NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Libertarianism

Libertarianism is a political philosophy or a family of related political philosophies based on very strong support for individual liberty. Libertarians see protection of private property as essential for liberty and seek to minimize, as much as possible, the power of the state over individuals and their properties. Image File history File links Portal. ... The Politics series Politics Portal This box: Political philosophy is the study of fundamental questions about the state, government, politics, liberty, justice, property, rights, law and the enforcement of a legal code by authority: what they are, why (or even if) they are needed, what makes a government legitimate, what... This page is a candidate for speedy deletion. ... For other uses, see State (disambiguation). ...

Broadly speaking, there are two types of libertarians: rights theorists and consequentialists.^[1] Rights theorists (some of whom may be deontologists) assert that all persons are the absolute owners of their lives, and should be free to do whatever they wish with their persons or property, provided they allow others the same liberty. They maintain that the initiation of force by any person or government, against another person or their property—with force meaning the use of physical force, the threat of it, or the commission of fraud against someone—who has not initiated physical force, threat, or fraud, is a violation of that principle. They do not oppose force used in response to initiatory aggressions such as violence, threat of violence, fraud or trespassing. Consequentialism is the belief that what ultimately matters in evaluating actions or policies of action are the consequences that result from choosing one action or policy rather than the alternative. ... Stems from the Greek word deon, meaning duty. ... Self-ownership or sovereignty of the individual or individual sovereignty is the condition where an individual has the exclusive moral right to control his or her own body and life. ... Individual rights represent the moral rights of individuals in society prior to government. ... This page deals with property as ownership rights. ... Individual rights represent the moral rights of individuals in society prior to government. ... This page deals with property as ownership rights. ...

Consequentialist libertarians do not have a moral prohibition against "initiation of force," but believe that allowing a very large scope of political and economic liberty results in the maximum well-being or efficiency for a society. They maintain that a limited government is necessary for the maximization of liberty and therefore advancement of these goals. This type of libertarianism is associated with Milton Friedman, Ludwig von Mises, Friedrich Hayek, and James M. Buchanan. Some writers who have been called libertarians have also been referred to as classical liberals, by others or themselves. Also, some use the phrase "the freedom philosophy" to refer to libertarianism, classical liberalism, or both.^[2] Freedom is the right, or the capacity, of self-determination, as an expression of the individual will. ... The Index of Economic Freedom is an annual report published by The Wall Street Journal and the Heritage Foundation. ... Limited government is a government structure where any more than minimal governmental intervention in personal liberties and the economy is prohibited by law, usually in a written constitution. ... Milton Friedman (July 31, 1912 â€“ November 16, 2006) was an American Nobel Laureate economist and public intellectual. ... Ludwig Heinrich Edler von Mises (September 29, 1881 â€“ October 10, 1973) (pronounced was a notable economist and a major influence on the modern libertarian movement. ... Friedrich August von Hayek, CH (May 8, 1899 in Vienna â€“ March 23, 1992 in Freiburg) was an Austrian-born British economist and political philosopher known for his defense of liberal democracy and free-market capitalism against socialist and collectivist thought in the mid-20th century. ... For other persons named James Buchanan, see James Buchanan (disambiguation). ... Classical liberalism (also known as traditional liberalism[1] and laissez-faire liberalism[2]) is a doctrine stressing the importance of human rationality, individual property rights, natural rights, the protection of civil liberties, constitutional limitations of government, free markets, and individual freedom from restraint as exemplified in the writings of Adam...

Libertarians favor an ethic of self-responsibility and strongly oppose conscription and the welfare state, because they believe coercing someone to provide charity and military service is ethically wrong, ultimately counter-productive, or both. Apart from some very basic principles favoring personal freedom and free markets, there is not a canon of "official" libertarian beliefs. Libertarians may disagree with other libertarians over specific issues.^[3] For example, they may differ over abortion issues, and some support the U.S. invasion of Iraq while some oppose it.^[4] There is a distinction between a libertarian and a member of a Libertarian Party, the latter of which would be called a Libertarian with a capital "L", as not all libertarians agree with any particular libertarian organization's platform. There are three main interpretations of the idea of a welfare state: the provision of welfare services by the state. ... Libertarian Party can refer to several libertarian political parties, including: United States Libertarian Party Libertarian Party of Canada Movimiento Libertario of Costa Rica The Libertarianz of New Zealand Libertarian Party of Australia There are also political parties that hold some of the same policies as the above parties but do...

Libertarianism is most popular in the United States, where it was the philosophy advocated by Thomas Jefferson and several of the Founding Fathers.^[5] Libertarianism is often bundled with American conservatism, because many conservatives aim to retain the ideas of the Founders (although many conservatives are not comfortable with libertarianism).^[6] Polls show that 10 to 20 percent of voting-age Americans have libertarian views.^[7]^[8] Thomas Jefferson (13 April 1743 N.S.â€“4 July 1826) was the third President of the United States (1801â€“09), the principal author of the Declaration of Independence (1776), and one of the most influential Founding Fathers for his promotion of the ideals of Republicanism in the United States. ... Scene at the Signing of the Constitution of the United States, by Howard Chandler Christy. ... Conservatism in the United States comprises a constellation of political ideologies including fiscal conservatism, free market or economic liberalism, social conservatism,[1] bioconservatism and religious conservatism,[2][3] as well as support for a strong military,[4] small government and promotion of states rights. ...

Principles

The central tenet of libertarianism is the principle of liberty, namely individual liberty. To libertarians, an individual human being is sovereign over his/her body, extending to life, liberty and property.^[9] As such, libertarians define liberty as being completely free in action, whilst not initiating force or fraud against the life, liberty or property of another human being. Or as Thomas Jefferson stated, "Rightful liberty is unobstructed action according to our will within limits drawn around us by the equal rights of others." This is otherwise known as the non-aggression principle.^[10]^[11] Libertarians and Objectivists limit what they define as rights to variations on the right to be left alone, and argue that other rights such as the right to a good education or the right to have free access to water are not legitimate rights and do not deserve the same... Libertarian theories of law build on libertarianism or classical liberalism. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 Ã— 600 pixels Full resolution (2816 Ã— 2112 pixel, file size: 1. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 Ã— 600 pixels Full resolution (2816 Ã— 2112 pixel, file size: 1. ... For other uses, see Liberty (disambiguation). ... Look up sovereign in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... For other uses, see Life (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Liberty (disambiguation). ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... For other uses, see Force (disambiguation). ... Human beings are defined variously in biological, spiritual, and cultural terms, or in combinations thereof. ... Thomas Jefferson (13 April 1743 N.S.â€“4 July 1826) was the third President of the United States (1801â€“09), the principal author of the Declaration of Independence (1776), and one of the most influential Founding Fathers for his promotion of the ideals of Republicanism in the United States. ... The non-aggression principle (also called the non-aggression axiom, anticoercion principle, or zero aggression principle) is a deontological ethical stance associated with the libertarian movement. ...

Libertarians generally view constraints imposed by the state on persons or their property (if applicable), beyond the need to penalize infringement of one's rights by another, as a violation of liberty. Anarchist libertarians favor no governmental constraints at all, based on the assumption that rulers and laws are unnecessary because in the absence of government individuals will naturally form self-governing social bonds, rules, customs, codes, and contracts. In contrast, minarchist libertarians consider government necessary for the sole purpose of protecting the rights of the people. This includes protecting people and their property from the criminal acts of others, as well as providing for national defense.^[12]^[13] Theory and practice Issues History Culture By region Lists Related Anarchism Portal Politics Portal Â· Individualist anarchism (also anarchist individualism, anarcho-individualism, individualistic anarchism) refers to any of several traditions that hold that individual conscience and the pursuit of self-interest should not be constrained by any collective body or public... In civics, Minarchism, sometimes called minimal statism, is the view that government should be as small as possible. ...

