Articles
Acton, Lord (1834-1902), by Gregory Gronbacher,
The Encyclopedia of Libertarianism, 15 Aug 2008
Biographical essay
"Acton saw the history of liberty as the unfolding resolution of the tension that exists between moral conscience and corruption. Liberty, he professed, is the only appropriate context for religious virtue, but without religious values as an ultimate orientation and guide, liberty would inevitably disintegrate into license. Acton claimed that 'liberty is not a means to a higher political end. It is itself the highest political end.' ... Acton ... shared the Christian view of a positive liberty, which he summed up with one of his more famous quotes, 'Liberty is not the power of doing what we like, but the right of being able to do what we ought.'"
Ben Franklin on Liberty, by Gary M. Galles,
Mises Daily, 3 Feb 2003
List of select quotes by Franklin on the subject of liberty, with introductory and closing remarks
"
- They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty or safety...
...- Where liberty dwells, there is my country.
...- Without freedom of thought there can be no such thing as wisdom; and no such thing as public liberty, without freedom of speech.
...- When the people find that they can vote themselves money, that will herald the end of the republic
- Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote.
...- Only a virtuous people are capable of freedom. As nations become more corrupt and vicious, they have more need of masters.
"
Benjamin Constant, Eloquent Defender of Freedom, by
David Boaz, 25 Oct 2017
Tribute to Constant, written on the 250th anniversary of his birth, with quotes from his speech "The Liberty of the Ancients Compared with That of the Moderns"
"Constant began his speech this way: "First ask yourselves, Gentlemen, what an Englishman, a Frenchman, and a citizen of the United States of America understand today by the word 'liberty.' For each of them it is the right to be subjected only to the laws, and to be neither arrested, detained, put to death or maltreated in any way by the arbitrary will of one or more individuals. It is the right of everyone to express their opinion, choose a profession and practice it, to dispose of property, and even to abuse it; to come and go without permission, and without having to account for their motives or undertakings ...""
Bentham, Jeremy (1748-1832), by T. Patrick Burke,
The Encyclopedia of Libertarianism, 15 Aug 2008
Biographical essay
"Liberty, for Bentham, if properly understood, also is a fiction, that is, an unobservable abstract concept. Liberty is simply the absence of external constraint. ... In addition to economic freedom, Bentham especially espoused the cause of intellectual freedom and freedom of speech. Because individuals are usually the best judges of what is good for them, and because a regime of liberty provides the individual with the greatest freedom to follow his own goals, there is a presumption in favor of it, and the burden of justification is on those who would make exceptions."
Bourgeois Virtues?, by Deirdre McCloskey,
Cato Policy Report, May 2006
Offers an apologia (formal defense) of capitalism, in particular of the phrase "bourgeois virtues" as being neither a contradiction in terms nor a lie
"The combination of longer and richer lives since 1800 is one reason that liberty has spread. There are by now many more adults living long enough lives sufficiently free from desperation to have some political interests. The theory that economic desperation leads to good revolution is, of course, mistaken, or else our freedoms would have emerged from the serfs of Russia or the peasants of China, not from the bourgeoisie of northwestern Europe, as they did in fact."
Conscience on the Battlefield, by
Leonard Read, 1981
Pamphlet written in 1951, during the Korean War, updated with prologue in 1981; Read recalls the 1918 incident when the troopship he was on was sunk by a German submarine and wonders about his thoughts if he were dying (in 1951) on a Korean battlefield
"You are saying that wisdom is generated by the mere act of giving some person or persons a monopoly of coercion. If this be true, why do you not accept the Russian arrangement and be done with it? Does it really matter whether an American or a Russian has a gun in your back? I thought you were fighting for freedom. Isn't it possible that the way to advance freedom is to behave like free men rather than like regimented men?"
Constant, Benjamin (1767-1830), by David M. Hart,
The Encyclopedia of Libertarianism, 15 Aug 2008
Biographical essay
"It was here that Constant wrote ... his scathing attack on Napoleon's militarism and political tyranny, 'The Spirit of Conquest and Usurpation and Their Relation to European Civilization' (1814). In that essay, Constant made two important distinctions, one between ancient and modern notions of liberty and the other between ancient military society and modern commercial society. With regard to liberty, Constant argued that in ancient societies liberty was largely seen as political participation, whereas in modern societies liberty was seen as a private sphere protected from intrusion by the state."
