarianism itself.
Libertarianism: The Moral and the Practical, by
Sheldon Richman,
Future of Freedom, May 2014
Explores whether libertarian policies should distinguish between moral and practical concerns; revised version of "The Goal Is Freedom" column of 27 Dec 2013
[W]e must inquire whether libertarian concerns are really divisible into, on the one hand, a concern with duties (deontology), for example, respecting individual rights, and on the other, a concern with practical consequences ... You hear libertarians say they would favor freedom even if it did not promote good outcomes such as prosperity because people have a right to freedom that is separate from its consequences. (Of course, they don't actually believe that freedom could have bad consequences. But is that just a lucky coincidence? More on that below.)
Libertarianism Updated, by
Randy E. Barnett,
Law & Liberty, 2 Jul 2024
Discusses five areas in which Barnett believes libertarianism, "largely frozen in amber since the 1970s", ought to "up its game"
[L]ibertarianism has largely been frozen in amber ... I see five distinct ways that libertarian theory needs to up its game. First, the need for natural law ethics in addition to natural rights; second, the need to distinguish between libertarian ideal theory and second-best libertarianism in a world of governments and competing nations; third, the need for a libertarian theory of citizenship and civil rights; fourth, the need to separate the public-private binary from the government-nongovernment binary; and fifth, the need for a more refined theory of corporate power and corporate rights.
Libertarian moment or movement?, by Michael A. Glueck, Robert J. Cihak, 24 Jan 2003
Presents the views of Robert Higgs and David Theroux, two months before the 2003 Iraq invasion, as to whether the libertarian movement can have "a major role to play in post-9/11 America"
Libertarianism has long been "the other white meat" of a political system in which both liberals and conservatives prefer beef—and, in the classic usage of the term, pork—and both in quantity ... But the libertarian movement at its best has functioned as an incubator of ideas that, one way or another, find their themselves in the political mainstream. So far, their best work has been in economics and law. But there's no inherent reason why, sooner or later, the libertarian critique of the welfare/warfare state, and their perspective on the perils of the 21st century, shouldn't enter the realm of the commonly known.
A Libertarian Odyssey, by
Ken Schoolland
Part of Walter Block's autobiography series; reprinted in Walter Block's
I Chose Liberty (2010), chapter 66
I traveled to Hawaii ... and stumbled across various Libertarian Party candidates giving speeches at a university campus. I met Roger MacBride, Fred James, Rockne Johnson, Dale Pratt, and others ... I was also thrilled to discover the world of liberty literature: i.e., Bastiat's The Law, Rothbard's For a New Liberty ... and Thoreau's On the Duty of Civil Disobedience. One little film, "The Incredible Bread Machine" by World Research Inc., permitted me to introduce libertarian ideas to all of my students in Alaska ... Later in Hawaii it was Friedman's "Free to Choose" video series.
The Libertarian Party Stays the Course, by
Brian Doherty,
Reason, 3 Jun 2004
Detailed reporting and analysis of the 2004 Libertarian National Convention and the selection of Badnarik as the LP nominee
The exhibitor booths were a fair representation of what makes libertarian hearts sing: books on politics, economics, and philosophy, the Free State Project, public policy activist and education groups, and the Liberty Dollar. A one-sheet handed out by a seemingly bitter Liberty Dollar salesman complained that libertarians are less likely to embrace his privately minted silver and gold coins than an average American. (I suspect this is because many libertarians, already very sensitive about how they are perceived, are more likely to find alternative hard currency schemes too kooky to touch ...)
The Libertarian Press, by Ronald Lora (editor), William Henry Longton (editor),
The Conservative Press in Twentieth-Century America, 1999
Introduction to historical reviews of
Freeman (1920-24),
Freeman (1950-),
analysis,
New Individualist Review,
Objectivist,
Fragments and
Libertarian Forum
Among the early leading lights of libertarian philosophy in America are Thomas Paine and nineteenth-century expositors Lysander Spooner, Josiah Warren, and Benjamin Tucker. With reservations, historians have added William Graham Sumner and Henry George to the list, for both social theorists exercised enormous influence on later proponents of radical individualism, among them Albert Jay Nock, Frank Chodorov, and economists Milton Friedman and Murray Rothbard. Economic theoreticians Friedrich Hayek and Ludwig von Mises often found themselves adjudged as libertarians, though "free market liberal" seems a more apt description.
The Libertarians' Albatross, by
Butler Shaffer, 3 Nov 2004
Recounts Shaffer's introduction to objectivism and provides critical analysis of the philosophy's shortcomings, highlighting Objectivists support of the Afghanistan and Iraq Wars and the "war on terror" and disregard of innocent casualties
The modern "libertarian" movement is the most focused philosophic expression of this undercurrent of change, for it is grounded not only in a distrust of power, but in the confidence that a free and peaceful social order can arise only out of the spontaneous and autonomous behavior of individuals. Libertarian thinking also reflects the pluralistic assumption that a condition of liberty will produce a variety of tastes, ideas, social practices, and behavior; and that only a respect for the inviolability of the lives and other property of individuals can produce such ends.
Libertarians of Will, Intellect, and Action, by
Murray N. Rothbard, Jul 1977
Keynote address to the Libertarian Party Convention; based on the "Turning Point, 1777/1977" convention theme, compares the American Revolution against the British with the contemporary libertarian situation versus the state
I have long been convinced that the process of becoming a libertarian—whether it happens gradually or in a blinding flash of conversion—is a twofold rather than a single process ... To be truly "born again," the libertarian must experience what we might call a second baptism, the "baptism of will." ... In short, the truly complete libertarian, the "born again" libertarian, if you will, is not content with recognizing the truth of liberty as the best social system; he cannot and will not rest content until that system, that set of principles, has triumphed in the world of reality.
A Libertarian Visits Cuba, Part 2, by
Jacob G. Hornberger,
Freedom Daily, Jul 1999
Describes the meetings Hornberger had while conducting an informal study of socialism in Cuba, with "hard-liners" and reformers at research centers as well as people on the street
My first official meeting ... was with ... the Cuban Department of Exterior Affairs ... We had a nice, friendly discussion about Cuba and the United States. When they asked me exactly what I do ..., I responded, "I am part of what is called the libertarian movement. We are very critical of both the domestic and the foreign policy of the U.S. government. We stand against our government's intervening in the affairs of other countries as well as its intervening in the peaceful affairs of the American people. You might say that we libertarians are revolutionaries against the U.S. government!"
A Libertarian Visits Cuba, Part 3, by
Jacob G. Hornberger,
Freedom Daily, Aug 1999
Describes how, when asked to explain libertarianism, Hornberger highlighted American socialist programs, challenged by libertarians but similar to those in Cuba, and then various conversations he had with ordinary Cubans
[T]o explain libertarianism ... I said, "In the United States, the state runs our educational system and it is a disaster. We libertarians challenge the state by asking: 'Why not end state involvement in education and have a free market in education?' ... We ... challenge [it] by asking, 'Why shouldn't people be free to keep what they earn and to manage their own money and retirement?' ... by asking, 'Why not abolish these programs and have a free market in health care?'" ... by asking, 'Why shouldn't individuals be free to do whatever they want, so long as their conduct is peaceful?'"
A Libertarian Visits Mexico, by
Jacob G. Hornberger,
Freedom Daily, Nov 1998
Describes parts of a two-week visit to central Mexico, including some of the history of the Mexican independence struggle, discussions about current Mexican migration to the U.S., government interventions and the attitudes of the Mexicans encountered
We began discussing the illegal-alien situation ... and I shared with them my convictions. I said that what our government had done for decades to the Mexican people was absolutely horrible—that the people who go north to sustain or improve their lives with labor are not criminals ... The three students looked at me in stunned silence. All of a sudden, one of the two girls started crying. Her boyfriend explained to me, "We hate how your country has treated our people. And we have never heard an American talk like you." He asked, "Are there others like you?" I suggested that he do a word search on the Internet for "libertarianism."