Libertarians generally defend the ideal of freedom from the perspective of how little one is constrained by authority, that is, how much one is allowed to do, which is referred to as negative liberty. This ideal is distinguished from a view of freedom focused on how much one is able to do, which is termed positive liberty, a distinction first noted by John Stuart Mill, and later described in fuller detail by Isaiah Berlin.^[13] The philosophical concept of negative liberty refers to an individuals liberty from being subjected to the authority of others. ... Positive liberty is an idea that was first expressed and analyzed as a separate conception of liberty by John Stuart Mill but most notably described by Isaiah Berlin. ... John Stuart Mill (20 May 1806 â€“ 8 May 1873), British philosopher, political economist, civil servant and Member of Parliament, was an influential liberal thinker of the 19th century. ... Sir Isaiah Berlin, OM (June 6, 1909 â€“ November 5, 1997), was a political philosopher and historian of ideas, regarded as one of the leading liberal thinkers of the 20th century. ...

Many libertarians view life, liberty, and property as the ultimate rights possessed by individuals, and that compromising one necessarily endangers the rest. In democracies, they consider compromise of these individual rights by political action to be tyranny of the majority, a term first coined by Alexis de Tocqueville, and made famous by John Stuart Mill, which emphasizes the threat of the majority to impose majority norms on minorities, and violating their rights in the process. "...There needs protection also against the tyranny of the prevailing opinion and feeling, against the tendency of society to impose, by other means than civil penalties, its own ideas and practices as rules of conduct on those who dissent from them..."^[14] For other uses, see Life (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Liberty (disambiguation). ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Look up tyranny in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Tocqueville redirects here. ... John Stuart Mill (20 May 1806 â€“ 8 May 1873), British philosopher, political economist, civil servant and Member of Parliament, was an influential liberal thinker of the 19th century. ...

Having weak state executive control means libertarian societies are more dependent on the courts for conflict resolution. An impartial judiciary can thus be of paramount importance, for without it wealthy and collective interests might run roughshod over the private citizen. The Politics series Politics Portal This box: In the law, the judiciary or judicial system is the system of courts which administer justice in the name of the sovereign or state, a mechanism for the resolution of disputes. ...

An example often cited by Republican Texas congressman Ron Paul^{[citation needed]} is the disrespect for property rights during and soon after the industrial revolution. Many factories were allowed to pollute their neighbors' property with impunity as the courts cast a deaf ear to the cries of individual property owners.^{[citation needed]} Official language(s) No official language See languages of Texas Capital Austin Largest city Houston Largest metro area Dallasâ€“Fort Worthâ€“Arlington Area Ranked 2nd - Total 261,797 sq mi (678,051 kmÂ²) - Width 773 miles (1,244 km) - Length 790 miles (1,270 km) - % water 2. ... Ronald Ernest Paul (born August 20, 1935) is a 10th-term United States congressman from Lake Jackson, Texas, a member of the Republican Party, a pro-life physician, and a candidate for the Republican nomination in the 2008 presidential election. ... A Watt steam engine, the steam engine that propelled the Industrial Revolution in Britain and the world. ...

Some libertarians favor Common Law, which they see as less arbitrary and more adaptable than statutory law. The relative benefits of common law evolving toward ever-finer definitions of property rights were articulated by thinkers such as Friedrich Hayek, Richard Epstein, Robert Nozick, and Randy Barnett. Some libertarian thinkers believe that this evolution can define away various "commons" such as pollution or other interactions viewed by some as externalities. "A libertarian society would not allow anyone to injure others by pollution because it insists on individual responsibility."^[15]^[16] This article concerns the common-law legal system, as contrasted with the civil law legal system; for other meanings of the term, within the field of law, see common law (disambiguation). ... Statutory law is written law (as opposed to oral or customary law) set down by a legislature or other governing authority such as the executive branch of government in response to a perceived need to clarify the functioning of government, improve civil order, answer a public need, to codify existing... Friedrich August von Hayek, CH (May 8, 1899 in Vienna â€“ March 23, 1992 in Freiburg) was an Austrian-born British economist and political philosopher known for his defense of liberal democracy and free-market capitalism against socialist and collectivist thought in the mid-20th century. ... Richard Epstein Richard A. Epstein, born in 1943, is currently the James Parker Hall Distinguished Service Professor of Law at the University of Chicago Law School. ... Robert Nozick (November 16, 1938 â€“ January 23, 2002) was an American philosopher and Pellegrino University Professor at Harvard University. ... Randy Barnett Randy E. Barnett (born February 5, 1952) is a lawyer, a law professor at Georgetown University Law Center, and a legal theorist in the United States. ... In economics, an externality is an impact (positive or negative) on anyone not party to a given economic transaction. ...

Natural rights and consequentialism

Some libertarians such as Robert Nozick and Murray Rothbard view the rights to life, liberty, and property as Natural Rights, i.e., worthy of protection as an end in themselves. Their view of natural rights is derived, directly or indirectly, from the writings of Thomas Hobbes and John Locke. Ayn Rand, another powerful influence on libertarianism, despite rejecting the label, viewed rights as grounded in people's rational faculties.^[14] Robert Nozick (November 16, 1938 â€“ January 23, 2002) was an American philosopher and Pellegrino University Professor at Harvard University. ... Murray Newton Rothbard (March 2, 1926 â€“ January 7, 1995) was an influential American economist, historian and natural law theorist belonging to the Austrian School of Economics who helped define modern libertarianism. ... For other uses, see Universalism (disambiguation). ... Hobbes redirects here. ... For other persons named John Locke, see John Locke (disambiguation). ... Ayn Rand (IPA: , February 2 [O.S. January 20] 1905 â€“ March 6, 1982), born Alisa Zinovyevna Rosenbaum (Russian: ), was a Russian-born American novelist and philosopher,[1] known for creating a philosophy she named Objectivism and for writing the novels We the Living, The Fountainhead, Atlas Shrugged and the...

Other libertarians such as Milton Friedman, Ludwig von Mises, and Friedrich Hayek justified these rights on pragmatic or consequentialist, as well as moral, grounds. They argued that individual liberty leads to economic efficiency and other benefits, and is thus the most effective means of promoting or enhancing social welfare. They accept the use of some initiation of force, such as a State that violates the non-aggression principle by taxing to provide some public goods and some minimal regulation. Some libertarians such as Jan Narveson take the contractarian point of view that rights are a sort of agreement rational people would make before interacting.^[17] Milton Friedman (July 31, 1912 â€“ November 16, 2006) was an American Nobel Laureate economist and public intellectual. ... Ludwig Heinrich Edler von Mises (September 29, 1881 â€“ October 10, 1973) (pronounced was a notable economist and a major influence on the modern libertarian movement. ... Friedrich August von Hayek, CH (May 8, 1899 in Vienna â€“ March 23, 1992 in Freiburg) was an Austrian-born British economist and political philosopher known for his defense of liberal democracy and free-market capitalism against socialist and collectivist thought in the mid-20th century. ... Pragmatism is a philosophic school that originated in the late nineteenth century with Charles Sanders Peirce, who first stated the pragmatic maxim. ... Consequentialism refers to those moral theories which hold that the consequences of a particular action form the basis for any valid moral judgment about that action. ... Jan Narveson (born 1936) is a professor of philosophy at the University of Waterloo, in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. ...

