Libertarians are an increasingly prominent ideological group in U.S. politics, yet they have been largely unstudied. Across 16 measures in a large web-based sample that included 11,994 self-identified libertarians, we sought to understand the moral and psychological characteristics of self-described libertarians. Based on an intuitionist view of moral judgment, we focused on the underlying affe...

In developing a theory of the rst appropriation of natural resources from the state of nature John Locke tells us that persons must leave enough and as good for others. Detailing exactly what this restriction requires divides right and left libertarians. Brie y, right libertarians interpret enough and as good as requiring no or very minimal restrictions on the rst appropriation of natural resou...

In response to Lynne Rudder Baker’s intriguing paper, “Why Christians Should Not Be Libertarians,” I suggest that, even if a Christian simply lets the chips fall where they may with respect to the dispute between libertarians and compatibilists, a Christian should not be a determinist. I also offer for consideration a rather controversial non-Augustinian explanation for the near universality an...

There is a tension between libertarians’ optimism about private supply of public goods and skepticism of the viability of voluntary collusion (Cowen 1992, Cowen and Sutter 1999). Playing off this asymmetry, Cowen (1992) advances the novel argument that the “free market in defense services” favored by anarcho-capitalists is a network industry where collusion is especially feasible. The current a...

This paper argues—contra some Austro-libertarians—that whether a given exchange is welfare-enhancing or welfare-diminishing does not depend on that just unjust, respectively. Rather, we suggest in light of our two thought experiments, Austro-libertarianism has at least pro tanto reason to conceive justice and welfare as logically distinct ideals. would turn, most interestingly, predict the poss...

Libertarians are defenders of the free market. On their view, only market is compatible with freedom each individual to lead her own life according choices. In a book and series articles, Serena Olsaretti argues that libertarians wrong believe commitment justifies According her, rely on problematic account voluntary action. As part argument, develops I offer two criticisms Olsaretti’s argument....