Democracy Versus Liberty, by
James Bovard,
The Freeman, Aug 2006
Discusses the dangers of equating liberty with "self-government" as majority rule
"Americans quickly recognized that liberty meant lack of coercion—especially lack of government coercion. "The Restraint of Government is the True Liberty and Freedom of the People" was a popular motto of the late 1700s. John Phillip Reid, in his seminal work, The Concept of Liberty in the Age of the American Revolution, observed that liberty in the eighteenth century was "largely thought of as freedom from arbitrary government. ... The less a law restrained the citizen, and the more it restrained government, the better the law." This concept of freedom continued into the early part of the twentieth century."
Frederic Bastiat, Ingenious Champion for Liberty and Peace, by
Jim Powell,
The Freeman, Jun 1997
Lengthy biographical essay, covering those who influenced Bastiat as well as those influenced by him, his writings (including correspondence with his friend Félix Coudroy), his roles in the French Constituent and Legistative Assemblies and his legacy
"Bastiat recognized that revolutionary violence occurred not because there was too much freedom but because there wasn't enough. 'Can we imagine citizens, otherwise completely free,' he wrote to Félix Coudroy, 'moving to overthrow their government when its activity is limited to satisfying the most vital, the most keenly felt of all social wants, the need for justice? We have tried so many things; when shall we try the simplest of all: freedom?'"
Related Topics:
Frédéric Bastiat,
Richard Cobden,
Foundation for Economic Education,
Benjamin Franklin,
Free Trade,
Government,
Henry Hazlitt,
Law,
The Law,
Libertarianism,
Gustave de Molinari,
Rights,
Jean-Baptiste Say,
Socialism,
The State
Freedom vs. Liberty, by
Joseph R. Stromberg, 10 Jul 2001
Delves into the etymology and semantics of the English words "freedom" and "liberty"
"'Liberty' derives from Latin libertas, from liber, 'free.' ... English got 'liberty' as Norman-French liberté libertas, an abstract noun deriving from liber, which also gives us 'liberal,' 'liberate,' and other words. ... It remained for the liberal thinkers of the 17th and 18th centuries to theorize a generalized notion of liberty. ... 'freedom' seems a bit more world-bound or concrete than 'liberty.' The latter conjures up the abstract public liberty in relation to the state. ... Freedom might well be the very 'thing' it is most important not to lose."
Garet Garrett Revived, by Bruce Ramsey, 26 Mar 2002
Discusses Garrett's political writings and announces a new collection of his articles about the New Deal, edited by Ramsey
"He argued for liberty in at least three ways. First, liberty was American. Liberty was what made us different from Europeans. It was not just capitalism. Lots of countries had that. Americans had a unique, freewheeling, exuberant subspecies of it: Capitalism with liberty. ... The second reason Garrett was for liberty is that liberty made individual Americans strong. ... The third reason Garrett was for liberty is that it made the nation strong. One of the ways it did that was by providing elbow room for remarkable people to do remarkable things. To Garrett, this was personalized by Henry Ford."
Give Me Liberty [PDF], by
Rose Wilder Lane, 1936
Originally published as an article titled "Credo" in the
Saturday Evening Post; describes her experiences in and history of Soviet Russia and Europe, contrasting them with the history of the United States, emphasizing the individualist themes
"When I asked myself, 'Am I truly free?' I began slowly to understand the nature of man and man's situation on this planet. I understood at last that every human being is free; that I am endowed by the Creator with inalienable liberty as I am endowed with life; that my freedom is inseparable from my life, since freedom is the individual's self-controlling nature. My freedom is my control of my own life-energy, for the uses of which I, alone, am therefore responsible."
Related Topics:
American Revolutionary War,
United States Bill of Rights,
Bureaucracy,
California,
Capitalism,
Democratic Party,
Economic Resources,
Economics,
Farming,
France,
Germany,
Government,
Hungary,
Italy,
Thomas Jefferson,
Kentucky,
Individual Liberty,
Militarism,
Nonviolent resistance,
Personal Responsibility,
Political Parties,
Republican Party,
Socialism,
United States
Hayek, Life and Times, by
Jim Powell
Lengthy biographical essay, with extensive quotes both from Hayek and others (including Keynes)
"Hayek began by making a practical case for liberty. Because there are so many things human beings don't know, he maintained it's essential that we be free to pursue the truth. He affirmed that 'the chief reason why we should be held wholly responsible for our decisions is that this will direct our attention to those causes of events that depend on our actions.' He stressed that the most important benefits come from the unforeseen ways people use their liberty. ... How to protect liberty? Each individual must have a sphere where he or she can be free without interference from others, including government ..."