Libertarian policy

Libertarians strongly oppose infringement of civil liberties such as restrictions on free expression (e.g., speech, press, or religious practice), prohibitions on voluntary association, or encroachments on persons or property. Some make an exception when the infringement is a result of due process to establish or punish criminal behavior. As such, libertarians oppose any type of censorship (i.e., claims of offensive speech), or pre-trial forfeiture of property (as is commonly seen in drug crime and computer crime proceedings). Furthermore, most libertarians reject the distinction between political and commercial speech or association, a legal distinction often used to protect one type of activity and not the other from government intervention.^[13] In United States law, adopted from English Law, due process (more fully due process of law) is the principle that the government must respect all of a persons legal rights instead of just some or most of those legal rights when the government deprives a person of life, liberty... For other uses, see Censor. ... DEA Operation Mallorca, 2005 Drug deal Illegal drugs are related to crime in multiple ways. ... Computer crime, cybercrime, e-crime, hi-tech crime or electronic crime generally refers to criminal activity where a computer or network is the source, tool, target, or place of a crime. ...

Libertarians also oppose any laws restricting personal or consensual behavior, as well as laws against victimless crimes. As such, they believe that individual choices for products or services should not be limited by government licensing requirements or state-granted monopolies, or in the form of trade barriers that restrict choices for products and services from other nations (see Free trade). They also tend to oppose legal prohibitions on recreational drug use, gambling, and prostitution. They believe that citizens should be free to take risks, even to the point of actual harm to themselves. For example, while most libertarians may personally agree with the majority who favor the use of seatbelts, libertarians reject mandating their use as paternalistic. Similarly, many believe that the United States Food and Drug Administration (and other similar bodies in other countries like Health Canada in Canada) shouldn't ban unproven medical treatments, that any decisions on treatment be left between patient and doctor, and that government should be limited to passing non-binding judgments about efficacy or safety, if it is allowed to do anything at all.^[13] Consent (as a term of jurisprudence) is a possible justification against civil or criminal liability. ... Victimless crime has the following applications: A victimless crime is one in which the victim is the accused. ... A trade barrier is general term that describes any government policy or regulation that restricts international trade, the barriers can take many forms, including: Import duties Import licenses Export licenses Quotas Tariffs Subsidies Non-tariff barriers to trade Most trade barriers work on the same principle: the imposition of some... Free trade is an economic concept referring to the selling of products between countries without tariffs or other trade barriers. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... Caravaggio, The Cardsharps, c. ... Whore redirects here. ... A three-point seat belt. ... Paternalism refers to a policy that prevents others from doing harm to themselves or a belief in such policies. ... â€œFDAâ€ redirects here. ... sex Canada (French: SantÃ© Canada) is the department of the government of Canada with responsibility for national public health. ...

Some libertarians believe such freedoms are a universal birthright, and they accept any material inequalities or wanton behavior, as long as it harms no one else, likely to result from such a policy of governmental non-intervention. They see economic inequality as an outcome of people's freedom to choose their own actions, which may or may not be profitable. However, many libertarians believe that extreme concentration of wealth in a few hands is a result of state intervention, and that liberty ultimately leads to a more diffuse distribution though not necessarily an equal one. A prime cause of extreme wealth disparity stems from government granting special privileges to some businesses at the expense of consumers and other businesses. Many Libertarians, including Ron Paul and Murray Rothbard, consider that the most fundamental government grant of special privilege involves government protection from the debt-based monetary system and the legitimization and protection of fractional reserve banking through the Federal Reserve and the Federal Reserve Act of 1913. They therefore call for the abolition of the Federal Reserve System. Ronald Ernest Paul (born August 20, 1935) is a 10th-term United States congressman from Lake Jackson, Texas, a member of the Republican Party, a pro-life physician, and a candidate for the Republican nomination in the 2008 presidential election. ... Murray Newton Rothbard (March 2, 1926 â€“ January 7, 1995) was an influential American economist, historian and natural law theorist belonging to the Austrian School of Economics who helped define modern libertarianism. ... A debt-based monetary system is an economic system where money is created primarily through fractional reserve banking techniques, using the private banking system. ... In economics, particularly in financial economics, fractional-reserve banking is the near-universal practice of banks of retaining only a fraction of their deposits and notes as reserves to satisfy demands for withdrawals, investing the remainder at interest to obtain income that can be used to pay interest to depositors... The Federal Reserve System is headquartered in the Eccles Building on Constitution Avenue in Washington, DC. The Federal Reserve System (also the Federal Reserve; informally The Fed) is the central banking system of the United States. ... The Federal Reserve Act, also known as the Act of December 23, 1913, ch. ...

Minarchism and anarcho-capitalism

Some who self-identify as libertarians are minarchists, i.e., supportive of minimal taxation as a "necessary evil" for the limited purpose of funding public institutions that would protect civil liberties and property rights, including police, volunteer armed forces without conscription, and judicial courts. Anarcho-capitalists, by contrast, oppose all taxation, rejecting any government claim for a monopoly of protection as unnecessary. They wish to keep the government out of matters of justice and protection, preferring to delegate these functions to private groups such as insurers, arbiters, and private defense agencies. Anarcho-capitalists argue that the minarchist belief that any monopoly on coercion can be contained within any reasonable limits is unrealistic, and that institutionalized coercion on any scale is counterproductive. Any justification for the coercive state, or alliance between business and the state, is said to result in a more efficient and thus more dangerous state—or crony capitalism. In civics, minarchism, sometimes called minimal statism or small government, is the view that the size, role and influence of government in a free society should be minimal â€” only large enough to protect the liberty and property of each individual. ... Anarcho-capitalism refers to an anti-statist philosophy that embraces capitalism as one of its foundational principles. ... In civics, Minarchism, sometimes called minimal statism, is the view that government should be as small as possible. ... Alternate cover US 1979 and 2002 reissue cover, also known as paint spatter cover For the military meaning, see Armed forces. ... A trial at the Old Bailey in London as drawn by Thomas Rowlandson and Augustus Pugin for Ackermanns Microcosm of London (1808-11). ... Anarcho-capitalism refers to an anti-statist philosophy that embraces capitalism as one of its foundational principles. ... The monopoly on the legitimate use of physical force designs an essential attribute of the states sovereignty. ... Insurance, in law and economics, is a form of risk management primarily used to hedge against the risk of a contingent loss. ... Arbitration is a legal technique for the resolution of disputes outside the courts, wherein the parties to a dispute refer it to one or more persons (the arbitrators or arbitral tribunal), by whose decision (the award) they agree to be bound. ... A private defense agency (PDA) is a hypothetical agency that provides defense voluntarily through the free market. ... The monopoly on the legitimate use of physical force designs an essential attribute of the states sovereignty. ... Crony capitalism is a pejorative term describing an allegedly capitalist economy in which success in business depends on an extremely close relationship between the businessman and the state institutions of politics and government, rather than by the espoused equitable concepts of the free market, open competition, and economic liberalism. ...

The policy positions of minarchists and anarcho-capitalists on mainstream issues tend to be indistinguishable as both sets of libertarians believe that existing governments are too intrusive. Some libertarian philosophers such as Tibor R. Machan argue that, properly understood, minarchism and anarcho-capitalism are not in contradiction. Tibor R. Machan, Ph. ...

History

The first known use of a term that has been translated as "libertarian" in a political sense was by anarcho-communist Joseph Déjacque^[18], who used the French term libertaire in a letter to Pierre-Joseph Proudhon in 1857.^[19] The word stems from the French word libertaire (synonymous to "anarchist"), and was used in order to evade the French ban on anarchist publications.^[20] Liberalism is an ideology, philosophical view, and political tradition which holds that liberty is the primary political value. ... Classical liberalism (also known as traditional liberalism[1] and laissez-faire liberalism[2]) is a doctrine stressing the importance of human rationality, individual property rights, natural rights, the protection of civil liberties, constitutional limitations of government, free markets, and individual freedom from restraint as exemplified in the writings of Adam... The history of libertarianism is closely related to the history of classical liberalism. ... Anarcho-Communism, or Libertarian Communism, is a political ideology related to Libertarian socialism. ... Joseph DÃ©jacque (b. ... Pierre Joseph Proudhon. ...

