What is Libertarian Anarchism?

Terms such as "liberty" and "anarchy" (with which "libertarianism" and "anarchism" are respectively concerned) mean different things to different people—a major obstacle to effective communication and sharing of ideas. These problems of language and interpretation are not uncommon, nor are they limited to political conversation. Perhaps they can be considered as some profound manifestation of the human condition.

With that in mind, "liberty" (or "freedom") may be defined as the circumstance of having ownership (exclusive control, sovereignty) over one's life: that is to say, over one's body, one's mind, one's actions and, by extension, one's justly acquired property. An individual's liberty finds its limit in the similar, equal liberty of others, the violation of which must not be considered acceptable if we are to exist together in peace and harmony. In the context of political philosophy, which concerns the proper role of government, "anarchy" (from the Greek "anarkhia", “without rulers”) describes a situation where political authority is absent altogether. In other words, a stateless society, where coercive political institutions have been abolished in their entirety.

The ideology known as "libertarian anarchism" may be traced back to Enlightenment era classical liberalism—if not further, through the ages, to the very dawn of human history. It was not until the latter half of the 19th century, however, that its advocates started explicitly identifying as libertarians and anarchists. While some libertarian anarchists label themselves socialists and others defend the free market, while some consider themselves individualists and others collectivists, their ideas are united by, and to a great extent compatible because of, a shared respect and reverence for individual liberty. This concept they pursue to its fullest logical conclusion—anarchism—proposing any number of consent-based organisational models in place of state aggression. Statism, and the violent, monopolistic behaviour that it entails, is recognised as inherently corrupting, destructive, wasteful and unneccessary—the single greatest source of poverty, injustice, misery and disorder afflicting humanity past and present. Libertarian anarchists champion an absolute commitment to individual rights and voluntary association as the means of improving material conditions and salvaging human dignity. If history has neglected to listen to them, it has been to the great detriment of mankind.

Libertarian anarchism can be described with reference to a number of related concepts, including self-ownership, the non-aggression principle, property rights, original appropriation (the homesteading principle), natural rights, the law of equal freedom, spontaneous order, polycentric law, contract law, the private law society, market anarchism, individualist anarchism, anarcho-capitalism, voluntary socialism, mutualism, panarchism, and so forth. It is linked with free market economics, particularly the Austrian school, whose adherents examine economic action through the lens of methodological individualism. Libertarian anarchism is commonly referred to as "voluntaryism", emphasising the importance of consent in all human relationships—including the governing mechanisms of society. With the principle of consent consistently adhered to, all of the aforementioned approaches are largely compatible.

You can discover more about the political and economic philosophy of libertarian anarchism through the quotes and resources on these pages. To help get you started, some recommended authors are listed below. I hope you find something interesting to read, and think about, here at Libertarian Anarchism Quotes.