Libertarian Voters and the Libertarian Party, by
David Boaz, 23 May 2008
Discusses the 2008 Libertarian Party presidential candidate nominees, the views of libertarian-leaning voters and the prospects for the LP
Some 15 to 20 percent of the voters—18 million to 24 million voters in 2004—hold libertarian views. Those libertarian voters have previously demonstrated their willingness to vote for third-party candidates ... Perhaps most strikingly, 44 percent of voters said yes to Zogby's question, "Would you describe yourself as fiscally conservative and socially liberal, also known as libertarian?" So there would seem to be a huge potential audience for a Libertarian candidate who could raise money, get media attention, create online buzz, and present a compelling and articulate case for peace, freedom, and limited government.
The life and times of Murray N. Rothbard, by
Jim Powell
Full title: The life and times of Murray N. Rothbard, who showed why private individuals can do just about everything that needs to be done
Lengthy biographical essay
On February 9, 1971, the New York Times published Rothbard's op-ed article, "The New Libertarian Creed," which reported on the increasing numbers of young people who embraced individualism and liberty. He noted that these people were rebelling against the Vietnam War, military conscription, skyrocketing taxes, government intrusion into personal life and other violations of civil liberties. This op-ed attracted the attention of Tom Mandel, an editor at Macmillan ..., and soon Rothbard had his first commercial book contract. This became For a New Liberty, the Libertarian Manifesto (1973).
Related Topics:
American Revolutionary War,
analysis,
Walter Block,
Compulsory Education,
John T. Flynn,
Foundation for Economic Education,
Milton Friedman,
Government,
F. A. Harper,
Karl Hess,
Human Action,
Manny Klausner,
Man, Economy, and State,
Mises Institute,
Ludwig von Mises,
Money,
Monopoly,
Property Rights,
Ayn Rand,
Lew Rockwell,
Murray N. Rothbard,
Mark Skousen,
The State,
Taxation,
Vietnam War
The Many Monopolies, by
Charles W. Johnson,
The Freeman, Sep 2011
Describes four ways in which markets are distorted by government interventions, explains Benjamin Tucker's "Four Monopolies", examines five present-day monopolies and discusses Tucker's libertarian views
For most of the twentieth century American libertarians were seen as defenders of "capitalism" ... Most libertarians ... seemed to agree that libertarianism meant defending business against the attacks of "big government," and the purpose of laissez faire was to unleash existing forms of commerce from political restraints. This was almost a complete reversal from the attitude of traditional libertarians like Tucker ... For Tucker, ... libertarianism meant an attack on economic privilege by removing the political privileges that propped it up ...
Related Topics:
Banking,
Communications Technology,
Farming,
Health care,
Intellectual Property Laws,
Land,
Occupational Licensing,
Market economy,
Monopoly,
Trade,
Transportation,
Benjamin Tucker
Meeting Murray Rothbard On the Road to Libertarianism, by
Jeff Riggenbach, 4 Jan 2003
Riggenbach recounts his path from advocate of Ayn Rand, to reading Robert LeFevre to reading and eventually meeting Murray Rothbard; revised version printed in Walter Block's
I Chose Liberty (2010), chapter 61
I took my first steps down the road to libertarianism during my junior year in high school ..., when ... I read Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged ... Looking back, I realize now that my earlier enthusiasms ... though they taught me much, were really just way stations along a road that would eventually lead to a fully coherent and systematic grasp of both libertarianism itself and its implications for the humanities and social sciences. The thinker who finally provided me with the basic elements of that sort of understanding of libertarianism, I have belatedly come to realize, was Murray N. Rothbard.
Michael Badnarik Thinks You're a Libertarian: Texas' Other Presidential Candidate Talks to the Dig, by Joe Keohane,
Weekly Dig, 30 Jun 2004
Quotes from and commentary on Badnarik based on an interview with a reporter of a Boston weekly newspaper
Warm reception aside, Badnarik continually will be forced to confront what is arguably the most unpleasant non-monetary reality for any Lib candidate: the fact that many voters in America, like young Michael Badnarik, have no idea what on earth a Libertarian is. "We believe in individual rights," he explains. "We believe in private property ... we strongly support personal responsibility. Yes, you can make your own decisions, but you must then be responsible for those decisions ... and that is a message that resonates with people. I think people are prepared for a presidential candidate that actually knows the Constitution."
Mont Pelerin: 1947-1978: The Road to Libertarianism, by
Ralph Raico,
Libertarian Review, Jan 1979
Reviews the presentations and discussions at the 1978 meeting of the Mont Pelerin Society, with an overview of the Society's history and particularly the 1958 meeting which had similar themes
One of the most interesting aspects of the 1978 Mont Pelerin meeting was the speakers' widespread use of the words "libertarian" and "libertarianism" to describe the Mont Pelerin society and its members ... Indeed, a major event at the Mont Pelerin meeting was a special session on the libertarian movement around the world. Altogether, the extensive interest in libertarianism at the Mont Pelerin meeting and the intensive enthusiasm of the younger participants for an active libertarian movement was one of the clearest ramifications of the Hong Kong meeting.
The Movement Grows, by
Murray N. Rothbard,
The Libertarian, 1 Jun 1969
Recounts the first three meetings of the Libertarian Forum, the student libertarian organizations at Fordham, Wesleyan, SUNY Buffalo and Stanford, and the formation of the Radical Libertarian Alliance
Until this year, the libertarian movement was pitifully small and beleaguered, and any talk of any sort of libertarian organization or even occasional meetings was hopelessly Utopian ... In the old days, there would be one new convert a year, and he would be worked on with painful slowness before his conversion could be complete, But now we keep running into kids, some college freshmen, who are not only libertarians, but full-fledged and self-converted, with the "correct line" on everything, from competing private defense agencies to private property rights to war revisionism to alliance with the New Left.
Murray, Charles (1943- ), by
Brian Doherty,
The Encyclopedia of Libertarianism, 15 Aug 2008
Biographical and bibliographical essay
Murray wrote a popular summation of the libertarian position he had come to embrace over his decades of research in the social sciences. In
What It Means to Be a Libertarian: A Personal Interpretation, he presents ... his libertarian views in the following language:
Libertarianism is a vision of how people should be able to live their lives—as individuals, striving to realize the best they have within them; together, cooperating for the common good without compulsion. It is a vision of how people may endow their lives with meaning—living according to their deepest beliefs and taking responsibility for the consequences of their actions.
Murray N. Rothbard: Mr. Libertarian, by
Wendy McElroy, 6 Jul 2000
A tribute to Rothbard as a "system builder," an integrator of multiple disciplines into a "philosophy of freedom"; examines several of Rothbard's essays and books
[I]t is no exaggeration to say that Rothbard created the modern libertarian movement. Specifically, he refined and fused together:
- natural law theory, using a basic Aristotelian or Randian approach;
- the radical civil libertarianism of 19th century individualist-anarchists, especially Lysander Spooner and Benjamin Tucker;
- the free market philosophy of Austrian economists, in particular Ludwig von Mises, into which he incorporated sweeping economic histories; and,
- the foreign policy of the American Old Right–that is, isolationism.
As a result ..., libertarianism blossomed in the '60s ...