Many anarchists still use the term (e.g., terms translatable as "libertarian" are used as a synonym for anarchism in many non-English languages, like French, Italian and so on), and in the English language socialist anarchism and communist anarchism are often referred to as Libertarian socialism or Libertarian communism respectively to distinguish it from authoritarian Marxist varieties of socialism and communism. In the United States, however, Libertarian refers to members of the American Libertarian party, whose politics might be described as classical liberalism. Those who support similar policies but are not members of the Libertarian party are known as libertarians in the United States and much of the English-speaking world. Anarchist redirects here. ... Libertarian socialism is a group of political philosophies that aim to create a society without political, economic or social hierarchies - a society in which all violent or coercive institutions would be dissolved, and in their place every person would have free, equal access to tools of information and production, or... Anarcho-Communism, or Libertarian Communism, is a political ideology related to Libertarian socialism. ... Marxism is the political practice and social theory based on the works of Karl Marx, a 19th century philosopher, economist, journalist, and revolutionary, along with Friedrich Engels. ... Socialism refers to a broad array of doctrines or political movements that envisage a socio-economic system in which property and the distribution of wealth are subject to control by the community[1] for the purposes of increasing social and economic equality and cooperation. ... Communism is an ideology that seeks to establish a classless, stateless social organization based on common ownership of the means of production. ...

This form of libertarianism, in contrast to the socialist forms, draws heavily on classical liberalism, a modern term often used interchangeably with libertarianism. This concept, originally referred to simply as "liberalism", arose from Enlightenment ideas in Europe and America, including the political philosophies of John Locke and the Baron de Montesquieu, and the moral and economic philosophy of Adam Smith. By the late 18th century, these ideas quickly spread with the Industrial Revolution throughout the Western world. Classical liberalism (also known as traditional liberalism[1] and laissez-faire liberalism[2]) is a doctrine stressing the importance of human rationality, individual property rights, natural rights, the protection of civil liberties, constitutional limitations of government, free markets, and individual freedom from restraint as exemplified in the writings of Adam... The Enlightenment (French: ; German: ; Italian: ; Portuguese: ) was an eighteenth century movement in European and American philosophy â€” some classifications also include 17th century philosophy (usually called the Age of Reason). ... For other persons named John Locke, see John Locke (disambiguation). ... Charles de Secondat, Baron de Montesquieu Charles de Secondat, Baron de Montesquieu (January 18, 1689 - February 10, French political thinker who lived during the Enlightenment and is famous for his articulation of the theory of separation of powers, taken for granted in modern discussions of government and implemented in many... For other persons named Adam Smith, see Adam Smith (disambiguation). ... A Watt steam engine, the steam engine that propelled the Industrial Revolution in Britain and the world. ... Occident redirects here. ...

Locke developed a version of the social contract as rule with "the consent of the governed" derived from Natural Rights. The role of the legislature was to protect natural rights in the legal form of civil rights. Locke built on the idea of Natural Rights to propose a labor theory of property; each individual in the state of nature "owns" himself and, by virtue of his labor, owns the fruits of his efforts. From this conception of Natural Rights, an economy emerges based on private property and trade, with money as the medium of exchange. John Lockes writings on the Social Contract were particularly influential among the American Founding Fathers. ... The Politics series Politics Portal This box: Consent of the governed is a political theory stating that a governments legitimacy and moral right to use state power is, or ought to be, derived from the people or society over which that power is exercised. ... For other uses, see Universalism (disambiguation). ... Civil rights or positive rights are those legal rights retained by citizens and protected by the government. ... For other uses, see Universalism (disambiguation). ... State of nature is a term in political philosophy used in social contract theories to describe the hypothetical condition of humanity before the states foundation and its monopoly on the legitimate use of physical force. ... For other uses, see Universalism (disambiguation). ... This page deals with property as ownership rights. ... It has been suggested that Commerce be merged into this article or section. ... For other uses, see Money (disambiguation). ...

At around the same period, the French philosopher Montesquieu developed a distinction between sovereign and administrative powers, and proposed a separation of powers among the latter as a counterweight to the natural tendency of administrative power to grow at the expense of individual rights. He believed this separation of powers could work just as well in a Republic as for a limited monarchy, though he personally preferred the latter. Nevertheless, his ideas influenced America's Founding Fathers, and would become the basis upon which political power would be exercised by most governments, both constitutional monarchies and republics, beginning with the United States. The Politics series Politics Portal This box: Separation of powers is a term coined by French political Enlightenment thinker Baron de Montesquieu[1][2], is a model for the governance of democratic states. ... Look up republic in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... â€œFoundersâ€ redirects here. ...

Adam Smith's moral philosophy stressed government non-intervention so that individuals could achieve whatever their "God-given talents" would allow without interference from arbitrary forces^{[citation needed]}. His economic analysis suggested that anything interfering with the ability of individuals to contribute their best talents to any enterprise—a reference to mercantilist policies and monopolistic guilds—would lead to an inefficient division of labor, and hamstring progress generally. He was also against "joint stock companies", what we would today call corporations. Mercantilism is the economic theory that a nations prosperity depended upon its supply of gold and silver, that the total volume of trade is unchangeable. ... This article is about the economic term. ... A guild is an association of persons of the same trade or pursuits, formed to protect mutual interests and maintain standards of morality or conduct. ... A joint stock company (JSC) is a type of business partnership in which the capital is formed by the individual contributions of a group of shareholders. ...

During the American Revolution, the Founding Fathers of the United States substantially enshrined the protection of liberty as the primary purpose of government. Thomas Jefferson said that "rightful liberty is unobstructed action according to our will within limits drawn around us by the equal rights of others". John Trumbulls Declaration of Independence, showing the five-man committee in charge of drafting the Declaration in 1776 as it presents its work to the Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia The American Revolution refers to the period during the last half of the 18th century in which the Thirteen... Scene at the Signing of the Constitution of the United States, by Howard Chandler Christy. ...

The Marquis de La Fayette imported American ideas of liberty, although some might say re-imported, in drafting the French Declaration of the Rights of Man of 1789, which states: Marie-Joseph-Paul-Roch-Yves-Gilbert du Motier, marquis de La Fayette (September 6, 1757–May 20, 1834), was a French aristocrat most famous for his participation in the American Revolutionary War and early French Revolution. ...

John Stuart Mill, in a reformulation of Jeremy Bentham's notion of utilitarianism, stated that, "Over himself, over his own body and mind, the individual is sovereign." Mill contrasts this with what he calls the "tyranny of the majority", declaring that utilitarianism requires that political arrangements satisfy the "liberty principle", whereby each person would be guaranteed the greatest possible liberty that would not interfere with the liberty of others, so that each person may maximize his or her happiness. This ideal would be echoed later by English philosopher Herbert Spencer when he espoused the "law of equal liberty", stating that "every man has freedom to do all that he wills, provided he infringes not the equal freedom of any other man". John Stuart Mill (20 May 1806 â€“ 8 May 1873), British philosopher, political economist, civil servant and Member of Parliament, was an influential liberal thinker of the 19th century. ... Jeremy Bentham (IPA: ) (26 February [O.S. 15 February 15] 1748) â€“ June 6, 1832) was an English jurist, philosopher, and legal and social reformer. ... This article discusses utilitarian ethical theory. ... The non-aggression principle (also called the non-aggression axiom, anticoercion principle, or zero aggression principle) is a deontological ethical stance associated with the libertarian movement. ... For other persons named Herbert Spencer, see Herbert Spencer (disambiguation). ...