Related Topics:
Capitalism,
Democracy,
Milton Friedman,
Government,
Friedrich Hayek,
Frank Knight,
Law,
Rule of Law,
Carl Menger,
Ludwig von Mises,
Money,
Mont Pelerin Society,
Nobel Prize,
George Orwell,
Karl Popper,
Socialism,
Thomas Sowell,
Vienna
H. L. Mencken, America's Wittiest Defender of Liberty, by
Jim Powell,
The Freeman, Sep 1995
Biographical essay, highlighting Mencken's tenure at the
Baltimore Sun, the books he authored, the founding and his work at the
American Mercury monthly and his brief relationship with Sara Haardt
"'I believe that liberty is the only genuinely valuable thing that men have invented,' he wrote, 'at least in the field of government ... I believe that it is better to be free than to be not free, even when the former is dangerous and the latter safe. I believe that the finest qualities of man can flourish only in free air—that progress made under the shadow of the policeman's club is false progress, and of no permanent value. I believe that any man who takes the liberty of another into his keeping is bound to become a tyrant, and that any man who yields up his liberty, in however slight the measure, is bound to become a slave.'"
How Much Do You Know About Liberty? (a quiz),
The Freeman, Jun 1996
A 20-question quiz (with answers) on various topics related to liberty in the history of the United States
"What method of resolving disputes did trial by jury replace? ... What bulwark of American liberty do we owe to the Antifederalists? ... How many slaves were liberated by Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation? ... When and why did organized crime get started in the United States? ... What effect did the New Deal have on the Great Depression? ... Which three twentieth-century presidents promised to keep America out of war—but maneuvered in?"
Related Topics:
United States Bill of Rights,
Bureaucracy,
Compulsory Education,
Entrepreneurship,
Farming,
Federal Reserve System,
Free Trade,
John Hancock,
Warren G. Harding,
Labor,
Abraham Lincoln,
Monopoly,
Prohibition,
Taxation,
Right to Trial by Jury,
War
How To Sell Liberty, by
Jarret Wollstein, Jun 1998
Discusses eight principles of effective salesmanship and how to apply them to market liberty
"Although liberty is beneficial to nearly everyone, because of political biases ... and other factors, you are not going to be able to sell everyone. ... when you are selling liberty, you need to talk about how liberty will benefit your audience. Liberty is one product that benefits every honest person, so it can be sold to nearly everyone. ... Explain that liberty and the free market are intelligent compassion – compassion that really works. Only by creating a society in which individual liberty is strongly protected, will the poor be free from abuse and exploitation by the police, big corporations and other powerful groups."
In Pursuit of Liberty, by
Jarret Wollstein, May 1997
Primer on liberty concepts, including voluntary vs. coercive associations, individual rights, government and possible future improvements in the status quo
"Liberty is the freedom to act as you please so long as you don't coerce others. ... We need liberty to think, to create, and to fulfill our individual and unique potential. Liberty is as much a requirement of our psychological nature as food and air are requirements of our biological nature. When liberty is denied, economies stagnate, cultures deteriorate, science declines, living standards fall, and the human spirit languishes. Liberty is essential for any decent and humane society. Liberty is such a compelling and important value that even brutal dictatorships claim to support it."
Interview with Jim Bovard, by
James Bovard, Sunni Maravillosa, Apr 2006
Extensive dialogue (13 web pages), from Jim's first paid writing to an upcoming book, the publishing industry, the Future of Freedom Foundation, his books, radio hosts and much more
"I suspect some libertarians greatly overestimate how attractive liberty is to today's Americans. How many young people and college students would happily permit the government to monitor all their e-mail in return for unlimited free music downloads? How many McDonald's gift certificates would it take to sway a person to pledge never to publicly criticize the president? How many people would happily surrender most of their constitutional rights in return for a president's promise that he will thereby make them safe? Many Americans are far more interested in being cared for than being left alone."
Interview with Karl Hess, by
Karl Hess, A. Lin Neumann,
Reason, May 1982
Topics discussed include the Republican Party, National Review, AEI, Goldwater, Rothbard, anarchism, the Vietnam War, Carter and Reagan, fascism, urban enterprise zones, the environment, and authoritarianism vs. freedom
"Well, I'd say very little except to make the plaintive point that they're casting their lot with authoritarianism and that, although I can understand that they intend to be the authoritarians this time, I suggest that they would be happier if they cast their lot on the side of freedom. That's all. It seems to me that in the long run the greatest thing you can say about freedom is that you feel better when you're free. It's a more enjoyable state of life than to be either a slave or a master. Now there may be a lot of other high-falutin' reasons, but it's the only one I could talk to people at NR about."