Related Topics:
Roy Childs,
Economics,
Ethics,
Liberty,
Man, Economy, and State,
Market economy,
Ludwig von Mises,
Property Rights,
Murray N. Rothbard,
The State,
War
Murray, the LP, and Me, by
David Bergland, 25 Dec 2002
Lengthy autobiographical essay, focusing on Murray Rothbard, libertarianism and the Libertarian Party; reprinted in Walter Block's
I Chose Liberty (2010)
I have been asked many times when I became a libertarian ... Some of us are simply more temperamentally suited to liberty than others. We are comfortable with anarchy, the unknowable future, and whatever spontaneous order might develop out of freedom's chaos. We don't feel insecure in the absence of a state-created social safety net and we welcome the opportunities that maximum liberty brings. I believe (based on a great deal of published research by neuroscientists and psychologists) that our temperament is a complex combination of tendencies, or predilections, that are largely innate.
Related Topics:
Barbara Branden,
Nathaniel Branden,
Cato Institute,
Ed Crane,
For a New Liberty,
Human Action,
Libertarian Party,
Roger MacBride,
Objectivism,
Earl Ravenal,
Murray N. Rothbard
The Myth of 19th-Century Laissez-Faire: Who Benefits Today?, by
Roderick T. Long, 10 Jun 2013
Responds to questions posed by Michael Lind and E. J. Dionne Jr. regarding lack of actual libertarian countries or the supposedly "small government libertarian utopia" in the late 19th century
Last week Michael Lind asked a silly question ...: if libertarianism is so great, why hasn't any country tried it? The question is silly because the libertarian answer is obvious: Libertarianism is great for ordinary people, but not for the power elites that control countries ... and who don't welcome seeing their privileged status subjected to free-market competition. And ordinary people don't agitate for libertarian policies because most of them are not familiar with the full case for libertarianism's benefits, in large part because the education system is controlled by the aforementioned elites.
The Natural Right of Property, by
Sheldon Richman,
The Goal Is Freedom, 17 Aug 2007
Examines Thomas Hodgskin's philosophy, in particular his writings on property rights in
The Natural and Artificial Right of Property Contrasted (1832)
Thomas Hodgskin ... "... is considered a Ricardian socialist, was quoted and deferred to by Marx [and] described by Sidney and Beatrice Webb as Marx's master." How could any libertarian claim Hodgskin as a mentor? ... The radical edge that Hodgskin gave his laissez-faire advocacy confuses people ... [E]arlier radical individualists located the source of [labor's] plight ... in the halls of government. This was better understood in the [19th] and early [20th] centuries, when the likes of Lysander Spooner, Benjamin Tucker, and Herbert Spencer held the libertarian vanguard.
Neither Bullets nor Ballots [PDF], by
Wendy McElroy,
The Voluntaryist, Oct 1982
First editorial, describing the two major goals of
The Voluntaryist, namely, to construct a theory of voluntaryism and to examine non-political strategies
The Voluntaryist seeks to reclaim the anti-political heritage of libertarianism ... [I]t reflects both the several centuries of libertarian tradition and the current cutting edge of ... theory. The tradition of American libertarianism is so inextricably linked with anarchism that, during the Nineteenth Century, individualist-anarchism was a synonym for libertarianism. But anarchism is more than simply the non-initiation of force by which libertarianism is commonly defined ... If libertarianism has a future, it is as the movement which takes a principled, resounding stance against the State.
New Zealand's New Zealots, by
R. W. Bradford,
Liberty, Mar 1997
Examines the two New Zealand political parties with libertarian tendencies—the Association of Consumers and Taxpayers (ACT) and the Libertarianz, including the animosity between them; addendum to the main article "Revolution in a Small Country"
If by "libertarian," we mean a person who favors radically reducing the power of government, then it is safe to say that libertarians are vastly more influential and prominent in New Zealand than in the [U.S.] ... Roger Douglas has proven himself the most effective libertarian politician of this century. He is unique among political leaders in that he has effected a genuine reduction in the power of government in a Western democratic country ... In 1994, [Lindsay Perigo] launched The Free Radical, a delightful political magazine publishing a variety of libertarian thinking ...
One Moral Standard for All, by
Sheldon Richman,
The Goal Is Freedom, 15 Nov 2013
Postulates that most nonlibertarians agree that initiation of force is wrong, but they have to be shown that the same moral standard should hold for government personnel as for private individuals
Libertarians believe that the initiation of force is wrong. So do the overwhelming majority of nonlibertarians ... That's the starting point of the libertarian philosophy, at least as I see it ... Libertarians differ from others in that they apply the same moral standard to all people's conduct. Others have a double standard, the live-and-let-live standard for "private" individuals and another, conflicting one for government personnel ... That's the nub of the libertarian philosophy right there. No one has the right to treat people merely as means—no matter how noble the end. No one.
The Only Thing Dumber Than Libertarianism's Critics are its Right-Wing Defenders, by
Kevin Carson, 22 Jun 2013
Responds to question posed by "liberal" commentator Michael Lind regarding the lack of actual libertarian countries and an attempted rebuttal by Objectivist writer Robert Tracinski
[Tracinski's] clear implication is that the main contemporary deviation from 100% libertarianism is the liberal welfare state ... Just take the existing model of corporate capitalism, subtract the regulatory-welfare state, and you get the libertarian utopia that prevailed in the Gilded Age. Well, not quite ... So Lind is correct. There's not a single country in the world in which free and equal human beings can peacefully cooperate and share or exchange the product of their labor without an interventionist state. And so long as the interventionist state exists, there will never be economic and social justice.
On Political Activism, by
Samuel Edward Konkin III,
Reason, May 1977
Letter to the editor, criticizing John Hospers' view that running for political office as part of the Libertarian Party is "the quickest way of getting libertarian ideas known to millions"
To the extent that libertarianism is known in North America today, it is almost entirely because of the tireless work of a few educators, activists, and persons of prominence not afraid to be associated with a small, militant, and unpopular movement: Murray Rothbard, Robert LeFevre, Andrew J. Galambos, Leonard Read, Ludwig von Mises, Don Ernsberger, Dana Rohrabacher, Isabel Patterson, Rose Wilder Lane, Baldy Harper, all the persons of accomplishment I named earlier, many local activists reaching 10 or 20 or 30 people at a time with meetings, demonstrations, events being seriously covered in local papers on a recurring basis ...
On the Origins of the Modern Libertarian Legal Movement [PDF], by Roger Pilon,
Chapman Law Review, 2013
Historical survey of libertarian influences on constitutional and other areas of law, from the mid-1970s to recent decisions
The growing influence of the modern libertarian legal movement in America and beyond was no better illustrated recently than during the two-year run-up to the Supreme Court's "Obamacare" decision ... Marginalized for years by many conservatives—to say nothing of the long dominant liberal establishment that dismissed their arguments out of hand—libertarians offered a principled vision that resonated not only with judges ... but with a large part of the American public as well—and, in the end, with a majority on the High Court itself. And why not: The vision was grounded in the nation's First Principles.
Pathetic Arguments for Foreign Intervention, by
Sheldon Richman, 25 Jan 2008
Criticizes comments made by
The Wall Street Journal's Bret Stephens about Ron Paul's call for a full U.S. withdrawal from the Middle East
Stephens writes, "... Libertarianism makes no accounting for [the human quest for prestige and dominance and an instinct for nihilism] ..." Is he serious? Libertarians make no accounting for people motivated by the desire to dominate? If that were true we wouldn't work so hard to minimize government power. When will interventionists realize that their plans ... require the placement of awesome corrupting power in the hands of politicians here? "There is a not-incidental connection here between libertarianism and pacifism," he writes. Leave it to an interventionist to think that the opposite of imperialism is pacifism.
Paul's Apology: Say it ain't so, Dr. No, by
Jacob Sullum,
Reason, 16 Jan 2008
Examines Ron Paul's record, the controversy over the newsletters published under Paul's name in the 1980s and 1990s, and Paul's response
Given [Paul's] association with "paleolibertarians" such as Lew Rockwell who sought to construct an anti-statist coalition partly by appealing to racial resentments, he owes his supporters more than accepting "moral responsibility" for inadequately overseeing the newsletters ... [S]ince the value of the Paul campaign lies in promoting the libertarian ideals of limited government, individual freedom, and tolerance, the real problem is that the newsletters contradict this message. On CNN Paul emphasized that racist libertarian is an oxymoron, since libertarians judge people as individuals.