Pierre-Joseph Proudhon advocated an anarchist version of social contract which was not between individuals and the State, but rather "an agreement of man with man; an agreement from which must result what we call society". One of his famous statements is that "anarchy is order". In his formulation of mutualism, he asserted that labor is the only legitimate form of property, stating "property is freedom", rejecting both private and collective ownership of property "property is theft!". However, he later abandoned his rejection of property, and endorsed private property "as a counterweight to the power of the State, and by so doing to insure the liberty of the individual". Pierre Joseph Proudhon. ... Anarchist redirects here. ... Mutualism is an economic theory or system, largely associated with Pierre-Joseph Proudhon, based on a labor theory of value which holds that in extreme laissez-faire, market competition will cause the market values (prices) of commodities and services to align with the amount of labor embodied in those things. ... Property is theft! (French: La propriÃ©tÃ©, cest le vol!) is a slogan coined by the French anarchist Pierre-Joseph Proudhon in his book What is Property? Or, an Inquiry into the Principle of Right of Government. ...

By the early 20th century, mainstream thought in many parts of the world began to diverge from an almost exclusive focus on negative liberty and free markets to a more positive assertion of rights promoted by the Progressive movement in the United States and the socialist movement in Europe. Rather than government existing merely to "secure the rights" of free people, many began to agitate for the use of government power to promote positive rights. This change is exemplified by Franklin Roosevelt's Four Freedoms, two of which are negative, namely restricting governments from infringing "freedom of speech" and "freedom of worship", and two of which were positive, declaring a "freedom from want", i.e., government delivery of domestic and foreign aid, and a "freedom from fear", i.e., an internationalist policy for imposing peace between nations. Progressive Movement is the term used to refer collectively to several various movements around the world that adhere to progressivism. ... Socialism refers to a broad array of doctrines or political movements that envisage a socio-economic system in which property and the distribution of wealth are subject to control by the community[1] for the purposes of increasing social and economic equality and cooperation. ... Franklin Delano Roosevelt (January 30, 1882–April 12, 1945), often referred to as FDR, was the 32nd (1933–1945) President of the United States. ... Freedom of Speech Freedom of Worship. â€œFreedom From Fearâ€ The Four Freedoms are goals famously articulated by United States President Franklin D. Roosevelt in the State of the Union Address he delivered to the 77th United States Congress on January 6, 1941. ...

As liberal came to be identified with Progressive policies in several English-speaking countries during the 1920s and 1930s, many of those who espoused the original, minimal-state philosophy began to distinguish their doctrine by calling themselves "classical liberals".

In the early 20th century, the rise of Nazism in Germany and Communism in Russia were generally seen as distinct movements, with the latter bearing more resemblance to the Progressive movement in the West, and gaining much sympathy from many of its advocates. A group of central European economists called the Austrian school challenged that distinction between various brands of totalitarianism by identifying the common, collectivist underpinning to their doctrines, and claiming that collectivism in all its forms is inherently antithetical to liberty as traditionally understood in the West. These thinkers included Ludwig von Mises, Friedrich Hayek, Murray Rothbard, and Walter Block, the latter describing the "non-aggression axiom as the linchpin" of libertarianism. The Austrian School had a powerful impact on both economic teaching and libertarian principles. In the latter half of the 20th century, the term libertarian, which had earlier been associated with anarchism, came to be adopted by those whose attitudes bore closer resemblance to classical liberals. Nazism in history Nazi ideology Nazism and race Outside Germany Related subjects Lists Politics Portal Nazism or National Socialism (German: Nationalsozialismus), refers primarily to the ideology and practices of the Nazi Party (National Socialist German Workers Party, German: Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei or NSDAP) under Adolf Hitler. ... Communism is an ideology that seeks to establish a classless, stateless social organization based on common ownership of the means of production. ... The Austrian School, also known as the â€œVienna Schoolâ€ or the â€œPsychological Schoolâ€, is a heterodox school of economic thought that advocates adherence to strict methodological individualism. ... Forms of government Part of the Politics series Politics Portal This box: Totalitarianism is a term employed by some scientists, especially those in the field of comparative politics, to describe modern regimes in which the state regulates nearly every aspect of public and private behavior. ... Collectivism, in general, is a term used to describe a theoretical or practical emphasis on the group, as opposed to (and seen by many of its opponents to be at the expense of) the individual. ... Ludwig Heinrich Edler von Mises (September 29, 1881 â€“ October 10, 1973) (pronounced was a notable economist and a major influence on the modern libertarian movement. ... Friedrich August von Hayek, CH (May 8, 1899 in Vienna â€“ March 23, 1992 in Freiburg) was an Austrian-born British economist and political philosopher known for his defense of liberal democracy and free-market capitalism against socialist and collectivist thought in the mid-20th century. ... Murray Newton Rothbard (March 2, 1926 â€“ January 7, 1995) was an influential American economist, historian and natural law theorist belonging to the Austrian School of Economics who helped define modern libertarianism. ... Walter Block Walter Block (born 1941) is a leading free market economist and anarcho-capitalist associated with the Austrian School. ... The non-aggression principle (Also: non-aggression axiom) is defined as a prohibition against the initiation of force, or the threat of force, against persons or property. ...

In 1955, Dean Russell wrote an article pondering what to call those, such as himself, who subscribed to the classical liberal philosophy of individualism and self-responsibility. He said: Liberalism is a political current embracing several historical and present-day ideologies that claim defense of individual liberty as the purpose of government. ...

In 1958, Isaiah Berlin's famous essay "Two Concepts of Liberty" explained the difference between these two ideas in terms of positive and negative liberty. Whereas classical liberals aim for liberty in its negative sense, that is, the liberty from external constraints, the modern form of liberalism tries to achieve liberty in its positive sense, by providing opportunities and presenting alternatives. Sir Isaiah Berlin, OM (June 6, 1909 â€“ November 5, 1997), was a political philosopher and historian of ideas, regarded as one of the leading liberal thinkers of the 20th century. ... Two Concepts of Liberty was the inaugural lecture delivered by Isaiah Berlin before the University of Oxford on October 31, 1958. ...

Libertarian philosophy in the academy

Seminars in libertarianism were being taught in the U.S. starting in the 1960s, including a personal studies seminar at SUNY Geneseo starting in 1972. The Freedom School, later renamed Rampart College, was operated by Robert LeFevre during the 1960s and became a significant influence in spreading libertarian ideas. The Freedom School was located in Colorado, United States, offering a series of lectures by libertarian theorist Robert LeFevre in the 1950s and 1960s. ... Robert LeFevre (1911â€“1986) was a libertarian businessman and radio personality. ...

Philosophical libertarianism gained a significant measure of recognition in the academy with the publication of Harvard professor Robert Nozick's Anarchy, State, and Utopia in 1974. Left-liberal philosopher Thomas Nagel argued that Nozick's libertarianism was 'without foundations' because Nozick's libertarianism proceeded from the assumption that individuals owned themselves without any further explanation. Robert Nozick (November 16, 1938 â€“ January 23, 2002) was an American philosopher and Pellegrino University Professor at Harvard University. ... Thomas Nagel (born July 4, 1937, in Belgrade, Serbia) is University Professor of Philosophy and Law at New York University and member of the Board of Editors of EncyclopÃ¦dia Britannica. ...

