Libertarianism: Difference between revisions

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'''Libertarianism''' (from {{lang-fr|libertaire}}, itself from the {{lang-la|libertas|lit=freedom}}) is a [[political philosophy]] that upholds [[liberty]] as a core value.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Wolff |first1=Jonathan |title=Libertarianism |journal=[[Routledge Encyclopedia of Philosophy]] |date=2016 |doi=10.4324/9780415249126-S036-1 |isbn=9780415250696 |doi-access=}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Vossen |first1=Bas Van Der |title=Libertarianism |journal=Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Politics |date=2017 |doi=10.1093/acrefore/9780190228637.013.86 |isbn=978-0-19-022863-7 |doi-access=}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Mack |first1=Eric |editor-first1=George |editor-last1=Klosko |title=Libertarianism |journal=The Oxford Handbook of the History of Political Philosophy |date=2011 |pages=673–688 |doi=10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199238804.003.0041}}</ref><ref name="Boaz">{{cite encyclopedia|title=Libertarianism|url=https://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/339321/libertarianism|encyclopedia=Encyclopædia Britannica|author=Boaz, David|author-link=David Boaz|date=30 January 2009|access-date=21 February 2017|quote=[L]ibertarianism, political philosophy that takes individual liberty to be the primary political value.|archive-date=4 May 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150504222253/https://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/339321/libertarianism|url-status=live}}</ref> Libertarians seek to maximize [[autonomy]] and [[political freedom]], emphasizing [[equality before the law]] and [[civil rights]] to [[freedom of association]], [[freedom of speech]], [[freedom of thought]] and [[freedom of choice]].<ref name="Boaz" /><ref>{{cite book|last=Woodcock|first=George|title=Anarchism: A History of Libertarian Ideas and Movements|orig-date=1962|year=2004|publisher=Broadview Press|location=Peterborough|isbn=978-1551116297|page=16|quote=[F]or the very nature of the libertarian attitude—its rejection of dogma, its deliberate avoidance of rigidly systematic theory, and, above all, its stress on extreme freedom of choice and on the primacy of the individual judgement {{sic}}.|title-link=Anarchism (Woodcock book)}}</ref> Libertarians are often skeptical of or opposed to [[Political authority|authority]], [[State (polity)|state]] power, [[war]]fare, [[militarism]] and [[nationalism]], but some libertarians diverge on the scope of their opposition to existing [[Economic system|economic]] and [[political system]]s. Various schools of libertarian thought offer a range of views regarding the legitimate functions of state and private [[Power (social and political)|power]]. Different categorizations have been used to distinguish various forms of Libertarianism.<ref name="Long1">Long, Joseph. W (1996). "Toward a Libertarian Theory of Class". ''Social Philosophy and Policy''. '''15''' (2): 310. "When I speak of 'libertarianism' [...] I mean all three of these very different movements. It might be protested that LibCap [libertarian capitalism], LibSoc [libertarian socialism] and LibPop [libertarian populism] are too different from one another to be treated as aspects of a single point of view. But they do share a common—or at least an overlapping—intellectual ancestry."</ref><ref name="Carlson1">Carlson, Jennifer D. (2012). "Libertarianism". In Miller, Wilburn R., ed. ''The Social History of Crime and Punishment in America''. London: SAGE Publications. [https://books.google.com/books?id=tYME6Z35nyAC&q=There+exist+three+major+camps+in+libertarian+thought%3A+right-libertarianism%2C+socialist+libertarianism%2C+and+left-libertarianism%3B+the+extent+to+which+these+represent+distinct+ideologies+as+opposed+to+variations+on+a+theme+is+contested+by+scholars.&pg=PA1006 p. 1006] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200930075224/https://books.google.com/books?id=tYME6Z35nyAC&pg=PA1006&dq=right-libertarianism&hl=it&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjVoNT9_uvlAhWN6aQKHWZ6AUUQ6AEINjAB#v=onepage&q=There%20exist%20three%20major%20camps%20in%20libertarian%20thought%3A%20right-libertarianism%2C%20socialist%20libertarianism%2C%20and%20left-libertarianism%3B%20the%20extent%20to%20which%20these%20represent%20distinct%20ideologies%20as%20opposed%20to%20variations%20on%20a%20theme%20is%20contested%20by%20scholars.&f=false |date=30 September 2020 }}. {{ISBN|1412988764}}. "There exist three major camps in libertarian thought: right-libertarianism, socialist libertarianism, and left-libertarianism; the extent to which these represent distinct ideologies as opposed to variations on a theme is contested by scholars."</ref> Scholars distinguish libertarian views on the nature of [[Property rights (economics)|property]] and [[Capital (economics)|capital]], usually along [[Left–right political spectrum|left–right]] or [[Socialism|socialist]]–[[Capitalism|capitalist]] lines.<ref name="Francis">{{cite journal|last1=Francis|first1=Mark|title=Human Rights and Libertarians|journal=[[Australian Journal of Politics & History]]|volume=29|issue=3|pages=462–472|date=December 1983|doi=10.1111/j.1467-8497.1983.tb00212.x|issn=0004-9522}}</ref> Libertarians of various schools were influenced by [[Liberalism|liberal]] ideas.<ref name=":0" />