Peace and Pacifism, by
Robert Higgs,
The Encyclopedia of Libertarianism, 15 Aug 2008
Reviews what prominent classical liberals and libertarians had to say on the subject of peace and war, as well as the history of United States wars from the War of 1812 to the 2003 invasion of Iraq and the efforts of those who opposed them
Modern libertarianism has deep roots in classical liberalism, an ideology that looks at war as a reactionary undertaking at odds with the social progress that springs, in large part, from the unhampered movement of goods, capital, and labor across national borders and from international scientific and cultural cooperation. Moreover, libertarians strongly support individualism, which flourishes during peacetime, but clashes with the collectivism, regimentation, and herd mentality that war fosters. They favor reduction in the size, scope, and power of government ...
Related Topics:
War,
American War Between the States,
Ludwig von Mises,
Murray N. Rothbard,
Adam Smith,
Freedom of Speech,
Lysander Spooner,
William Graham Sumner,
Vietnam War,
World War I,
World War II
Persuasion versus Force, by
Mark Skousen,
Liberty, Sep 1991
Based on the "From Force to Persuasion" chapter in Alfred North Whitehead's
Adventures of Ideas (1933), Skousen suggests a new libertarian creed, "The triumph of persuasion over force is the sign of a civilized society"
In the true spirit of libertarianism, Voltaire once said, "I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it." If we are to be effective in convincing others of a libertarian world, we must take the moral high ground by saying, "We may disapprove of what you do, but we will defend to the death your right to do it." In short, my vision of a libertarian society is one in which we discourage evil, but do not prohibit it ... If we don't like violence and sex on TV, we don't write the Federal Communications Commission, we join boycotts of the advertiser's products.
Philosophy the Right Way, by Aaron Ross Powell, 21 Mar 2013
Discusses how some people reject a philosopher or political theory solely because they disagree with some aspect of the thinker or the arguments given and counsels in favor of keeping a broad mind and learning even from those with whom you may disagree
Those people are defining "libertarian" to mean only the kind of libertarianism they prefer. Now, it may well be the case that one form of libertarianism—Rothbardian anarcho-capitalism or Randian minimal statism or Hayekian classical liberalism—is ultimately better than the rest. And that's an argument we should have. But it's definitely not a settled one ... As Rothbard himself said, "Both the minarchists and the anarchists agree on rolling back about 99% of the state, so why not do that and then worry about the other 1% after we get it?"
The Political Compass & Why Libertarianism is Not Right-Wing, by Jan Clifford Lester, 1994
Presents a Political Compass in contrast to the traditional left/right spectrum, with a north-south axis of Choice vs. (state) Control and a west-east axis of Personal and Property Choice, and a 20 question quiz to determine one's political bearing
Libertarianism (or extreme classical liberalism) is sometimes placed, often implicitly or vaguely, somewhere on the extreme right. But can we say whether it ought to be to the right or left of other 'right-wing' ideologies? How are we to indicate the extreme tolerance of personal choice (as regards drug use and consenting sexual practices, for instance) that libertarianism entails but which is not normally thought of as being right-wing? ... But now libertarians can, if necessary, practice tit-for-tat by lumping together non-libertarians as undifferentiated 'south-wingers' or 'authoritarians'.
Political Science, by
Sheldon Richman,
The Goal Is Freedom, 18 May 2007
Reviews Frank Van Dun's 1986 paper titled "Economics and the Limits of Value-Free Science" and its implications for making an objective case for ethics, freedom and private property
[H]ow is [Van Dun's sentence] relevant to economic and political freedom? ... [I]t is relevant because libertarians are sometimes accused of putting the rabbit in the hat; that is, loading their terms so that ... freedom contains all that they like and ... coercion contains all that they dislike. For such critics, this reduces libertarianism to tautological triviality. Someone else may have different notions of freedom and coercion and therefore different—but equally valid—political judgments about what is ... morally permissible. This case against libertarianism ... can be disconcerting ...
The Political Thought of Étienne de La Boétie, by
Murray N. Rothbard, 1975
Introduction to
The Politics of Obedience: The Discourse of Voluntary Servitude (Free Life Editions, 1975), translated by Harry Kurz; summarizes the key insights of La Boétie's work
The prime task ... is ... debamboozling the public ... In that task, La Boétie also speaks to us in his stress on the importance of a perceptive, vanguard elite of libertarian and antistatist intellectuals. The role of this "cadre"—to grasp the essence of statism and to desanctify the State in the eyes and minds of the rest of the population—is crucial to the potential success of any movement to bring about a free society. It becomes, therefore, a prime libertarian task to discover, coalesce, nurture, and advance its cadre—a task of which all too many libertarians remain completely ignorant.
Property and Force: A Reply to Matt Bruenig, by
Sheldon Richman,
The Goal Is Freedom, 22 Nov 2013
Responds to blogger Bruenig's criticism of the essay "One Moral Standard for All"; with quotes or examples from Roderick Long, Murray Rothbard, Gary Chartier, David Hume and Karl Hess
In reading [Bruenig's] article, "Libertarians Are Huge Fans of Initiating Force," one should bear in mind that the aim of my article was not to defend the libertarian philosophy, but to show that most people live by it most of the time ... We stand charged with circular reasoning. How do we plead? Not guilty. First, note that Mr. Bruenig presents no evidence for his charge; he quotes no libertarian at all, let alone me. (I'm not claiming that no libertarian ever argued the way Mr. Bruenig describes, only that such an argument does not inherently underlie the libertarian philosophy.)
Rand, Ayn (1905-1982), by
Chris Matthew Sciabarra,
The Encyclopedia of Libertarianism, 15 Aug 2008
Biographical and bibliographical essay, also examining Rand's relationships with several leading thinkers
Despite her antipathy to [the] anarchic brand of libertarianism ..., Rand profoundly inspired a generation of individuals to pursue the goal of a libertarian society. Some of her ... followers ... have challenged ... politics from [outside government], forming such organizations as the Cato Institute, the Reason Foundation, and the Libertarian Party. Various aspects of the position she put forward have found their way into the works of libertarian-minded academic philosophers, among them Douglas Den Uyl, John Hospers, Tibor Machan, Eric Mack, Douglas Rasmussen, David Kelley, and Tara Smith.
Reading the Literature of Liberty, by
Roy A. Childs, Jr., May 1987
Childs' selection of "great books" on liberty and libertarianism, including works by Hazlitt, Bastiat, Rose Wilder Lane, Nock, Ayn Rand, Friedman, Hayek, Rothbard, Mises and Nozick
Libertarianism is first and foremost the doctrine championing individual freedom, private property, unfettered capitalism, and free trade. As such, it has never been captured fully in any one book or essay. As a doctrine, it lies scattered throughout the pages of countless books and articles; as a point of view, it has many variations ... [Murray Rothbard's] manifesto For a New Liberty sets out his own version of the principles of libertarianism, and proceeds to look at one problem area after another ... Thousands of people have found this an excellent overview of libertarianism.