Jan Narveson aimed to meet this challenge. Based on the work of David Gauthier, Narveson developed contractarian libertarianism, outlined in his 1988 work The Libertarian Idea, and then extended in his 2002 work Respecting Persons in Theory and Practice. In these works, Narveson agreed with Hobbes that individuals would lay down their ability to kill and steal from each other in order to leave the state of nature, but he broke with Hobbes in arguing that an absolute state was not necessary to enforce this agreement. Narveson argues that no state at all is required. Other advocates of contractarian libertarianism include the Nobel Laureate and founder of the public choice school of economics James M. Buchanan, and Hungarian-French philosopher Anthony de Jasay. Jan Narveson (born 1936) is a professor of philosophy at the University of Waterloo, in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. ... David Gauthier (born 1932) is a Canadian-American philosopher best known for his neo-Hobbesian social contract (contractarian) theory of morality, as laid out in his book Morals By Agreement. ... Public choice theory is a branch of economics that studies the decision-making behavior of voters, politicians and government officials from the perspective of economic theory, namely game theory and decision theory. ... For other persons named James Buchanan, see James Buchanan (disambiguation). ... Anthony de Jasay (1925-) is a Hungarian-born libertarian philosopher and economist known for his anti-statist writings. ...

By contrast, J. C. Lester aimed to undermine the challenge by defending libertarianism without foundations in the form of critical rationalist libertarianism, most notably in his 2000 work Escape from Leviathan. In particular, that work applies critical rationalism to defend the thesis that there are no systematic practical clashes among instrumental rationality, interpersonal liberty, social welfare and private-property anarchy. Critical rationalism is an epistemological philosophy advanced by Karl Raimund Popper, which is a logical generalization of his approach to science, falsificationism. ...

Left-libertarianism

Left-libertarianism is usually regarded as doctrine that has an egalitarian view concerning natural resources, believing that it is illegitimate for anyone to claim private ownership of resources to the detriment of others.^[22]^[23] Most left libertarians support some form of income redistribution on the grounds of a claim by each individual to be entitled to an equal share of natural resources.^[24] Left libertarianism is defended by contemporary theorists such as Peter Vallentyne, Hillel Steiner, and Michael Otsuka.^[25] Geolibertarians are considered left-libertarians. The term is sometimes used as a synonym for libertarian socialism.^[26] Left-libertarianism is a term that has been adopted by several different movements and theorists. ... Egalitarianism (derived from the French word Ã©gal, meaning equal or level) is a political doctrine that holds that all people should be treated as equals from birth. ... Michael Otsuka (b. ... Geolibertarianism (also geoanarchism) is a liberal political philosophy that holds along with other forms of libertarian individualism that each individual has an exclusive right to the fruits of his or her labor, as opposed to this product being owned collectively by society or the community. ... Libertarian socialism is a group of political philosophies that aim to create a society without political, economic or social hierarchies - a society in which all violent or coercive institutions would be dissolved, and in their place every person would have free, equal access to tools of information and production, or...

Some members of the US libertarian movement, including Samuel Edward Konkin III^[27] and Roderick T. Long,^[28] employ a differing definition of left libertarianism. These individuals depart from other forms of libertarianism by opposing intellectual property^[29], by advocating strong alliances with the Left on issues such as the anti-war movement^[30], and by supporting labor unions^[31]<;ref>http://praxeology.net/industrial-radical.htm</ref>. Some wish to revive voluntary cooperative ideas such as mutualism.^[32] See also Libertarianism and Libertarian Party Libertarian,is a term for person who has made a conscious and principled commitment, evidenced by a statement or Pledge, to forswear violating others rights and usually living in voluntary communities: thus in law no longer subject to government supervision. ... Samuel Edward Konkin III (aka SEK3) was the author of The New Libertarian Manifesto and a proponent of the political philosophy which he called agorism. ... Long giving a lecture at the Mises Institute in 2006. ... For the 2006 film, see Intellectual Property (film). ... The global peace movement refers to a sense of common purpose among organizations that seek to end wars and minimize inter-human violence, usually through pacifism, non-violent resistance, diplomacy, boycott, moral purchasing and demonstrating. ... A union (labor union in American English; trade union, sometimes trades union, in British English; either labour union or trade union in Canadian English) is a legal entity consisting of employees or workers having a common interest, such as all the assembly workers for one employer, or all the workers... In biology, mutualism is an interaction between two or more species, where both species derive benefit. ...

Criticisms of left-libertarianism have come from both the right and left alike. Right-libertarians like Robert Nozick hold that self-ownership and property acquisition need not meet egalitarian standards, they must merely follow the Lockean idea of not worsening the situation of others. Gerald Cohen, an Analytical Marxist philosopher, has extensively criticized left-libertarianism's virtues of self-ownership and equality. In his Self-ownership, Freedom, and Equality, Cohen claims that any system that takes equality and its enforcement seriously is not consistent with the robust freedom and full self-ownership of libertarian thought. Tom G. Palmer of the Cato Institute has responded to Cohen's critique in Critical Review^[33] and has provided a guide to the literature criticizing libertarianism in his bibliographical review essay on "The Literature of Liberty" in The Libertarian Reader, ed. David Boaz.^[34] Robert Nozick (November 16, 1938 â€“ January 23, 2002) was an American philosopher and Pellegrino University Professor at Harvard University. ... Gerald Allan Jerry Cohen, (born 1941) is the Chichele Professor of Social and Political Theory, All Souls College, Oxford. ... Analytical Marxism refers to a style of thinking about Marxism that was prominent amongst English-speaking philosophers and social scientists during the 1980s. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... The Cato Institute is a libertarian think tank headquartered in Washington, D.C. The Institutes stated mission is to broaden the parameters of public policy debate to allow consideration of the traditional American principles of limited government, individual liberty, free markets, and peace by striving to achieve greater involvement...

Libertarian conservatism

Libertarian conservatives differ from many Christian-influenced conservatives in that they tend to favor the separation of church and state. They are usually advocates of gun rights and other personal freedoms. They favor limited government involvement in all factors of life, in contrast to neo-conservatives. Libertarianism is a political philosophy that holds that individuals should be allowed complete freedom of action as long as they do not infringe on the freedom of others. ... Constantines Conversion, depicting the conversion of Emperor Constantine the Great to Christianity, by Peter Paul Rubens. ... The phrase Gun politics refers to the views of different people within a particular country as to what degree of control (increased gun rights vs. ... Neoconservatism describes several distinct political ideologies which are considered new forms of conservatism. ...

The Republican Liberty Caucus represents the GOP's growing libertarian Republican movement. Other libertarian Republican groups include: Americans for Limited Government, Americans for Tax Reform, headed by Grover Norquist, and the Club for Growth. The logo for the Republican Liberty Caucus // The Republican Liberty Caucus is a political action organization dedicated to promoting the ideals of individual rights, limited government and free enterprise within the Republican Party by: A. Promoting these ideals among Party officials and its various organizations; B. Identifying and supporting candidates... Americans for Limited Government (ALG) is a conservative, libertarian think tank. ... Americans for Tax Reform is an interest group seeking to reduce the overall level of taxation in the United States, at the federal, state and local level. ... Grover Norquist Grover Glenn Norquist (born October 19, 1956) is an influential American conservative activist and lobbyist. ... The Club for Growth is a section 527 political organization and an affiliated political action committee that raises money for candidates who support an anti-tax and limited-government agenda. ...

Objectivism

Libertarianism's status is in dispute among those who style themselves Objectivists (Objectivism is the name philosopher-novelist Ayn Rand gave her philosophy). Though elements of Rand's philosophy have been adopted by libertarianism, Objectivists (including Rand herself) have condemned libertarianism as a threat to freedom and capitalism. In particular, it has been claimed that libertarians use Objectivist ideas "with the teeth pulled out of them".^[35]^[36] Many individuals found their support of libertarianism upon ideological elements derived from the philosophy of novelist Ayn Rand, which she called Objectivism. ... This article is about the philosophy of Ayn Rand. ... Ayn Rand (IPA: , February 2 [O.S. January 20] 1905 â€“ March 6, 1982), born Alisa Zinovyevna Rosenbaum (Russian: ), was a Russian-born American novelist and philosopher,[1] known for creating a philosophy she named Objectivism and for writing the novels We the Living, The Fountainhead, Atlas Shrugged and the...