Related Topics:
American Enterprise Institute,
Fascism,
Barry Goldwater,
Personal Responsibility,
Ronald Reagan,
Republican Party,
Franklin D. Roosevelt,
Murray Rothbard,
Taxation,
United States,
War
James Buchanan's Subjectivist Economics, by
Sheldon Richman, Apr 2013
Reviews Buchanan's writings in
What Should Economists Do?, a collection of several of his essays
"As noted, Buchanan rejected talk of 'national goals' and other collectivist notions, but he went beyond others who do the same: '... not even individuals have well-defined and well-articulated objectives that exist independently of choices themselves. Out of all this there emerges a strong defense of individual liberty ... Man wants liberty to become the man he wants to become. He does so precisely because he does not know what man he will want to become in time. Let us remove once and for all the instrumental defense of liberty, the only one that can possibly be derived directly from orthodox economic analysis. ...'"
Jefferson on American Liberty, by Gary M. Galles,
Mises Daily, 4 Jul 2002
List of Jefferson quotations on the subjects of liberty, rights and government
"Our liberty is to be limited only by others' equal liberty. '...rightful liberty is unobstructed action according to our own will within limits drawn around us by the equal rights of others. I do not add "within the limits of the law," because law is often but the tyrant's will, and always so when it violates the right of an individual.' ... Our liberty is not to be undermined by government intervention or redistribution. ... 'The policy of the American government is to leave their citizens free, neither restraining nor aiding them in their pursuits.'"
John Stuart Mill and the Three Dangers to Liberty, by
Richard Ebeling,
Future of Freedom, Jun 2001
Evaluates John Stuart Mills arguments in his essay "On Liberty", in particular the three forms of tyranny posited by Mill and an element (private property) not emphasized by his analysis
"Mill ... defended ... liberty of action as well. To make men conform to a uniformity in their conduct would prevent that which is an inherent hallmark of each of us as a human being: our individuality ... a weak link in Mill's argument is the vagueness ... in how he defines the arena within which the individual may claim protection from political infringements ... But in the broadest sense, Mill defines the range of a person's right to unrestrained liberty over his own choices as extending to that point at which his actions would infringe upon and violate the equal rights of other people to their freedom."
Kennedy's Libertarian Revolution: Lawrence's reach, by
Randy Barnett,
National Review Online, 10 Jul 2003
Comments on the Supreme Court decision in
Lawrence v. Texas invalidating sodomy laws and in particular on Justice Anthony Kennedy's majority opinion
"Contrary to what has been reported repeatedly in the press, the Court in Lawrence did not protect a 'right of privacy.' Rather, it protected 'liberty' — and without showing that the particular liberty in question is somehow 'fundamental.' ... Liberty, not privacy, pervades this opinion like none other, beginning with the very first paragraph ... Liberty is — and has always been — the properly defined exercise of freedom that does not violate the rights of others."
Knight, Frank H. (1885-1972), by Richard Boyd,
The Encyclopedia of Libertarianism, 15 Aug 2008
Biographical essay
"Even if we could agree on what should be done for the betterment of society, what he characterized as the insurmountable value problem, social reforms, Knight maintained, always come at the cost of some measure of human freedom, clearly a value worthy of respect. ... rather than defending freedom for its anticipated benefits, whether economic or social, Knight's preference for limited government was based on a profound skepticism about the frailties of human nature and the 'sickness of liberal society.' He defended freedom for its own sake with no illusions about the uses to which flawed human beings might choose to put their liberty."
Libertarianism and Legal Paternalism [PDF], by
John Hospers,
The Journal of Libertarian Studies, 1980
Discusses laws "designed to protect people from themselves" arguing that in general such laws are illegitimate
"Mill ... held, for example, that a contract by which a person agrees to sell himself into perpetual slavery should be null and void ... But why, if a person signs such a contract, should anyone interfere with it? 'The reason for not interfering ... with a person's voluntary acts,' wrote Mill in On Liberty, 'is consideration for his liberty ... By selling himself for a slave, he abdicates his liberty ... He therefore defeats, in his own case, the very purpose which is the justification of allowing him to dispose of himself ... It is not freedom to be allowed to alienate his freedom.'"
Libertarianism Is the Key to Our Future, by
Jacob Hornberger,
Future of Freedom, Jul 2006
Examines three reasons — freedom, morality and pragmatism — that suggest that Americans will eventually return to their libertarian heritage
"Almost everyone prizes the concept of freedom. Yet relatively few people in history have realized it. ... The big problem that Americans face is embodied in the words of the great German thinker Johann Goethe: "None are more hopelessly enslaved than those who falsely believe they are free." Americans honestly believe that, unlike most people throughout history, they are living lives of freedom. They are not aware that they are actually living lives of unreality and self-deception. That's not to say that Americans don't value freedom. On the contrary, it is among their highest values."
