Libertarianism

History of Libertarianism

While it may seem that libertarianism is a relatively recent development, born out of frustration with both left- and right-wing political agendas, it is in fact a pragmatic philosophy that has existed in various forms for thousands of years. To the extent that libertarianism, at its very core, is concerned with the juxtaposition of power and freedom, some consider the Chinese philosopher and author of the Tao Te Ching, Lao-tzu, who lived during the 6th century BCE, to be the original libertarian. Lao-tzu proposed a theory of spontaneous order and harmony arising out of competition, and advised rulers to avoid interfering with the private lives of individuals.

Despite regarding Lao-tzu as the original libertarian, libertarianism is considered to be a largely Western philosophy emerging from Greek and Judeo-Christian conceptions of individual freedom, natural law, pluralism, religious tolerance, and a resistance to absolutism. The main impetus behind the liberal movements in the Netherlands during the 17th century and in England, Scotland, Germany, and France a century later was the growing idea and evidence of spontaneous harmony and order arising from limited government and free economic exchange. Indeed, America in the 18th century was dominated by liberal ideas, and the entire foundation of the U.S. system of government and economics was originally based on libertarian principles. Toward the end of the 19th century, however, classical liberalism began to wane and ultimately gave way to increased collectivism and state power.

It seems paradoxical that liberalism, which had spurred revolutions and enlightenments across the western hemisphere, encouraged unprecedented improvements in standards of living, and resulted in staggering intellectual, economic, and creative developments, ultimately seemed to fade. Socialism, however, was a rapidly evolving theory that attracted many younger intellectuals who had entered the world amid rapid improvements in wealth, technology, and living standards; one theory is that, rather than in spite of—but because of—this, society became complacent, taking for granted the relative economic prosperity and individual liberties available to them. It is not difficult to recognize, however, that not all members of society benefited from this prosperity or enjoyed the liberties associated with the liberal era. Socialism in general and Marxist ideology in particular seemed to promise, if not increased prosperity, increased equity in standard of living and access to social institutions such as education and health care. But this new social order came at the expense of the libertarian ideal of individual rights. Instead, the greatest good for the greatest number took over liberal thinking, yet was confounded by the conservative views of “good”; the individual became secondary, forced to sacrifice individual interests to that of the collective, and “good” became defined by those in power in terms of an absolute good (equity in standard of living, glorification of the worker, and elevation of the collective) regardless of whether the members of that society deemed it a worthy good. At the same time, antisocialist sentiment and the devastation caused by war in the middle of the 20th century led to [Page 520]greater and greater increases in the power and control resting with governments across the western hemisphere. In the United States, in particular, there have been unprecedented increases in government regulation of education and business, as well as increased interference in what libertarians consider basic individual rights.

...