Libertarianism
American · North America · from 1974
Libertarianism says individual freedom matters most and that no one may be forced to serve the good of others. It stresses owning yourself, private property and voluntary trade. It wants a very small state, and some libertarians want none.
What it is
Libertarianism is the view that individual freedom is the main political value and that people may not be forced to serve the good of others. It stresses self-ownership, private property and voluntary exchange, and it wants the state small or, for some, gone. Its core claim is that people have strong rights over themselves, and that coercion is the opposite of liberty.
The common idea behind it is that individuals, and not states or groups, come first. Libertarianism is a theory about the proper role of government, not a whole ethics: it says what others may force you to do, and leaves open what a good life is.
The main ideas
- Self-ownership. Each person owns themselves. This is the ground of the objection to forced labour and to taxation for redistribution.
- Property rights and voluntary exchange. Private property and trade are seen as part of personal liberty.
- A limited state. Many libertarians accept a minimal state that only protects rights. Robert Nozick allowed only police, courts and defence. Anarcho-capitalists go further and want private markets to provide even those.
- Different foundations. Natural-rights libertarians trace self-ownership, and the right to acquire property by labour, to John Locke. Consequentialist libertarians defend the same politics by its results.
What it looks like in practice
Picture a proposal to tax one group of people to pay for a benefit to another. The libertarian first question is not whether the benefit is good. It is whether anyone has the right to take the money. If a transaction is voluntary on both sides, the state has no business in it, however either side may feel about the result.
People and moments
- Robert Nozick argued in a 1974 book that only a minimal state can be justified.
- John Locke is the historical root of the natural-rights version.
Questions and criticism
- Left and right. Left-libertarians want natural resources shared equally alongside self-ownership, and some call themselves anti-capitalist while defending markets free of state favours. Right-libertarians accept unequal appropriation and see existing capitalism as close to a free market.
- How small should the state be? Philosophical anarchists reject the state altogether, while minimal-state libertarians keep a few functions.
Close neighbours
Libertarianism is close to Objectivism, which also puts the individual first and favours free markets, though Objectivism is a whole philosophy and not only a political theory. It can be told from liberalism and from Marxism by how it answers two questions: the state against the market, and liberty against equality.
Written by epchē in our own words, and checked against independent sources on 2 October 2026. The sources are listed below.
Where to start reading
Books for this philosophy, from the easiest way in to the harder ones. Each is chosen for a newcomer, whatever the shop.
Covers belong to their publishers and are shown so you can recognise the book.
What it holds
These are the questions this philosophy cares about most and the side it leans toward. They are our reading of it, and the same positions the walk uses.
- The person comes first · clearly When a person's wishes and the community's needs pull apart, which should come first?
- Free markets work best · clearly Should trade and work be left mostly to free markets?
- Liberty comes first · clearly When freedom and equality pull apart, which should win?
- Duties and rules · clearly Is an act right because of what it leads to?
Ideas it speaks to
Short articles on the questions this philosophy answers most firmly.
- The person or the community first · leans toward: The person comes first
- Free markets or strong limits · leans toward: Free markets work best
- Liberty or equality first · leans toward: Liberty comes first
- Results or rules in ethics · leans toward: Duties and rules
Compared with
Thinkers
Related philosophies
Influenced by
- Objectivism · The Internet Encyclopedia says her ideas fed libertarian groups. (scholars disagree about this link)
Branch of
- Liberalism · It takes liberty as the main value, as liberalism does, but pushes it further. (scholars disagree about this link)
More from the American tradition
Sources we used
- Libertarianism · Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, read on 2 October 2026
- Libertarianism · Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy, read on 2 October 2026
Where do you stand?
Every philosophy takes sides. Here is one question Libertarianism answers firmly:
When a person's wishes and the community's needs pull apart, which should come first?
- Libertarianism leans toward: The person comes first
- The other side: The community comes first
The walk asks about this and the questions around it, two ideas at a time, and shows which philosophies your own answers sit closest to. No account, and your answers stay on your device.