Liberty Defined, by
F. A. Harper, 4 Sep 1957
Speech to the Mont Pelerin Society; Harper first offers his definition of liberty, then explores "adulterated" definitions, its relation to morals, moral law and basic humans rights, ending with his hope for the cause of liberty
"Liberty stems from liber, which means to be free. ... Liberty is the absence of coercion of a human being by any other human being; it is a condition where the person may do whatever he desires, according to his wisdom and conscience. This means to have liberty one must be free without qualification or modification, so far as his social relationships are concerned."
Liberty in the Ancient World, by
Roderick T. Long,
The Encyclopedia of Libertarianism, 15 Aug 2008
Surveys the ancient civilizations in Sumeria, Hebrew Palestine, China, Greece and the Roman Republic and Empire, and their thoughts and practices about liberty
"The first known use of a word meaning 'liberty' (amagi) occurs on a 24th-century B.C. clay tablet from the Sumerian city-state of Lagash. According to the cuneiform document, the people of Lagash had long been languishing under oppressive bureaucrats and rapacious tax collectors when a reformer named Urukagina became king, apparently by coup, and 'established liberty.' Urukagina's regime was short-lived, however, because Lagash was conquered by a neighboring state less than a decade later. The amagi symbol enjoys some popularity among libertarians today."
Liberty or Empire?, by
Patrick Henry, 5 Jun 1788
Excerpt of speech to the Virginia Ratifying Convention; criticizes several clauses of the proposed Constitution and warns about the possibility of a U.S. President becoming even worse than a king
"When the American spirit was in its youth, the language of America was different; liberty, sir, was then the primary object. We are descended from a people whose government was founded on liberty; our glorious forefathers of Great Britain made liberty the foundation of everything. That country is become a great, mighty, and splendid nation; not because their government is strong and energetic, but, sir, because liberty is its direct end and foundation."
Locke, John (1632-1704), by Eric Mack,
The Encyclopedia of Libertarianism, 15 Aug 2008
Biographical essay
"Locke argued that the facts ... support the conclusion that each of us has a right to dispose of ourselves as we judge best. Each of us possesses a right against others' disposing of us to advance their own purposes. Because we are all natural moral equals, any individual who rationally claims certain rights for himself must acknowledge that all other individuals have the same rights. Because what we each rationally claim against others is a right to freedom (i.e., a right to depose of our lives and liberty as we see fit), we each must grant that all other individuals have a like claim to freedom."
Lord Acton on Liberty and Government, by Gary M. Galles,
Mises Daily, 11 Nov 2002
Lamenting that most people only know Lord Acton's most famous quote, lists many of his other memorable writings on liberty, government and related subjects
"'... Liberty alone demands, for its realization, the limitation of the public authority, for liberty is the only object which benefits all alike, and provokes no sincere opposition. ... Liberty is not a means to a higher political end. It is itself the highest political end. It is not for the sake of a good public administration that it is required, but for the security in the pursuit of the highest objects of civil society, and of private life. ... Liberty is not the power of doing what we like, but the right of being able to do what we ought. ...'"
Mill, John Stuart (1806-1873), by Aeon Skoble,
The Encyclopedia of Libertarianism, 15 Aug 2008
Biographical essay
"Mill argued for a specific set of liberties being especially crucial to the development of the good: liberty of conscience, including freedom of thought and expression, and of the press; liberty of tastes and pursuits, including lifestyle and career choice ...; and liberty to associate with and unite with others for any purpose that does not violate the rights of others. These liberties are necessary for the discovery of truth and for the development of culture. To deny these liberties not only inhibits our humanity, but is most likely to lead to erroneous doctrines in morals, religion, and science ..."
