Libertarianism

Jason Brennan is Assistant Professor of Ethics, Economics, and Public Policy at Georgetown University. He is the author of The Ethics of Voting and co-author of A Brief History of Liberty. He also writes for the popular blog Bleeding Heart Libertarians.

a highly accessible primer to libertarian thought ... Recommended.

• THE BASICS ; 1. What is libertarianism? ; 2. Why do we need to know about libertarianism? ; 3. What are the different kinds of libertarians? ; 4. Are libertarians right-wing conservatives? ; 5. Are libertarians left-wing liberals? ; 6. Is libertarianism a new political view? ; 7. How did libertarianism develop? ; 8. What are the moral foundations of libertarianism? ; THE VALUE OF LIBERTY ; 9. What do libertarians think liberty is? ; 10. Why do libertarians think liberty is important? ; 11. Do libertarians think liberty is the only value? ; 12. What is the <"presumption of liberty>"? ; 13. What rights do libertarians think we have? ; 14. Do libertarians think rights are absolute? ; 15. Do libertarians think the consequences matter? ; HUMAN NATURE AND ETHICS ; 16. Do libertarians believe everyone is selfish? ; 17. Do libertarians think everyone should be selfish? ; 18. Do libertarians have an overly optimistic view of human nature? ; 19. Are libertarians moral relativists or moral skeptics? ; 20. Are libertarians individualists? ; 21. Are libertarians all atheists? ; ECONOMIC LIBERTY ; 22. What economic rights do libertarians think we have? ; 23. Are libertarians only concerned about economic issues? ; 24. Why do libertarians favor strong economic liberty and private property rights? ; 25. Do libertarians think property rights are absolute? ; 26. Why are libertarians so concerned about economic growth, prosperity, and wealth? ; 27. Why do libertarians want open markets and free trade? ; 28. Are libertarians just out to protect the interests of big business? ; 29. What do libertarians think about union rights? ; 30. Why do libertarians oppose socialism? ; 31. Why are libertarians against rent control and minimum wage increases? ; 32. Why don't libertarians want government to set prices? ; 33. Do libertarians oppose all regulation? ; 34. Why do libertarians think government regulation frequently makes things worse? ; 35. Do libertarians think markets always work? Do libertarians deny the existence of market failures? ; 36. Why do libertarians tend to oppose eminent domain laws? ; CIVIL RIGHTS ; 37. What do libertarians think about civil liberties? ; 38. What is the libertarian view of free speech? ; 39. What do libertarians think about abortion? ; 40. Are libertarians for or against capital punishment? ; 41. Why are libertarians in favor of drug decriminalization? ; 42. Why do libertarians support same-sex marriage? ; 43. Why do libertarians oppose the draft? ; 44. What do libertarians think we should do about historical and current racial injustice? ; 45. What do libertarians think about gun control? ; 46. What do libertarians think about mandatory national service? ; 47. What do libertarians think about gambling? ; 48. What do libertarians think about pornography? ; 49. Are libertarians soft on crime? ; SOCIAL JUSTICE AND THE POOR ; 50. Do libertarians only care about the rich? ; 51. What is social justice? ; 52. Do most libertarians reject social justice? ; 53. Do all libertarians reject social justice? ; 54. What do libertarians think about economic equality? ; 55. What would libertarians do about the poor? ; 56. What do libertarians believe about foreign aid to the world's poor ; 57. Why don't libertarians favor an extensive welfare state? ; 58. How could social justice possibly be achieved without an extensive welfare state? ; 59. Do libertarians think all problems can be solved with charity? ; 60. Do libertarians think the poor are to blame for their own poverty? ; GOVERNMENT AND DEMOCRACY ; 61. How do libertarians define <"government>"? ; 62. Why do libertarians dislike <"big government>"? ; 63. Are libertarians anarchists? ; 64. Do libertarians think politicians are selfish and evil? ; 65. What is <"government failure>"? What is the libertarian view on it? ; 66. Do libertarians favor democracy? ; 67. Do libertarians think democracy makes us more free? ; 68. Why do libertarians tend to think voters are ignorant and irrational? ; 69. What is the libertarian view of civic virtue and good citizenship? ; 70. What do libertarians think about the Constitution? ; 71. Are libertarians nationalists or cosmopolitans? ; CONTEMPORARY PROBLEMS ; 72. Why do libertarians want to open borders and open immigration? ; 73. Why do libertarians oppose interventionist foreign policy? ; 74. What would libertarians do about the war on terror? ; 75. Why do libertarians oppose the Transportation Security Administration and Department of Homeland Security? ; 76. What would libertarians do about pollution? ; 77. What would libertarians do about overfishing and overforesting? ; 78. What would libertarians do about the sick who cannot afford health care? ; 79. What would libertarians do about public schools? ; 80. What would libertarians do to fix the economy? ; 81. Are libertarians in favor of allowing organ sales? ; 82. Do libertarians think all taxation is theft and slavery? ; 83. How would libertarians reduce crime? ; 84. What would libertarians do about the financial crisis? ; 85. Do libertarians think markets will solve all problems? ; 86. Didn't libertarian housing policies cause the financial crisis? ; 87. What do libertarians think about campaign finance reform? ; POLITICS: YESTERDAY, TODAY, TOMORROW ; 88. How much influence does libertarianism have in contemporary politics? ; 89. Is libertarianism a popular view? ; 90. Are Tea Party activists libertarians? ; 91. What organizations do libertarians support? ; 92. Did the United States begin as a libertarian country but move away from libertarianism? ; 93. Which country is the most libertarian? Is it the United States? ; 94. Which states in the US are the most and least libertarian? ; 95. What percentage of Americans are libertarian? ; 96. Are libertarians utopian? ; 97. Is libertarianism feasible? ; 98. Why are some libertarians trying to move to form their own private countries or take control of certain states? ; 99. Is the US becoming more or less libertarian? ; 100. Is the world becoming more or less libertarian?