Related Topics:
Frédéric Bastiat,
For a New Liberty,
Milton Friedman,
F. A. Hayek,
Henry Hazlitt,
The Law,
Man, Economy, and State,
Ludwig von Mises,
Albert Jay Nock,
Ayn Rand,
The Road to Serfdom,
Murray N. Rothbard
Regime Libertarians, by
Lew Rockwell, 12 Jul 2005
Criticizes the "Iraq Exit Strategy: America's Path Forward" proposal, made by the Libertarian National Committee on 29 June 2005, and suggests the name "Regime Libertarians" for those who make that kind of proposals
A good name for this school of thought is Regime Libertarianism. The modifier identifies the means they choose to bring about their view of what constitutes freedom. It identifies the target audience of their urgings and pleadings. It identifies the institution that they believe to be the first condition in the advance of civilization ... Regime Libertarianism stands in contrast to another school we might call Laissez-Faire Libertarianism. This is the view that the one and only job of government is to withdraw, wholly and completely, not just from one sector but all of them, and not ... in the future but right now.
Reverence for Skeptics, by
Leland B. Yeager,
Liberty, Oct 2007
Describes how professor Yeager albeit raised as Christian became what he calls a "reverent atheist" and discusses the bases for his views; includes relevant Baloo cartoon and bibliography
Libertarianism is a doctrine or attitude about social and economic organization and policy. It is tolerant of diverse grounds for accepting it. It does not require theological roots and could even be embarrassed by insistence on them ... The revisability of beliefs does not require always suspending judgment. I have reached the judgment that a free-market economy offers better prospects for human happiness than socialism ... New evidence and argument could conceivably change my mind, but that possibility does not require my declaring myself agnostic on the issue of capitalism versus socialism.
Rights Violations Aren't the Only Bads, by
Sheldon Richman,
The Goal Is Freedom, 17 Jan 2014
Discusses criticism of Richman's article "Intellectual Property Fosters Corporate Concentration" (10 Jan 2014) in the larger context of rights violations
More than a few libertarians appear to hold ... that only rights violations are ... deserving of moral condemnation. If an act does not entail the initiation of force, so goes this attitude, we can have nothing critical to say about it ... Libertarians ought to think long and hard before buying the idea that rights violations are the only species of wrongful conduct ... [They] ought to beware of embracing ... a narrow ... morality that only forceful invasions of persons and property are deserving of moral outrage ... Think of all the cruel ways people can treat others without lifting a hand.
Robert A. Heinlein's Soaring Spirit of Liberty, by
Jim Powell,
The Freeman, Jul 1997
Biographical essay, including multiple quotes from fellow authors and significant excerpts from Heinlein's novels and stories
In The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress (1966), Heinlein offers perhaps his most well-developed libertarian vision ... The moon ... is a colony of the Earth which uses it as a place to keep convicts and political dissidents. They resent the Earth's trade monopoly, which means selling Earth products at steep prices, buying Luna products for little—and ultimately starving people ... They don't like laws, but they respect customs. They cherish individual initiative and enterprise. They tolerate other people's lifestyle choices and mind their own business. They ... declare Independence on July 4, 2076.
Related Topics:
Achievement,
Anarchism,
Right to Keep and Bear Arms,
Entrepreneurship,
Robert A. Heinlein,
Liberty,
Money,
The Moon is a Harsh Mistress,
No Free Lunch,
J. Neil Schulman,
Science Fiction,
Socialism,
Taxation
Robert Nozick and the Value of Liberty, by Aaron Ross Powell, 21 Jun 2011
Responds to Stephen Metcalf's essay "The Liberty Scam", published on Slate.com the previous day
Metcalf does not understand the scope of the libertarian argument. I value liberty, yes, but I also value my health, my daughter's happiness, and films starring William Powell and Myrna Loy. In fact, libertarians, progressives, and even Robert Nozick value quite a lot of things. The libertarian argument is simply that a state that attempts to directly maximize any value besides liberty—by, say, coercively taxing in order to pay for more Thin Man films—violates individual rights ... [I]f the state does remain limited to protecting only liberty, we'll get more health, happiness, and great movies.
Robert Nozick, Philosopher of Liberty, by
Roderick T. Long,
The Freeman, Sep 2002
Focuses mainly on Nozick's contributions in
Anarchy, State, and Utopia (page references are to 1974 edition), with brief reference to his later works and his death earlier in 2002
Twenty-eight years ago ... Robert Nozick did something unthinkable in polite intellectual society: he published a book defending libertarianism. In 1974 libertarian ideas had virtually no presence within the academic establishment ... Nozick's book did not, of course, convert the profession; but it secured for libertarianism a place among the standard topics for philosophical discussion, and thereby contributed to a crucial change ... Libertarianism was no longer the philosophical equivalent of flat-earth theory; it was now a respectable (or at least semi-respectable) position ...
Ron Paul's Goldwater Moment, by
Justin Raimondo, 11 May 2007
Critiques Washington-centric "conventional wisdom" about Ron Paul's presidential candidacy
The truth is that libertarians are hardly the most organized group on the planet: getting them to act in concert is like herding cats ... I have a very hard time believing that libertarians have gotten it together enough to pull off such online stunts, which would take thousands of participants and a central authority which is conspicuous by its absence in the movement ... [I]n the 1970s and 80s, more than half the party activists in California were employed in the then-embryonic computer industry. The libertarian ethos of the internet has been widely remarked on, and it makes perfect sense that Paul will do well in online polls.
The Roots of Modern Libertarian Ideas, by
Brian Doherty,
Cato Policy Report, Mar 2007
Survey of the history of libertarian ideas, from ancient China and Greece to 20th century writers; adapted from
Radicals for Capitalism (2007)
Libertarianism has its basis in economic, moral, and political theory, rooted in ideas about how workable order can arise uncoordinated by a single controlling mind, how and where it is proper for a human to use force against another, and the likely dire effects of concentrated, unchecked power. But the element that distinguishes libertarianism's unique place in political thought is that it is radical, taking insights about order, justice, and the struggle between liberty and power further and deeper than most standard American liberals, patriots, or old-fashioned Jeffersonians.
Rothbard, Murray (1926-1995), by
Brian Doherty,
The Encyclopedia of Libertarianism, 15 Aug 2008
Biographical and bibliographical essay
In 1973, Rothbard published For a New Liberty, a manifesto of libertarianism. That book presented an overview of his complete political vision, explaining how a strictly rights‐based anarchist society could function and still meet all the social needs that are now met by government, from roads to defense to justice ... In 1982, he published ... The Ethics of Liberty [which] presented and defended the moral philosophical case for a rights‐based anarchism and criticized the various defenses of minimal‐state libertarianism that had been put forward by Robert Nozick and F. A. Hayek.
Rothbard's For a New Liberty, by
Sheldon Richman,
The Goal Is Freedom, 16 May 2014
Reexamines
For a New Liberty (1973) with emphasis on Rothbard's discussion of the nonaggression axiom and natural rights
Rothbard continued ...:
... Roughly, there are three broad types of foundation for the libertarian axiom, corresponding to three kinds of ethical philosophy: the emotivist, the utilitarian, and the natural rights viewpoint.
... He also dismissed utilitarianism as a foundation for libertarianism. While he agreed that freedom produces the good consequences claimed ..., he found this defense wanting ... That leaves the "natural-rights basis for the libertarian creed," which [he] claimed is the "basis which, in one form or another, has been adopted by most of the libertarians, past and present."
A Salute to Bettina Bien Greaves, by
Jim Powell,
The Freeman, Jul 1997
Guest editor column, written for Greaves' 80th birthday to show an appreciation and the extent of her work for liberty
Long before mainstream publishers began to run articles and issue books by libertarian authors, there were lively debates in libertarian publications such as Plain Talk, American Affairs, Books for Libertarians, Christian Economics, Inquiry, Journal of Libertarian Studies, New Individualist Review, Libertarian Review, Liberty, and Reason. Most of these are gone, and even the ones still going can't be found at most libraries, but they're in Bettina's office. She has material from many of the early libertarian organizations which became landmarks in the movement ...