Murray N. Rothbard: Mr. Libertarian, by
Wendy McElroy, 6 Jul 2000
A tribute to Rothbard as a "system builder," an integrator of multiple disciplines into a "philosophy of freedom"; examines several of Rothbard's essays and books
"Liberty v. Power. In its most blatant form, the struggle manifests itself as war between the peaceful, productive individual and the intrusive State that usurps those products. ... Rothbard sought to create an interdisciplinary system of thought that used the struggle between Liberty and Power as its integrating theme. He explained, "Strands and remnants of libertarian doctrines are, indeed, all around us. ... But only libertarianism takes these strands and remnants and integrates them into a mighty, logical, and consistent system." Without such a systematic world view, he believed Liberty could not succeed. "
Related Topics:
Roy Childs,
Economics,
Ethics,
Free Market,
Libertarianism,
Man, Economy, and State,
Ludwig von Mises,
Property Rights,
Murray Rothbard,
The State,
War
On the Origin and Character of Rights, by
William Blackstone,
The Freeman, Mar 1981
Selection extracted from
Commentaries on the Laws of England, vol. I
"The absolute rights of man, considered as a free agent, ... are usually summed up in one general appellation and denominated the natural liberty of mankind. This natural liberty consists properly in a power of acting as one thinks fit, without any restraint or control, unless by the law of nature ... But every man, when he enters into society, gives up a part of his natural liberty ... Political therefore, or civil, liberty, which is that of a member of society, is no other than natural liberty so far restrained by human laws (and no farther) as is necessary and expedient for the general advantage of the publick."
Personal 'Freedom': Review of Harry Browne's How I Found Freedom In An Unfree World [PDF], by
Roy Childs,
The Libertarian Forum, Apr 1973
While admitting that the book has many valuable insights, Childs chastises Browne on his definition of freedom and his views on morality and natural rights
"... his concept of freedom is unforgivable: 'freedom is the opportunity to live your life as you want to live it.' ... Browne takes three steps backwards from the semantic advances of the key libertarian philosophers, notably Rand and Rothbard, and obscures a vitally important issue: the distinction between freedom and ability or power. By defining freedom in terms of 'opportunity,' Browne semantically enslaves all those who are struggling to get what they want, but who have not yet attained it, for it is precisely the concrete opportunity to get what they want that they are lacking. Unhappy? Perhaps. But unfree? Not true."
Perspective: The Road Ahead, by
John T. Flynn,
The Freeman, Oct 1995
From
Forgotten Lessons: Selected Essays of John T. Flynn, 1949; enumerates a set of principles that Flynn thought were crucial to reversing the direction the United States was in (mixing capitalism with socialism)
"We must put human freedom as the first of our demands. There can be no security in a nation without freedom. Let us work to make our country a more bountiful home for all to live in, but the first and indispensable test of every plan must be whether it will impair our freedom. A better life for all, yes—but not at the expense of our liberties."
Reasoning on the Nature of Things, by Clarence B. Carson,
The Freeman, Feb 1982
Discusses how natural law doctrines were repudiated by utilitarians, why natural rights are important from an economic viewpoint, how the rights to life, liberty and property can be construed and what the author understands as the "social contract"
"The right to liberty is most directly the right not to be restrained or imprisoned. To put it affirmatively, it is the right to go and come at will, without let or hindrance. In practice, it means the right to do this unless he must be restrained for some good reason, duly attested and proved. In its extended sense, the right to liberty is the right to use one's own faculties as one wills for his own ends. ... Only the individual is situated so as to use his faculties for constructive purposes. ... Only he can direct his faculties to their highest and best use."
Related Topics:
Jeremy Bentham,
Government,
Law,
John Stuart Mill,
Philosophy,
Property Rights,
Ronald Reagan,
Rights,
Adam Smith,
Socialism,
Society
Religion and Freedom, by
Robert Sirico,
Future of Freedom, Dec 1993
Examines the premise that the state is justified as a means to promote or even coerce morality, the role of attaining liberty and the historical roots of "church and state"
"And frequently, when people speak of liberty, they seem to mean a freedom from all law — antinomianism ... Liberty, once obtained, is itself a rather meager concept ... the value of which has been far too inflated. Of course, when people do not have liberty, it is the one thing they most desperately seek and are often willing to die to achieve. This is the case because it is something without which civil society could not be maintained ... liberty is the only context within which these questions of the higher order can be addressed; it is the means toward another and higher end, but must not be confused with the end itself."
Robert A. Heinlein's Soaring Spirit of Liberty, by
Jim Powell,
The Freeman, Jul 1997
Biographical essay, including multiple quotes from fellow authors and significant excerpts from Heinlein's novels and stories
"Narrator John Lyle tells how he developed a philosophy of freedom. 'I began to sense faintly that secrecy is the keystone of all tyranny. Not force, but secrecy, censorship. When any government ... undertakes to say to its subjects, "This you may not read, this you must not see, this you are forbidden to know," the end result is tyranny and oppression, no matter how holy the motives. Mighty little force is needed to control a man whose mind has been hoodwinked; contrariwise, no amount of force can control a free man, a man whose mind is free. No, not the rack, not fission bombs, not anything—you can't conquer a free man; the most you can do is kill him.'"
