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A quick introduction to Libertarianism
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The U.S. Capitol Building in Washington, D.C.
Even though most of the visitors to this column probably have a good idea of what Libertarianism is, there might be some of you who are not completely sure or might not have a clue. This article will give you a quick overview of the philosophy including the principles, some libertarian variants, and some terminology.
What is Libertarianism?
Whenever I start talking about Libertarianism with someone, there is invariably an attempt to figure out where it is on the Liberal/Conservative spectrum. The general consensus is that Libertarians are on the far right, even more conservative than republicans. This idea usually comes from the fact that most libertarians are in favor of heavy deregulation in the economic arena. Unfortunately, this simplistic view does not take into account the facts that this desire for deregulation is part of an overarching philosophy of a “hands off” government.
In addition to limited economic control, libertarians also want government to keep its hands off in the social realm. Thus you will also see them opposed to things like the criminalization of drugs and gun restriction. However, libertarians economic stance often overshadows the social one, earning them the right-wing label.
Trying to put libertarianism on a simple left/right continuum really won't get you anywhere. It makes more sense of you look at the Nolan Chart created by political scientist, David Nolan (http://www.nolanchart.com/images/advocates.png). This chart takes into account both social and economic stances.
Some Basic Principles
Note: Like Democrats and Republicans, there are variants of Libertarianism. What follows are some of the basic principles of this political philosophy that can be found across these variants.
Personal Liberty and Personal Responsibility
Libertarianism holds that the individual owns him- or herself completely. There is no moral justification for one individual to enforce their will on another. This also goes for governments. The only possible justification of force is self defense. However, with this freedom comes responsibility. All your actions have consequences and it is not the responsibility of others to shield you from them.
A good example would be smoking. Smoking carries certain health risks. In order to discourage people from engaging in this risky behavior there is a policy of taxation (there are other reasons behind the taxation, but deterrent is one of the biggest). According to Libertarianism, you have ownership of yourself and you are a rational person who can make choices. Therefore, you should have the freedom to smoke, but you will also have to bear the consequences (lung cancer, emphysema, etc).
Opposition to Force
As stated above there is no legitimate use of force unless it is in self defense. Basically force is defined in this instance as any action by one party to control the actions of another. But there are many kinds of force or coercion. A burglar can physically force you to give him your money when you'd rather not. The federal government basically gets you to pay taxes with the threat of an even higher monetary penalty or jail time. Ask anyone who is rushing to get their return in the mail: they are thinking more about the penalties (fees, loss of refund) than the incentives (better roads and schools).
Property Rights and Economic Liberty
In terms of philosophical variants, the importance of property rights is often the differentiating factor. The two major line of thought are Propertarian and Non-propertarian libertarianism. Propertarian libertarians (e.g. Anarcho-capitalists and Minarchists) see private property as legitimate because it is directly derived from the natural right of self-ownership. Non-propertarian libertarians (for example Geolibertarians) believe in self ownership but see natural resources like land as a common asset. Therefor if one where to use land exclusively they would have to pay rent to the community that owned the land.
So, we have established the natural right to self-ownership and property. But how do individuals interact with each other?
If a person wants something they can't or don't want to make, they must trade for it. They can't just will it to appear and they can't steal it from someone else. As long as the trade is voluntary on both sides and fair, no one else should be involved. This is why libertarians generally want government to stay out of economic action. Their idea is that through taxation, quotas and licenses the government distorts the market and causes unforeseen consequences and inefficiency.
There you have it: three of the most important principles of Libertarianism. By understanding these principles it should be easier to understand the arguments and variants of this political philosophy. Finally let's look at some terminology.
Terminology
A common stumbling block to understanding Libertarianism is the terminology. Here are some common political terms that are often poorly understood or mixed up:
Liberal (US): This is can have different meanings depending on where you are. American Liberalism is mostly identified with the Democratic Party. They value economic equality and fairness and social tolerance.
Conservatism (US): Usually equated with the Republican party. Conservatives favor more deregulation and freedom in the economic sphere but are OK with government intervention to preserve social norms.
Classical Liberalism: As a political philosophy, Classical Liberalism focuses on personal and economic freedom, and thus is closely related to Libertarianism. John Lock and Adam Smith are two famous Classical Liberal thinkers.
Libertarian Party of the United States: One of the largest third-party in the U.S. With over 225,000 registered members. State and local organizations are the Libertarian Party of California and the Libertarian Party of Los Angeles County, respectively. The focus of this column is Libertarianism in Los Angeles.
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