Samuel Edward Konkin III, by
Jeff Riggenbach, 29 Jul 2010
Biographical essay, including examination of Konkin's ideas on the Counter-Economy; transcript of "The Libertarian Tradition" podcast of 20 July 2010
I called [the group born between the late 1930s and the mid-1950s] "the first generation of modern libertarians" ... The 1970s and '80s were a heady time in the history of the modern libertarian movement. The movement had just experienced a massive increase in population, virtually all at once ... Suddenly mainstream publishers were interested in issuing new, hardcover books about libertarianism. In 1970, from Bobbs-Merrill, came Radical Libertarianism by Jerome Tuccille. In 1973 came The Machinery of Freedom by David Friedman and For a New Liberty by Murray N. Rothbard ...
Selling Ideas, by
Llewellyn H. Rockwell, Jr., 21 Dec 2005
Discusses the 2005 incident involving Bandow and Jack Abramoff and reminds us of previous incidents of left-vs.-right attacks (and vice versa), concluding with quotes from Mises'
Liberalism (1927)
[Bandow] is a libertarian after all, one of the more principled writers out there, and the positions he took were not incompatible with his overall political perspective ... His mistakes were indeed a lapse in judgment ... At the same time, such revelations are harmful to libertarianism in so many ways. We are already accused of being shills for capitalists, apologists for the rich, in the pay of the exploiting class, and all the rest. We therefore live under a special obligation to make sure that we write and think according to principle and not payoff. The rule is not a hard one: if it feels seedy, it probably is.
Speaking to Nonlibertarians, by
Sheldon Richman,
The Goal Is Freedom, 11 Jul 2014
Suggests an approach by which libertarians can try to persuade others of the undesirability of government-provided services and the benefits of free markets
It is self-defeating to seem to be condemning people for their reliance on or support of the various welfare-state programs ... Exhorting them to self-reliance will have little effect, especially since it exposes the libertarian to an apparent contradiction. After all, no libertarian would criticize people who buy insurance policies on their homes, cars, health or lives ... "Unlike insurance and mutual aid, government assistance is coercive." Exactly! ... [T]he libertarian approach should focus on the flawed political method by which the services are provided ...
The State of the Movement [PDF], by
Leonard Liggio,
The Libertarian Forum, 15 May 1970
Examines the history and status of the (New Left) Movement, in particular of the Students for a Democratic Society and the involvement of libertarians and socialists in SDS
SDS's decentralization permitted the articulation of people's natural instincts for freedom. If numbers of libertarians had participated in this development there was every reason to expect that libertarian inclinations could have been clarified into a consistent libertarian philosophy. At the time Movement people hoped very much that libertarians would participate actively. But libertarians generally attacked the New Left and criticized the few libertarians who understood the importance of the Movement to the future growth of libertarianism and the importance of libertarianism to the future growth of the Movement.
Substance, not style, by Daniel Koffler, 9 Feb 2008
Contrasts several of presidential candidate Obama's 2008 issue positions with those of Hillary Clinton and argues his approach could be called left-libertarianism
If [Obama and Goolsbee's] approach needs a name, call it left-libertarianism. Advancements in behavioural economics, public and rational choice theory, and game theory provide us with an opportunity to attend to inequality without crippling the economy, enhancing the coercive power of the state, or infringing on personal liberty (at least not to any extent greater than the welfare state already does; and as much as my libertarian friends might wish otherwise, the welfare state isn't going anywhere). The cost—higher marginal tax rates—is real, but eminently justified by the benefits.
Sy Leon, R.I.P., by
Butler Shaffer, 11 Sep 2007
Recollections of the life of Seymour (Sy) Leon, who taught at Rampart College with Shaffer, Rampart College and others who taught there, and the libertarian movement of the 1950s/1960s
The late 1950s and early 1960s ... were the days when many were engaged in serious introspection and self-questioning ... For those seeking a deeper understanding of liberty—instead of just a new religion—the quest took numerous paths. For some, there was a focus on "what shall we call ourselves?," as though a label conferred genuine insight. "Individualists," "anarchists," "autarchists," "laissez-faire capitalists," "Objectivists," "libertarians," and, later, "anarcho-capitalists," were some of the more common labels thrown out for consideration. My late friend, Jim Martin, even suggested "me-ist" for consideration.
Tackling Straw Men Is Easier than Critiquing Libertarianism, by
Sheldon Richman, 5 Dec 2014
Counters John Edward Terrell's critique of libertarianism (in "Evolution and the American Myth of the Individual") using quotes from Adam Smith, Vernon Smith and Herbert Spencer
What people like Terrell don't realize—or perhaps realize too well—is that the fundamental point in dispute is not whether the individual is a social animal or a creature best suited for an atomistic existence. No libertarian I know of subscribes to the latter notion. The point in dispute is whether proper social life should be founded on peaceful consensual cooperation or on compulsion ... I welcome the day that someone writes a serious criticism of liberalism/libertarianism that reflects a real understanding of what is being criticized. Terrell and like-minded folks would expect that of their critics.
Test your freedom IQ,
The Orange County Register, 18 Jun 2006
20 multiple-choice questions covering the role of government, free enterprise, taxes, property rights, free speech, religion, civil liberties, transportation, war and foreign policy, the Nanny State, gun ownership, education and immigration
Are you a rock-solid freedom lover, a closet authoritarian or an in-your-face socialist? Take the Register's first Freedom Quiz and see. It's devised with new graduates in mind, to help them understand their political philosophy as they head out into the real world or back into the not-so-real world of academia. Register editorial writers ... developed these questions to highlight aspects of "small l" libertarianism, the freedom philosophy that animates our pages. We believe in limited government, respect for the individual, self-responsibility, free markets, free trade and property rights.
Thinking about Foreign Policy, by
Sheldon Richman,
Freedom Daily, Dec 2006
Analyzes why most people, even libertarians, tend to think about foreign policy as if it were decided upon by "the people" or at least with their interests in mind, rather than the "ruling elite" and its desire "to preserve and augment its own power"
The state's unique characteristics are clear to libertarians when they think about domestic policy. Bring up Social Security or regulation, and most libertarians can recite exhaustive moral, economic, and political reasons why government should not be involved. The moral reason will center on the illegitimacy of initiating physical force. The economic reasons will often be a mix of Austrian and Public Choice analysis ... These are sound objections, constituting part of the rich critique libertarianism can make about government intervention in the economy.
The think tank boom, by Peter Orvetti,
Libertarian Party News, Feb 2000
Discusses the proliferation of state-level "libertarian/conservative think tanks" between 1985-2000, the activities in pursuit of their goals and various examples and quotes from some of the public policy organizations
"Libertarians are too often like revival preachers: They have a very vivid description of Hell but a very inarticulate vision of Heaven," [John P. Overton] said. "We must address head-on the soft issues of love, family, racial reconciliation, security, and community, and show how a free society meets these real human needs." Buckstein echoed that theme ... "We must ... put a human face on libertarianism. We must show how counterproductive regulations hurt the working poor and those on welfare, using real people in our examples. We must show how taxes hurt, not help, the very people tax-supported programs are claimed to help."
Tommy Chong Will Be Free In Prison, by Debra McCorkle, 16 Sep 2003
Describes and comments on Tommy Chong's earlier career and on his arrest and conviction for selling drug paraphernalia (glass pipes or "bongs"), as a result of Operation Pipe Dreams
For the mere price of nine months in jail, [Chong] can spend the rest of his life as a hero for libertarian ideals. He doesn't have to kiss John Ashcroft's ass. He doesn't have to be a liar and a hypocrite. Like those who went to jail and endured the blacklist during the McCarthy Era, Chong can maintain his integrity in these increasingly right-wing Big Brother times. He can use this imprisonment to publicize the punishment inflicted by our government for a non-violent crime which has harmed no one. Henry David Thoreau said that those who are in prison are in essence the most free.