Related Topics:
Achievement,
Anarchism,
Right to Keep and Bear Arms,
Entrepreneurship,
Robert A. Heinlein,
Libertarianism,
Money,
No Free Lunch,
J. Neil Schulman,
Science Fiction,
Socialism,
Taxation
Robert Nozick and the Value of Liberty, by Aaron Ross Powell, 21 Jun 2011
Responds to Stephen Metcalf's essay "The Liberty Scam", published on Slate.com
"... libertarians don't believe that liberty is the primary value, we believe that liberty is the primary political value. ... The beauty of liberty is that it allows each of us to pursue our own ends and strive for whatever we value. The curse of liberty is that our striving takes place among a great many fellow strivers, many of who are headed in directions we find elitist or prole, dangerous or dull, distasteful or uninspired. The difference between Nozick's vision and Metcalf's is that Nozick embraces that wonderful chaos, provided it happens within a framework of respected rights."
Rose Wilder Lane, Isabel Paterson, and Ayn Rand: Three Women Who Inspired the Modern Libertarian Movement, by
Jim Powell,
The Freeman, May 1996
Triple biographical essay on the women who in 1943 published
The Discovery of Freedom,
The God of the Machine and
The Fountainhead
"In 1942, an editor of John Day Company asked Lane to write a book about liberty. ... Her book, The Discovery of Freedom, Man's Struggle Against Authority, was published January 1943. ... Lane chronicled the epic 6,000-year struggle of ordinary people, who defy rulers to raise families, produce food, build industries, engage in trade, and in countless ways improve human life. She was lyrical about the American Revolution, which helped secure liberty and unleashed phenomenal energy for human progress. ... She ridiculed claims that bureaucrats could do better for individuals than they could do for themselves."
Related Topics:
Nathaniel Branden,
John Chamberlain,
Communism,
Entrepreneurship,
Europe,
Roger MacBride,
Albert Jay Nock,
Isabel Paterson,
Ayn Rand,
Leonard Read,
Rose Wilder Lane
So What If Freedom Isn't Free?, by
Sheldon Richman, 31 May 2013
Examines the "Freedom isn't free" assertion from the viewpoint of free will, negative or positive rights, resource scarcity and common usage
"Let's start by pointing out that freedom, in the sense of the inborn capacity to act as persons rather than as robots, is free. It is part of our nature as rational beings. We act purposively — which is to say we select ends, creatively and entrepreneurially, and then we search for appropriate means to achieve those ends ... Free in the social, or political, sense is what you are when others abstain from interfering with your activities. This is what is meant by "negative" freedom or rights ... Protecting one's (negative) social freedom may require the use of scarce resources, and in that sense freedom indeed is not free."
The Abstract Concept of Human Liberty, by
Robert LeFevre,
The Freeman, Dec 1982
Discusses how people may be interested in other people, events or things but only a few are interested in ideas, and how each group of people tends to view liberty from those perspectives
"... it seems to me that only that remnant which has taken the time to study freedom as an abstraction, as a body of thought, has any real comprehension of what it is all about. ... Human liberty is an abstraction. It is a concept not yet attained in any final way. Indeed, it will probably never be attained as a total condition, for there will always be malfunctioning human beings, just as there are well-functioning children who know nothing at all of any abstraction until they are taught."
The History of Freedom in Antiquity, by
John Dalberg-Acton, 26 Feb 1877
Surveys the ancient history of liberty, both from the side of rulers (despots, Solon, Pericles, Roman Republic and Empire) and philosophers (Pythagoras, Heraclitus, Plato, Aristotle, the Stoics), and the later influence of Christianity
"In every age [liberty's] progress has been beset by its natural enemies, by ignorance and superstition, by lust of conquest and by love of ease, by the strong man's craving for power, and the poor man's craving for food. ... By liberty I mean the assurance that every man shall be protected in doing what he believes his duty, against the influence of authority and majorities, custom and opinion. ... Liberty is not a means to a higher political end. It is itself the highest political end."
The Idea of Liberty is Western, by
Ludwig von Mises,
American Affairs, Oct 1950
Argues that the "idea of liberty is and has always been peculiar to the West", meaning primarily the cities of ancient Greece, and discusses "liberty" as viewed by Harold Laski, contrasting, for example, life under Stalin with Italy under fascism
"What gives to the individuals as much freedom as is compatible with life in society is the operation of the market system. The constitutions and bills of rights do not create freedom. They merely protect the freedom that the competitive economic system grants to the individuals against encroachments on the part of the police power."
