Last Updated on November 27, 2022 by Lily Connel
The libertarian political philosophy is built into the libertarian’s understanding of natural law, which he perceives to be universal. This means a libertarian believes a right is something someone should never be forced to give up against their will. It can also refer to an obligation to respect another person’s rights, which entails refraining from infringing on these rights. On the other hand, Freedom is not just the absence of government. Economic freedom does not equate to ownership.
Libertarianism is a description of how governments should behave towards each other in terms of their political independence, national sovereignty issues, and human rights. It does not mean any government at all. It means the government protects rights and does not violate them.
Pros and Cons Of Libertarianism – The Differences
| Serial | Pros Of Libertarianism | Cons Of Libertarianism |
| 1. | Libertarian socialism is a libertarian means for achieving the anarchist’s goal of abolishing private property. Unlike libertarian socialists, libertarian capitalists share social and economic views with classical liberals and conservatives; they want the government to only interfere when force is initiated. | Libertarianism generally implies “small government”, and thus libertarianism is often used in a defensive sense. |
| 2. | One of libertarianism’s most important aspects is that it protects individual liberty by limiting the amount of power centralized governments have. This protection allows more personal freedoms than almost any other ideology, placing among one the more liberal political views. People can engage in whatever consensual activity they choose without government interference, so long as they aren’t harming anyone else. Additionally, it holds that people have a right to private property, which provides opportunities for wealth creation and entrepreneurship. | The idea of libertarianism being anti-left or anti-right. While it’s true that libertarian philosophy tends to fit more with the values of right-wingers than leftists, libertarianism doesn’t make you automatically part of any group. |
| 3. | Libertarianism is the political philosophy that advocates liberty, especially freedom of thought and discussion, as well as rejects authority in government or the church. The libertarian political philosophy has been considered to be a form of humanism that can unite liberals, conservatives, socialists, anarchists, and socialists under the same banner of anti-statism. | The final thing which seems to be a libertarian pro but isn’t libertarian at all is the idea that libertarianism is “all about freedom.” Libertarianism is primarily about protecting your freedoms by not violating others’, but it’s also about making sure you have the resources to protect yourself so nothing can violate your freedoms. This is why libertarianism includes “life, liberty, and property” among its three primary values. |
| 4. | In libertarianism, the government’s power is limited by its unwillingness to provide services that can be provided by the free market or through voluntary means. This limits the size and scope of government, something that libertarianism’s more-extreme offshoots like anarchy agree upon (except they believe limited government is a terrible idea, and none should exist). | Libertarianism says that every person has the right to do whatever they want as long as it doesn’t interfere with the rights of others. This includes prostitution, recreational drug use, and any other job that isn’t inherently violent or dangerous. |
| 5. | Libertarian socialists believe libertarianism lacks a theory of economic power; therefore capitalism cannot be prevented from infringing on people’s rights. Economic power is held by those who control businesses (the bourgeoisie) and ultimately derive their money from these businesses. Without economic power, libertarian socialists believe libertarianism could not combat worker exploitation or defend against capitalist acts of aggression. | Libertarianism does not mean that the government doesn’t get involved, it just means that they don’t get involved unless there’s no other option. |
| 6. | The non-aggression principle states that all people are free to do anything they want with their bodies and property, so long as they don’t infringe upon the rights of others. This includes infringing on someone’s physical integrity, theft, rape, etc. | A good example of this would be national defence. Libertarians do believe in national defence, though libertarian circles are usually wary of unneeded invasions of privacy, they don’t believe that libertarianism means that there should never be national defence. |
| 7. | Another libertarian principle is that taxation (forced redistribution of money) requires force because people are not obligated to hand over their incomes to the government. Libertarians believe that it’s up to individuals if they want to voluntarily donate money or other assets to others or organizations, but there should be no requirement for payment. | Libertarianism is libertarian, not republican or democrat. |
| 8. | This libertarian belief holds that people should be free to associate (or not) with whomever they please. It also holds that businesses, organizations, etc. should be free to associate (or not) with whomever they please – it doesn’t take a position on civil rights protections for people, but many libertarian organizations do support them. | You can’t be free if you don’t have a life or aren’t allowed to use it freely, and the same goes for liberty and property respectively. |
| 9. | One of libertarianism’s more radical policies is that the Federal Reserve shouldn’t control the U.S. money supply. Instead, it favours giving all control of money back to private banks by allowing them to issue (and loan) money into existence. This would end inflation and allow individuals greater control over their wealth. | |
| 10. | Libertarians believe that government involvement in the economy stifles individual freedom and growth. As a libertarian economist, Murray Rothbard noted, “any time you have a governmental intervention, you inevitably invoke the law of unintended consequences.” | |
| 11. | This libertarian principle is closely tied to libertarianism’s conception of property rights and individual liberty. Libertarians believe that people must be able to control their labour and the fruits of that labour since this creates wealth and allows individuals to determine their financial standings in life. | |
| 12. | According to libertarian beliefs, borders should be open but governments shouldn’t prevent immigration unless immigrants are known criminals. This libertarian position is more moderate than some, however, as libertarianism doesn’t take any positions on civil rights protections for immigrants. | |
| 13. | Libertarians’ emphasis on freedom, individual liberty, and economic freedom makes libertarianism popular among both conservatives and liberals. As libertarian blogger Steve Horwitz notes, libertarianism is often the “third way” between conservatives and liberals. | |
| 14. | Popular Among Young Voters Libertarian beliefs hold that young voters are more likely to support libertarian positions because they haven’t yet formed strong party loyalties or special interests. Libertarianism typically opposes party platforms on issues such as abortion rights and gay marriage. |
Conclusion:
In conclusion, libertarianism is a political framework that emphasizes personal freedom from governmental coercion and a laissez-faire economic perspective. While libertarians have a wide range of views on civil liberties and immigration, most adhere to the libertarian principles of non-aggression, voluntary association, and voluntary money creation. Libertarianism is a common ideology in the United States, particularly among young Americans.