The Top 25 Liberty Songs, by Bill Winter,
Libertarian Party News, Aug 2001
List of 25 "Liberty's Best Songs" chosen from over 200 suggestions, each with a short summary and highlighted lyrics, and a supplementary list of 25 runners-up
The central problem of libertarianism is how to draw the lines that neighbors and government may not cross in dealing with individuals. Billy Joel's "My Life" ... best spotlights that question. Joel sings: "I don't care what you say anymore / this is my life / Go ahead with your own life, and leave me alone ... And you can speak your own mind / but not on my time." The lyrics simply declare personal sovereignty, expressing equally well the thoughts of a teenager, standing up to his parents ... or ... an overtaxed, overregulated citizen, rethinking his relationship to society and government.
Related Topics:
Capitalism,
Government,
Liberty,
Prohibition,
Rights,
Rush,
Songs,
Freedom of Speech,
Taxation,
United States,
War
Two-dimensional libertarianism, by
Anthony Gregory,
Rational Review, 30 Sep 2004
Questions the usefulness of the two-dimensional Nolan Chart and the World's Smallest Political Quiz and advocates instead a one-dimensional liberty vs. power spectrum
[C]onservatives and liberals tend to advocate certain liberties, which tend to fit in ... somewhat distinguishable categories—but in the end it's arbitrary. What makes libertarians libertarians is that we recognize that all liberties relate to each other ... [W]e could actually be reinforcing the false idea in the minds of liberals and conservatives that their self-contradictory opinions are internally consistent ... Perhaps we should instead concentrate on showing them how it makes no sense to strongly believe in freedom on some issues, but strongly favor and trust state power on others.
Two Libertarian Classics, by
Murray N. Rothbard,
Reason, Mar 1974
Reviews of Albert Jay Nock's
Our Enemy the State and John T. Flynn's
As We Go Marching
Sympathizers with libertarianism are often unfamiliar with two very different strands within the tradition: what might be called the "radical" and the "conservative" libertarian ... [T]he radical libertarian sets forth with an air of determined hostility to the entire State apparatus, to the government and all its works. It is not just that the radical libertarian consistently opposes all government intervention whatever, so that one need not wait for the cost-benefit ... on each particular issue. There is more to it than that—for the radical libertarian has a totally different viewpoint of the nature of the State itself.
The "Value" of Public Schooling, by
Jacob G. Hornberger,
Freedom Daily, Nov 2006
Examines public schooling, first comparing it to military boot camp and the draft, then discussing indoctrination in "officially approved" ideas via approved textbooks, and imagining a teacher going against the established doctrines
[I]t is extremely unlikely that one would ever find libertarianism taught as a philosophy in any public school. For one thing, libertarian principles would contradict most of the claptrap found in government textbooks ... [I]magine a public-school teacher openly announcing at the beginning ... that he would be teaching the following ...:
- The drug war is an immoral sham that has accomplished nothing more than enriching government officials and drug dealers. Drugs should be decriminalized.
...- Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid are immoral ...
What do you think would happen to that teacher?
Vince Miller and the International Libertarian Movement, by
Jeff Riggenbach, 1 Jul 2010
Biographical essay; including background information on the libertarian movement of the 20th century; transcript of "The Libertarian Tradition" podcast of 23 June 2010
When the libertarian movement we know today was launched ..., the founders were men and women who ranged in age from their 30s to their 60s. They represented ... two different generations. The first group, born in the 1880s, included Rose Wilder Lane and Isabel Paterson ... as well as Ludwig von Mises ... The members of this first group served as mentors and teachers for the members of the second group ... born around the turn of the 20th century ... Thus Mises was teacher to Friedrich Hayek ..., as Paterson was teacher to Ayn Rand ... Leonard Read ... learned from both Lane and Mises, though at a distance, rather than close at hand.
Voltairine de Cleyre: Penitent Priestess of Anarchism, by
Jeff Riggenbach, 17 Jun 2010
Biographical essay, transcript of "The Libertarian Tradition" podcast of 8 June 2010
The libertarian movement of today dates from the early 1940s ... It underwent a very sudden and very substantial spurt of growth during the late 1960s and early 1970s, and has grown steadily ever since. There was an earlier libertarian movement in the United States, however ... This "first libertarian movement," as ... Samuel Edward Konkin III used to like to call it, was largely [Benjamin] Tucker's creation, centered around his fortnightly paper Liberty, which he published from 1881 to 1908, and his book store, Benj. R. Tucker's Unique Book Shop, which he operated ... in Manhattan ...
Warfare/Welfare/Corporate State: All of a Piece, by
Sheldon Richman,
The Goal Is Freedom, 24 Jan 2014
Dissects article by Princeton professor Sean Wilentz criticizing Edward Snowden, Glenn Greenwald and Julian Assange due to their libertarian sympathies
Wilentz commits another bit of question-begging. He says Snowden, Assange, and Greenwald share a "political impulse that might be described ... as paranoid libertarianism." Oh my! The qualifier paranoid suggests that libertarians unreasonably believe that the government may not have the best interests of regular people at heart. Wilentz assumes—without argument—that we libertarians are wrong about that. But if we're right, then paranoia is a baseless charge. So Professor Wilentz is obligated to show that we are wrong before he uses that defamatory qualifier. He will have a tough time pulling off that feat ...
Was Robert A. Heinlein a Libertarian?, by
Jeff Riggenbach, 2 Jun 2010
Biographical essay, focused on attempting to answer the title question; transcript of "The Libertarian Tradition" of 18 May 2010
In the early 1970s, according to a survey undertaken at the time by SIL, the Society for Individual Liberty, one libertarian activist in six had been led to libertarianism by reading the novels and short stories of Robert A. Heinlein. Among the prominent libertarians of the late 20th Century who have named Heinlein as an important influence on the development of their own political thinking were Dave Nolan (the founder of the Libertarian Party) and the late Samuel Edward Konkin III. But was Heinlein a libertarian? There certainly are libertarian ideas in some of his books.
We Can Oppose Bigotry without the Politicians, by
Sheldon Richman,
The Goal Is Freedom, 28 Feb 2014
Explains why the state (as in the case of Arizona's Senate Bill 1062) is not necessary to ensure that people or businesses don't discriminate against others on the basis of sexual orientation or other reasons
What's an advocate of individual freedom, peaceful social cooperation, and tolerance to make of all this? ... [P]rivate action is not only morally superior to government action, it is also more effective ... In other words,
Libertarians need not shy away from the question, "Do you mean that whites should have been allowed to exclude blacks from their lunch counters?" Libertarians can answer proudly, "No. They should not have been allowed to do that. They should have been stopped—not by the State, which can't be trusted, but by nonviolent social action on behalf of equality." The libertarian answer to bigotry is community organizing.
We Need an Angel Like Clarence, by
Lew Rockwell,
Mises Daily, 28 Dec 2006
Attempts to counter the despair felt by some in the freedom movement by examining, by example, the "unseen" benefits of libertarian activism over the past century
So should libertarian activists be doing something else with their time? ... We need to look at the statism that we do not experience, and what the world would be like if it weren't for the efforts of libertarians ... Libertarian ideology, in all its forms, has literally saved the world from the state, which always and everywhere wants to advance ... If it does not advance and if it does roll back (however rarely), it is to the credit of public ideology ... Libertarian ideas are like stones dropping into water, which make waves in so many directions that no one is sure where they come from.
What an Honest Conversation about Race Would Look Like, by
Sheldon Richman,
The Goal Is Freedom, 19 Jul 2013
Argues that in order to have an "honest conversation about race", it must first be recognized that many government policies, such as drug prohibition, gun control and mandatory schooling, are enablers for racism
Private racism, whether violent or nonviolent, is evil and abhorrent; it is also unlibertarian—yes, even nonviolent racism is unlibertarian, as I point out in "Libertarianism = Anti-Racism." There I wrote,
What could be a libertarian reason to oppose nonviolent racism? ... Libertarianism is a commitment to the nonaggression principle ... [I]t is conceivable that a principle of nonviolent action, such as racism, though not involving the initiation of force and contradicting libertarianism per se, could nevertheless contradict the justification for one's libertarianism ...