 

[[File:Fauresebastien police.jpg|thumb|upright=0.9|[[Sébastien Faure]], prominent French theorist of libertarian communism as well as atheist and freethought militant]]

 

 

With the rise of [[fascism]] in Europe between the 1920s and the 1930s, anarchists began to fight fascists in Italy,<ref>Holbrow, Marnie, [http://www.socialistreview.org.uk/article.php?articlenumber=8205 "Daring but Divided"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130729114710/http://www.socialistreview.org.uk/article.php?articlenumber=8205 |date=29 July 2013 }} (''Socialist Review'', November 2002).</ref> in France during the [[6 February 1934 crisis|February 1934 riots]]<ref>Berry, David. "Fascism or Revolution." ''Le Libertaire''. August 1936.</ref> and in Spain where the [[Confederación Nacional del Trabajo|CNT]] (Confederación Nacional del Trabajo) boycott of elections led to a right-wing victory and its later participation in voting in 1936 helped bring the popular front back to power. This led to a ruling class attempted coup and the [[Spanish Civil War]] (1936–1939).<ref>Antony Beevor, ''The Battle for Spain: The Spanish Civil War 1936–1939'', Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 2006, p. 46, {{ISBN|978-0297848325}}.</ref> Gruppo Comunista Anarchico di Firenze held that during the early twentieth century, the terms libertarian communism and anarchist communism became synonymous within the international anarchist movement as a result of the close connection they had in Spain ([[anarchism in Spain]]), with ''libertarian communism'' becoming the prevalent term.<ref>Gruppo Comunista Anarchico di Firenze (October 1979). [http://www.fdca.it/fdcaen/historical/vault/ancom-libcom.htm "Anarchist Communism & Libertarian Communism"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171018191416/http://www.fdca.it/fdcaen/historical/vault/ancom-libcom.htm |date=18 October 2017 }}. ''L'informatore di parte''. '''4'''.</ref>

 

[[File:Ron Paul (6811133499).jpg|thumb|upright=0.9|right|Former Congressman [[Ron Paul]], a self-described libertarian, whose presidential campaigns in [[Ron Paul 2008 presidential campaign|2008]] and [[Ron Paul 2012 presidential campaign|2012]] garnered significant support from youth and [[libertarian Republican]]s]]

 

Modern libertarianism gained significant recognition in academia with the publication of Harvard University professor [[Robert Nozick]]'s ''[[Anarchy, State, and Utopia]]'' in 1974, for which he received a National Book Award in 1975.<ref>National Book Foundation. [http://www.nationalbook.org/nba1975.html "National Book Awards: 1975 – Philosophy and Religion"]. {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110909065656/http://www.nationalbook.org/nba1975.html|date=9 September 2011}}</ref> In response to [[John Rawls]]' ''[[A Theory of Justice]]'', Nozick's book supported a [[Night-watchman state|minimal state]] (also called a nightwatchman state by Nozick) on the grounds that the ultraminimal state arises without violating individual rights<ref>Schaefer, David Lewis (30 April 2008). [http://www.nysun.com/sports/reconsiderations-robert-nozick-and-coast-utopia "Robert Nozick and the Coast of Utopia"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140821170556/http://www.nysun.com/sports/reconsiderations-robert-nozick-and-coast-utopia |date=21 August 2014 }}. ''[[The New York Sun]]''.</ref> and the transition from an ultraminimal state to a minimal state is morally obligated to occur.