Can there be 'Libertarianism without Inequality'? Some Worries About the Coherence of Left-Libertarianism

More Conservative Libertarianism

For many libertarians, the thesis of self-ownership is the foundation of their political philosophy. Natural rights to life, liberty, and propertyÑthe protection of which is, according to the libertarian, governmentÕs sole legitimate functionÑderive from self-ownership, in particular oneÕs ownership of his body and its parts, of his capacities and labor, and, by extension, of whatever he can ac...

Libertarianism and circumcision.

Despite the millenniums-old tradition in Abrahamic circles of removing the foreskin of a penis at birth, the involuntary and aggressive practice of circumcision must not be made an exception to the natural, negative right to self-ownership-a birthright which should prevent a parent from physically harming a child from the moment of birth going forward. This paper will present a natural rights a...

Libertarianism against Economism

Adam Smith’s frank remarks about human motivation paired with J. Keynes’s affirmation of the power of ideas form the fundamental antinomy of social science. Self-interest—interpreted substantively, not as a mere tautology— appears to explain most of what people want and do. But at the same time, politics— with its ideologues, heartfelt appeals, and heated debates—seems to determine the “rules o...

Kymlicka on Libertarianism: a Response

In his well-known introduction to contemporary political philosophy,1 Will Kymlicka includes a substantial chapter on libertarianism, plus a preface and introduction that are also relevant to the topic. These sections are likely to help form many readers’ opinions regarding libertarian political philosophy. Unfortunately, many of Kymlicka’s assumptions and arguments seem to me to be crucially m...

Does Libertarianism Imply the Welfare State?