Talk:Libertarianism/OverviewDraft2

This is an (incomplete) attempt to:
 * 1) Identify a number of tertiary sources that provide a high-level overview of libertarianism;
 * 2) Identify key tenets of libertarianism;
 * 3) Apply weighting to those tenets, based on the frequency with which they occur in the tertiary sources identified;
 * 4) Identify "key thinkers" within libertarianism.

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 * 

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To do

 * Initial run-through of tertiary sources
 * Complete Boaz - only one editor has worked on it, it will need to be checked by other editors.
 * Complete Vallentyne - this section is clearly incomplete, and will need to be...
 * completed by other editors.
 * checked by other editors.
 * Identify further tertiary sources and add them to the Bibliography section.
 * Work on further tertiary sources, adding citations to the Citations section and prose/quotes to new sections (in the same way as had been done for Boaz and Vallentyne). At this stage it is sufficient to simply identify tenets used by that one source. Weighting will be done later, when all sources have been completed. There is no need to consider, at this stage, whether tenets used by different sources are identical.
 * Identify "thinkers", discussed by each tertiary source. Add them to the Thinkers section with citations for each source that discusses the "thinker".
 * Consider which tenets are equivalent, i.e. different sources will express the same thing in different ways. This will probably be the most interesting part, and may require input from, e.g. WikiProject Philosophy. Assemble tenets in Tenets section with citations for each source that discusses the tenet.

Britannica (Boaz)

 * Primacy of individual liberty.
 * Typically embrace individualism.
 * Individual rights are not "granted" - they can not be taken away by governments or other individuals.
 * (Typically?) legal order should be understood in terms of the individual, not the collective.
 * Harm principle.
 * May be thought of as a form of liberalism.
 * A distrust of government rooted in anarchism.
 * Typically oppose government impositions e.g. income tax.
 * Typically oppose government impositions seen by many as positive e.g. social security, postal service.
 * All acts of aggression against the rights of others are unjust.
 * ...including government censorship, conscription, price controls.
 * Spontaneous order.
 * (Typically?) language, law, customs, money.
 * Free markets.
 * (Typically?) self-help, mutual aid, charity, and economic growth.
 * Property Rights
 * Law: generally applicable, publicly known. Not arbitrary.
 * Even "anarchist libertarians" believe in law and law enforcement to protect individual rights.
 * Typically believe some government is essential.
 * Limit government power: written constitution; checks and balances.
 * Some (American) libertarians have opposed all forms of government.
 * Society (apropos of conflict): natural harmony arises from a just society.
 * All individuals prosper from the operation of a free market, conflict is not inevitable.
 * Political rewards lead to conflict.
 * Defensive or retaliatory violence may be justified. Violence is not valuable, produces no benefits beyond defence.

Stanford (Vallentyne)

 * Individuals "own" themselves, can acquire property.
 * Sometimes: Negative liberty: right to "the absence of forcible interference from other agents when one attempts to do things".
 * Sometimes the "negative liberty" view is equated with "self-ownership".

IEP (Zwolinski)

 * "libertarians are generally united by a rough agreement..."
 * robust property rights.


 * Versions of libertarianism
 * Most well known version
 * Nozickean minarchism
 * scope of government: police, courts and military
 * Other theories considered by some to be libertarian
 * closely related to Nozickean minarchist libertarians
 * anarcho-capitalists
 * no government
 * protective services provided by free-market
 * classical liberals
 * support free-markets
 * broader scope of government

Thinkers
''This section is currently barely used. Add citations for further tertiary sources. Add additional "thinkers" as they're encountered in sources.''
 * Hume.
 * Jefferson.
 * Locke.
 * Mill.
 * Nozick.
 * Rand.
 * Rothbard.
 * Smith.
 * Spencer.
 * Spooner.
 * Thoreau.

US Libertarian Party

 * maximum liberty in both personal and economic matters
 * a much smaller government; one that is limited to protecting individuals from coercion and violence
 * private property
 * embrace individual responsibility
 * oppose government bureaucracy and taxes
 * tolerate diverse lifestyles
 * support the free market
 * defend civil liberties

Source: Libertarian Party Platform

Common Tenets

 * 1) Minimize or eliminate governmental restrictions on individual freedom and liberty
 * 2) Reduce or eliminate taxes
 * 3) A much smaller government, but some government is essential.
 * 4) A large reduction in governmental power over individuals

''This section not currently used. It will be filled in once all sources have been worked through.''
 * Tenet #1. Discussed by source #x in the form "example quote here",Citation here by source #y in the form "example quote here"Citation here and by source #z in the form "example quote here".Citation here
 * Tenet #2. Source #a considers a this tenet to be fundamental: "example quote here",Citation here while source #b considers only a limited form of this tenet: "example quote here",Citation here.
 * Tenet #3. etc.

Draft of new overview section
This is raw material only, not a draft

Organizations of Libertarians may include members with disparate Libertarian philosophies held together by common purposes or tenets.

Common tenets. Difference between Libertarians are often defined by how far they would take these tenets. For example, under reduction of taxes, some may advocate reduction to zero, i.e. elimination. North8000 (talk) 12:29, 24 November 2010 (UTC)

1. Minimize or eliminate governmental restrictions on individual freedom and liberty

2. Reduce or eliminate taxes

3. A much smaller government, but some government is essential.

4. A large reduction in governmental power over individuals