What Are Libertarians Out to Accomplish?, by
Sheldon Richman,
The Goal Is Freedom, 23 Jan 2015
Reviews the Nathaniel Branden speech "What Happens When the Libertarian Movement Begins to Succeed?", given at the 1979 Libertarian Party national convention, about the manner in which libertarians communicate with non-libertarians
In 1971 ... the
New York Times Magazine published a five-thousand-word article by two libertarian college seniors: Stan Lehr and Louis Rossetto Jr. ... Here's a passage:
While conservatives preached that all laws should be obeyed until repealed, libertarians ... argued that an individual is morally justified, for instance, in resisting the draft or smoking marijuana ... [T]he libertarians were not all that opposed—in principle, at any rate—to the basic idea of shaking up or even overthrowing the liberal state. Most important, libertarians did not want to become apologists for and defenders of the existing order.
What Is the Enemy?, by
Sheldon Richman,
Freedom Daily, Apr 2006
Discusses why corporatism, also known as state capitalism or political capitalism, is the "the great institutional threat to liberty"
As libertarians, what should we view as the great institutional threat to liberty? ... Libertarianism is radical not conservative, and laissez faire protects no vested interests ... [W]hen [the United States] meddles in other countries, supports dictators, and encourages (or imposes) interventionist economic measures, ... [it] has done untold damage to the libertarian cause where it should have flourished ... While it is true that the system has become more pluralized, ... the chief opposition for libertarians is the business establishment that refuses to operate in a free market.
What Should Libertarians Do?, by
Sheldon Richman,
The Goal Is Freedom, 25 Apr 2014
Examines what libertarianism requires of people, such as an understanding of economics, and suggests focusing on the (classical) liberal insight that "societies run themselves" spontaneously, with example quotes from Thomas Paine and John Quincy Adams
Libertarians simultaneously ask little of people and a lot. We ask little when we preach nonaggression, because most people already practice [it] in their own lives ... On the other hand, we ask a lot when we ask people to believe that free markets work. Most people know nothing about economics. Except in the most micro sense, they do not engage in the "economic way of thinking." ... The upshot is that most people have never heard of unplanned, undesigned, or spontaneous order. When they hear libertarians talking about markets unregulated by the state, they can't digest the idea.
What Social Animals Owe to Each Other, by
Sheldon Richman,
The Goal Is Freedom, 18 Apr 2014
Delves into the meaning and justification for the non-aggression principle, with insights from Roderick Long's "Reason and Value: Aristotle versus Rand"
If I were compelled to summarize the libertarian philosophy's distinguishing feature ..., I'd say the following: Every person owes it to all other persons not to aggress against them. This is known as the nonaggression principle, or NAP ... Many libertarians, though certainly not all, approach the question of just conduct ... from egoistic considerations, such as those provided by Ayn Rand ... I would be a little uneasy if a libertarian told me that it is only his self-interest that prevents him from clubbing me on the noggin and making off with my wallet. And yet, self-interest still might provide an answer.
Why Be An Economist? To Be Happy, That's Why, by
Walter Block,
Mises Daily, 21 Dec 2006
Block contrasts his recommendations to students interested in economics (getting a PhD. and becoming a professor or similar career) vs. advice from another professor (majoring in economics and finance with a view towards a finance career)
[P]romoting Austro-libertarianism is one of the most important things in my professional life ... Of course, curing cancer, enhancing general education ..., etc. are also good goals to have. It is not an all-or-nothing proposition. But economic freedom and libertarianism, in addition to being an end in and of themselves, are a necessary means to these other ends ... [J]ust about everything [students] do in an academic field (certainly including journalism, working as a free market think tank analyst, etc.) will further buttress their beliefs, and encourage them in their libertarianism.
Why Liberty?, by
R. W. Bradford,
Doug Casey,
Stephen Cox, Ross Overbeek,
Murray N. Rothbard,
Liberty, 5 Jul 1987
First (and only) editorial, discusses the three different kinds of existing libertarian periodicals, what areas and issues
Liberty was going to address and who the founders were
Does the world really need another libertarian magazine? There already exists a variety of libertarian periodicals, ranging from local newsletters to national magazines, from personal "zines" to scholarly journals ... We propose to publish
Liberty as a journal by libertarians for libertarians ... We propose to publish lively discussions of these sorts of issues:
- the intellectual and psychological roots of libertarianism and of the hostility to liberty.
- the sort of society that libertarianism entails.
- cultural, social and historical matters from a libertarian perspective.
...- the origin and history of the libertarian movement.
Why I am a Libertarian, by Mark Richards, 21 May 2008
Describes the persons (mainly his mother) and events that influenced the author in becoming a libertarian
So here I was a young teenager in the late 1960s and I didn't like the liberal left that was manipulating the youth in America at that time but I also rejected the "establishment" (the government and its allies in the media, public education, and the churches) which I knew was lying to the American people. It was through those John Birch Society publications that my mother had picked up at that country fair that I first became acquainted with economists and authors like Ayn Rand, Ludwig von Mises, Milton Friedman, F.A. Hayek, Henry Hazlitt, Murray Rothbard, and others who were proponents of the freedom philosophy.
Why I Am Not a 'Conservative', by Vin Suprynowicz, 13 Jun 2006
Examines the words "conservative" and "liberal", pointing out that Democrats are in fact the former while being called the latter, and then looks at Republicans and how far they have strayed from their supposed principles
The 19th century definition of liberal–we now use "classical liberal" to maintain the distinction–was basically a laissez faire type who favored free trade and sound money. True "liberals" wanted low taxes and not much meddlesome regulation ... Such positions are today the lonely terrain of the "third parties," widely reviled ... I [prefer] the more consistent smaller-government philosophy of the Libertarians. Though in today's America, the Libertarians (precisely because they threaten to shut down the pork parade, rather than merely diverting it to a new coalition) might poll 4% on a good day.
Why We Consent to Oppression, by
Peter Breggin,
Reason, Sep 1977
Examines the questions posed by La Boétie in his "Discourse on Voluntary Servitude" from a psychological perspective, particularly how childhood self-suppression leads most adults to more easily accept government oppression
Libertarians tend not to take human attitudes toward each other into account when hoping for and planning for a more libertarian world ... A libertarian society will thrive only when individuals are willing to value each other as human beings, even if they do not know or care for each other. It will thrive only when individuals are willing to value each other's freedom regardless of any gain or loss to themselves. Libertarianism will become a viable principle of society whenever men and women become willing to live by, and, if necessary, to fight for each other's liberty.
Winning the Battle for Freedom and Prosperity, by
John Mackey,
Liberty, Jun 2006
Updated from speech given at FreedomFest 2004; after a brief background on himself, Mackey criticizes the freedom movement from a marketing and branding perspective and suggests a different approach by de-emphasizing some issues and prioritizing others
I identify myself as a Libertarian. I am one of those people who actually votes Libertarian ... What I love most about the freedom movement are the ideas of voluntary cooperation and spontaneous order when channeled through free markets, leading to the continuous evolution and progress of humanity. I believe that individual freedom in free markets, when combined with property rights through rule of law and ethical democratic government, results in societies that maximize prosperity and establish conditions that promote human happiness and well-being.
Related Topics:
Business,
Children,
Educational freedom,
Health,
Health care,
Liberty,
Individual Liberty,
Life,
Life extension,
Market economy,
Personal responsibility,
Ayn Rand,
Socialism,
Taxation,
War
