What is Libertarianism? (Republished)
By Luke Romeo Alley
As I sat tabling for the Denison University Libertarians club at our university’s involvement fair, it quickly occurred to me that not many people know what a Libertarian is or what libertarianism means. Some of the students who approached our table had never heard of the word before, some heard of Libertarians but just equated it with the infamous Libertarian driver’s license debate clip, and one student even mistook us for the “Denison Librarians” and asked if our club was centered around book drives.
While the librarian confusion was funny, it showcases a problem that is prevalent within our two-party system/society — a problem in which people do not know there are more than just two different sides of politics, that there are other lines of thought that diverge from the well-known concepts of the Left & Right, conservative & liberal, and Republicans & Democrats. There are more options, a lot more options in fact, and one of these, of course, is libertarianism.
Being the first edition of our club’s newsletter, I think an introduction to libertarianism would be a great start in not only sharing ideas with like-minded individuals, but also opening up political dialogue on campus and educating others on ideas that may not be as well known. As an end to this introduction, I’m going to finish with a popular saying among Libertarians: “Most people are Libertarians, but don’t know it yet.”
So, what is libertarianism?
Libertarianism is a strain of political thought that puts an emphasis on liberty, individualism, and personal responsibility. Libertarians hold the view that each person in society is a free individual who has the absolute freedom to live their lives how they see fit. Libertarians are critical of governments (or any powerful institution, including private corporations) as these institutions seek to gain power and control to restrict rights and liberties of the individuals underneath them.
From a libertarian viewpoint, the government should exist at the most minimal level possible to allow the maximum amount of individual freedom. This means having a small government in place to protect the rights of individuals so they are not the victims of crime, fraud, and war, but stay out of the personal lives of individuals so they can practice their chosen faith, marry who they want, and live how they desire (as long as all of those activities do not interfere with the rights of others).
In economics, Libertarians advocate for free-market capitalism. In a free-market economy, goods and services are exchanged freely with little government regulation. The free exchange of goods and services allows for the creation of wealth, which uplifts the standard of living for all of society. With limited regulation on the economy, more individuals have the opportunity to create wealth rather than just powerful corporations with access to more capital. Furthermore, the more competitive market that results from a deregulated free market creates more choice for consumers. The liberty found in the free market allows for more autonomy for individuals both producing and consuming goods and services.
Socially, Libertarians believe each individual has sole autonomy and the right to choose how they live. Whom they marry, what they believe, and even what they eat are all determined by the choice that the individual makes. The main rule that is applied to this freedom of choice is that the choices of the individual cannot infringe upon the rights of another. The social ideas of libertarianism can accurately be summed up through the popular phrase: “Live and let live”.
In the end, Libertarians advocate for a free society that utilizes economic and social freedom such that all individuals can exercise their right to liberty. Libertarians, and our club, aim to further discuss and educate others about our ideas and beliefs so that we can move toward a more free and peaceful society.
Feel free to follow our club’s Instagram page @denisonians_for_liberty to stay up to date with our newsletter, libertarian advocacy, and club meetups.
Live and let live,
Luke Romeo Alley