Conversely, some libertarians see Objectivists as dogmatic, unrealistic, and uncompromising (Objectivists do not see the latter as a negative attribute). According to Reason editor Nick Gillespie in the magazine's March 2005 issue focusing on Objectivism's influence, Rand is "one of the most important figures in the libertarian movement... Rand remains one of the best-selling and most widely influential figures in American thought and culture" in general and in libertarianism in particular. Still, he confesses that he is embarrassed by his magazine's association with her ideas. In the same issue, Cathy Young says that "Libertarianism, the movement most closely connected to Rand's ideas, is less an offspring than a rebel stepchild." Though they reject what they see as Randian dogmas, libertarians like Young still believe that "Rand's message of reason and liberty... could be a rallying point" for libertarianism. The libertarian Reason Magazine dedicated an issue to Ayn Rands influence one hundred years after her birth. ... Nick Gillespie has been the Editor-in-Chief of Reason magazine since 2000. ... Cathy Young Cathy Young (Ekaterina Jung) was born in the Soviet Union in 1963. ...

Objectivists reject the oft-heard libertarian refrain that State and government are "necessary evils": for them, a government limited to protection of its citizens' rights is absolutely necessary and moral. Objectivists are opposed to all anarchist currents and are suspicious of libertarians' lineage with individualist anarchism.^[37] Theory and practice Issues History Culture By region Lists Related Anarchism Portal Politics Portal Â· Individualist anarchism (also anarchist individualism, anarcho-individualism, individualistic anarchism) refers to any of several traditions that hold that individual conscience and the pursuit of self-interest should not be constrained by any collective body or public...

The libertarian movement

The Libertarian Program is an international project to define and document key current and potential voluntary replacements of government programs. The libertarian movement consists of the various individuals and institutions who have historically advanced the ideas and causes of libertarianism. ... The Libertarian Program is a six year project to document, in a usable set of tools for different purposes, Libertarian non-governmental and voluntary solutions and proposals, and the how-to--including what is actually being experienced in the field--of attaining them. ...

Some, such as David Boaz, executive vice president of the libertarian U.S. think tank, the Cato Institute, argue that the term classical liberalism should be reserved for early liberal thinkers for the sake of clarity and accuracy, and because of differences between many libertarian and classical liberal thinkers. Nevertheless, the Cato Institute's official stance is that classical liberalism and libertarianism are synonymous; they prefer the term liberal to describe themselves, but choose not to use it because of its confusing connotation in some English-speaking countries (where most self-described liberals prefer a mixed economy rather than a free-market economy). The Cato Institute dislikes adding classical because, in their view, "the word classical connotes a backward-looking philosophy". Thus, they finally settle on libertarian, as it avoids backward implications and confused definitions. David Boaz is the executive vice president of the libertarian U.S think tank the Cato Institute. ... This article is about the institution. ... The Cato Institute is a libertarian think tank headquartered in Washington, D.C. The Institutes stated mission is to broaden the parameters of public policy debate to allow consideration of the traditional American principles of limited government, individual liberty, free markets, and peace by striving to achieve greater involvement... A mixed economy is an economy that has a mix of economic systems. ...

Libertarians and their allies are not a homogeneous group, but have collaborated to form think tanks, political parties, and other projects. For example, Austrian School economist Murray Rothbard co-founded the John Randolph Club, the Center for Libertarian Studies, and the Cato Institute to support an independent libertarian movement, and joined David Nolan in founding the United States Libertarian Party in 1971. (Rothbard ceased activity with the Libertarian Party in 1989, and some of his followers like Lew Rockwell are hostile to the group.) In the U.S. today, some libertarians support the Libertarian Party, some support no party, and some attempt to work within more powerful parties despite their differences. The Republican Liberty Caucus (a wing of the Republican Party) promotes libertarian views. Republican Congressman Ron Paul is also a libertarian and was the Libertarian Party's presidential candidate in 1988. Ron Paul is currently running for president in the Republican primary. Political Parties redirects here. ... Murray Newton Rothbard (March 2, 1926 â€“ January 7, 1995) was an influential American economist, historian and natural law theorist belonging to the Austrian School of Economics who helped define modern libertarianism. ... The John Randolph Club (JRC) is a paleoconservative social and political organization founded in the 1980s and operated by the Rockford Institute with chapters throughout the United States. ... The Center for Libertarian Studies is a libertarian educational organization founded in 1976 by Murray Rothbard. ... The Cato Institute is a libertarian think tank headquartered in Washington, D.C. The Institutes stated mission is to broaden the parameters of public policy debate to allow consideration of the traditional American principles of limited government, individual liberty, free markets, and peace by striving to achieve greater involvement... David Fraser Nolan founded the Libertarian Party in 1971. ... The Libertarian Party is a United States political party created in 1971. ... Lew Rockwell Llewellyn H. Rockwell, Jr. ... The logo for the Republican Liberty Caucus // The Republican Liberty Caucus is a political action organization dedicated to promoting the ideals of individual rights, limited government and free enterprise within the Republican Party by: A. Promoting these ideals among Party officials and its various organizations; B. Identifying and supporting candidates... The Republican Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States of America, along with the Democratic Party. ... Ronald Ernest Paul (born August 20, 1935) is a 10th-term United States congressman from Lake Jackson, Texas, a member of the Republican Party, a pro-life physician, and a candidate for the Republican nomination in the 2008 presidential election. ...

Costa Rica's Movimiento Libertario (Libertarian Movement) is a prominent, non-U.S. libertarian party which holds roughly 10% of the seats in Costa Rica's national assembly (legislature). The Movimiento Libertario is considered the first libertarian organization to achieve substantial electoral success at the national level, though not without controversy. For example, Rigoberto Stewart, co-founder of the party and founder of the Limón REAL Project^[38] for autonomy in a province in Costa Rica, and director of INLAP^[39], a libertarian think tank, lost his influence within Movimiento Libertario and support for the Limón REAL Project. As perhaps explained by Public Choice Theory, while accepting money from the Friedrich Naumann Foundation, a German liberal foundation, the party compromised on their libertarian principles in return for more power, turning to anti-libertarian positions.^[40] The Partido Movimiento Libertario (Libertarian Movement Party) is a libertarian political party in Costa Rica. ... Public choice theory is a branch of economics that studies the decision-making behavior of voters, politicians and government officials from the perspective of economic theory, namely game theory and decision theory. ... The Friedrich Naumann Foundation (Friedrich-Naumann-Stiftung) (FNSt) is a German foundation for liberal politics, related to the Free Democratic Party. ...

There are other Libertarian parties that have had various amounts of success throughout the world. Libertarianism is emerging in France with the inception of Liberté Chérie (Cherished Liberty), a think tank and activist association that has 2,000 members. Liberté Chérie gained significant publicity when it managed to draw 80,000 Parisians into the streets to demonstrate against government employees who were striking. Many countries and subnational political entities have libertarian political parties. ... The French association LibertÃ© ChÃ©rie (Beloved Freedom), born in March 2001 under the name LibertÃ© jÃ©cris ton nom (Freedom, I write your name), first became famous on June 15, 2003, when, after its call to demonstrate in favour of reforms and against blockings and against government employees who...

In Germany a Libertäre Plattform in der FDP (Liberty Caucus within the Free Democratic Party) was founded in 2005. The Free Democratic Party (German: Freie Demokratische Partei; FDP) is a liberal political party in Germany. ...

In 2001, the Free State Project was founded by Jason Sorens, a political scientist and libertarian activist who argued that 20,000 libertarians should migrate to a single U.S. state in order to concentrate their activism. In August 2003, the membership of the Free State Project chose New Hampshire because of its friendliness to libertarian causes (note the state motto: Live Free or Die), limited government, citizen legislature (paid only $100 per year) and history of political activism. Despite the lower than expected rate of growth, the Free State Project has seen moderate success. They saw their first member elected to the New Hampshire legislature in 2006 and successfully completed the "First 1000" pledge in 2005, which signed up 1,033 people to move to New Hampshire by 2008. Some of the original Free Staters (about 1,000) were discontented with the choice of New Hampshire. Some have started rival projects, including the Free West Alliance, Free State Wyoming and North to the Future, a project for a Free Alaskan Nation, to concentrate activism in a different state or region. There is also a European Free State Project. The Free State Project (FSP) is a plan to have 20,000 or more liberty-oriented people move to a single state of the United States, with the intent of influencing local politics and policy. ... Jason Sorens is the founder of the Free State Project, a plan to have 20,000 or more liberty-oriented people move to New Hampshire, with the intent of influencing local politics and policy in order to promote libertarian ideals. ... Official language(s) English Capital Concord Largest city Manchester Area Ranked 46th - Total 9,350 sq mi (24,217 kmÂ²) - Width 68 miles (110 km) - Length 190 miles (305 km) - % water 4. ... The Free State Project (FSP) is a plan to have 20,000 or more liberty-oriented people move to a single state of the United States, with the intent of influencing local politics and policy. ... The Free West Alliance (FWA) is an organization attempting to enhance liberty in the three states of Idaho, Montana and Wyoming, both by concentrating freedom-seekers there via immigration, and by energizing the large, existing freedom-loving populations within these states. ... The Free State Wyoming logo Free State Wyoming (FSW) is a political migration project whose goal is to bring people of demonstrably ethical character to the state of Wyoming in the western United States to encourage political liberty, free trade and voluntary cooperation. ...

Libertarian politics

The main organized expression of libertarian politics has been the Libertarian Party since its founding. However, some libertarians have decided it is more effective to disseminate their ideas through think tanks like the Cato Institute. Controversies within libertarianism abound. ... The Libertarian Party is an American political party founded on Dec. ... This article is about the institution. ... The Cato Institute is a libertarian think tank headquartered in Washington, D.C. The Institutes stated mission is to broaden the parameters of public policy debate to allow consideration of the traditional American principles of limited government, individual liberty, free markets, and peace by striving to achieve greater involvement...

Libertarianism is often portrayed as right-wing by non-libertarians in the United States. Under the concept of fusionism, it was proposed that American libertarians ally themselves with traditional conservatives, with whom they have more in common than they do with American liberals, especially with regard to economic and gun control policies. Such an alliance can be seen in uniting of libertarian and conservative lawyers in the Federalist Society. Others however, call for an alliance between libertarians and civil libertarians in the Democratic party. Many describe libertarians as being "conservative" on economic issues and "liberal" on social issues, so they can find allies in both of the two main parties while remaining distinct from both, especially on the use of state power to solve perceived problems, and constitutional compliance. (For example, most libertarians view Texas congressman and former Libertarian U.S. Presidential candidate Ron Paul to be a philosophical libertarian, even though his official affiliation is currently with the Republican Party, and does not run candidates against him.) [4] â€œRight wingâ€ redirects here. ... Fusionism is an American political term for the combination or fusion of libertarians and traditional conservatives in the American conservative movement. ... American conservatism is a constellation of political ideologies within the United States under the blanket heading of conservative. ... Usage of the word Liberal In the United States, the common meaning of liberal has evolved over time. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Gun politics. ... The Federalist Society logo, depicting James Madisons silhouette The Federalist Society for Law and Public Policy Studies, most frequently called simply the Federalist Society, began at Yale Law School, Harvard Law School, and the University of Chicago Law School in 1982 as a student organization that challenged the perceived... Civil liberties is the name given to freedoms that protect the individual from government. ... Constitutional compliance refers to practices, efforts, or systems to achieve or maintain obedience of government officials with relevant provisions of a constitution or statutes that implement it. ... Ronald Ernest Paul (born August 20, 1935) is a 10th-term United States congressman from Lake Jackson, Texas, a member of the Republican Party, a pro-life physician, and a candidate for the Republican nomination in the 2008 presidential election. ...

A historical example of libertarian politics would be discrimination in the workplace. Libertarians could be expected to oppose any laws on this matter because these would infringe on the property rights or freedoms of either the business owner or the just-hired employee. In other words, one should be free to discriminate against others in their personal or business dealings (within the constraints of principal–agency agreements); one should be free to choose where they accept work, or to start one's own business in accordance with their personal beliefs and prejudices; and one should be free to lead a boycott or publicity campaign against businesses with whose policies they disagree.

In a more current example, conservatives are likely to support a ban on same-sex marriage in the interests of preserving traditional order, while liberals are likely to favor allowing same-sex marriage in the interest of guaranteeing equality under the law. Libertarians are likely to disagree with the notion of government-sanctioned marriage itself. Specifically, they would deny that the government deserves any role in marriage other than enforcing whatever legal contract people choose to enter, and to oppose the various additional rights currently granted to married people (married couples could make the property pool in their own contract). A plot of political viewpoints against economic and personal freedom, drawn by me, released under GFDL. File links The following pages link to this file: Libertarianism Political spectrum Communitarianism Nolan chart Talk:Right-wing politics/archive 1 User:Mat334/Opinions Categories: GFDL images ... A plot of political viewpoints against economic and personal freedom, drawn by me, released under GFDL. File links The following pages link to this file: Libertarianism Political spectrum Communitarianism Nolan chart Talk:Right-wing politics/archive 1 User:Mat334/Opinions Categories: GFDL images ... The Nolan Chart is a political diagram popularized by the American libertarian David Nolan. ...

Instead of a "left–right" spectrum, some libertarians use a two-dimensional space, with Personal Freedom on one axis and Economic Freedom on the other, which is called the Nolan chart. Named after David Nolan, who designed the chart and also founded the United States Libertarian Party, the chart is similar to a sociopolitical test used to place individuals by the Advocates for Self Government. A first approximation of libertarian politics (derived from these charts) is that they agree with liberals on social issues and with conservatives on economic issues. Thus, the traditional linear scale of governmental philosophy could be represented inside the chart stretching from the upper left corner to the lower right, while the degree of state control is represented linearly from the lower left to the upper right.^[41]^[42] The Nolan Chart is a political diagram popularized by the American libertarian David Nolan. ... David Fraser Nolan founded the Libertarian Party in 1971. ... The Libertarian Party is an American political party founded on Dec. ... The Advocates for Self-Government is a non-profit, non-partisan libertarian educational organization. ...

Libertarians have tended to unite with constitutionalists in calling for strict construction of the U.S. Constitution, which they expect would vastly reduce the size and intrusiveness of government. Constitutionalism is the limitation of government by law. ... Scene at the Signing of the Constitution of the United States, by Howard Chandler Christy. ... Page I of the Constitution of the United States of America Page II of the United States Constitution Page III of the United States Constitution Page IV of the United States Constitution The Syng inkstand, with which the Constitution was signed The Constitution of the United States is the supreme...

Contents

Principles

Natural rights and consequentialism

Libertarian policy

Minarchism and anarcho-capitalism

History

Libertarian philosophy in the academy

Left-libertarianism

Libertarian conservatism

Objectivism

The libertarian movement

Libertarian politics

See also

Footnotes

References

External links

Contents

Principles GA_googleFillSlot("encyclopedia_square");

Natural rights and consequentialism

Libertarian policy

Minarchism and anarcho-capitalism

History

Libertarian philosophy in the academy

Left-libertarianism

Libertarian conservatism

Objectivism

The libertarian movement

Libertarian politics

See also

Footnotes

References

External links

Principles