The Indivisibility of Liberty, by
Mary Ruwart, 23 Apr 2008
Discusses how advocating that others be deprived of some liberties results in negative repercussions on our own liberties
"Americans want liberty for themselves, but they want something very different for others. This is why it has been a struggle to keep liberty as the foundation of our society. Liberty requires respect for the personal choices that others make. In the long run, our liberties cannot be maintained if we violate the liberties of others. In trying to control others, we will eventually find ourselves controlled. Taking our neighbors' liberties results in the loss of our own. ... Liberty is indivisible. It's the one thing we can't have unless we are willing to give it others."
The Moral Case for Freedom Is the Practical Case for Freedom, by
Sheldon Richman, 27 Dec 2013
Considers whether it is reasonable to make distinctions between ethical and practical arguments for freedom
"... we must inquire whether libertarian concerns are really divisible into a concern with duties (deontology), say, regarding individual rights and a concern with practical consequences. ... Some libertarians often say they would favor freedom even if it did not promote good things like prosperity because people have a right to freedom that is unrelated to its consequences. (Of course, they don't believe that freedom could have bad consequences. But is that just a happy coincidence? ...)"
The Politics of Étienne de La Boétie, by
Murray Rothbard, 1975
Introduction to the 1975 edition of
The Politics of Obedience: The Discourse of Voluntary Servitude, translated by Harry Kurz; summarises the key insights of La Boétie's work
"And reason, La Boétie adds, teaches us the justice of equal liberty for all. ... Therefore, 'there can be no further doubt that we are all naturally free,' and hence it cannot be asserted that 'nature has placed some of us in slavery.' Even animals, he points out, display a natural instinct to be free. But then, what in the world 'has so denatured man that he, the only creature really born to be free, lacks the memory of his original condition and the desire to return to it?'"
The Primacy of Freedom, by Brian Summers,
The Freeman, Feb 1988
One of over 20 essays in the anthology
Ideas on Liberty: Essays in Honor of Paul L. Poirot (1987), discussing why the freedom philosophy and economic and moral education are important
"Why is liberty so important that we should devote our efforts toward it when there are so many other worthy causes ...? One way to answer is to point out that the freedom philosophy, according to all available evidence, is correct. Both rational thought and historical study demonstrate that the free market, private property, limited government system works—it delivers higher living standards than any alternate system. If truth be known, then it is our duty to advance it. ... But the freedom philosophy is concerned with more than the truth. ... The freedom philosophy is important because people are important."
The Top 25 Liberty Songs, by Bill Winter,
Libertarian Party News, Aug 2001
List of 25 "Liberty's Best Songs" chosen from over 200 suggestions, and a supplementary list of 25 runners-up
"... songs that celebrate human freedom, civil liberties, resistance to tyranny, or just plain old all-American 'I did it my way' individualism. ... Sunshine ... My Life ... 911 is a joke ... Get Up, Stand Up ... Liberty ... Something for Nothing ... 1% ... Taxman ... Copperhead Road ... America ... The Plan ... People Want to Be Free ... I Want To Be Free (That's the Truth) ... Capitalism ... My Way ... Inside Four Walls ... The Coalition to Ban Coalitions ... Freedom of Speech ... Monster / Suicide / America ... Legalize It ... The Trees"
The War the Government Cannot Win, by
Lew Rockwell, 1 May 2007
Discusses how government cannnot win the war on terror because economic law is more powerful than the state
"I'm often asked what an average person can do to stop the madness and further liberty. ... When you are asked what you would like the government to do for you, we need to be prepared to reply: nothing. ... we can still be good citizens ... and contributors to society in a million different ways. This is far more important to the future of liberty than anything else we do. We must regain our confidence in our capacity for self-governance. ... Even if the public sector cannot and will not prepare for a future of liberty, we can. Let us look for and work toward the triumph of liberty unencumbered by leviathan and its wars."
Related Topics:
Cold War,
Economics,
Government,
Iraq,
Iraq War (2003),
Ludwig von Mises,
Socialism,
Society,
The State,
Terrorism,
United States,
War
To Defeat the Assault on Liberty, Our Appeals Must Be Moral, by
Jim Powell, 13 May 2013
Argues, by providing several historical examples, that "compelling moral appeals for liberty" are needed to confront various current problems such as government spending and debt, higher taxes and disregard of constitutional limits on executive power
"American liberty is under assault now more than at any time since the 1930s, because of runaway spending, soaring debt, ever higher taxes, proliferating regulations, implementation of Obamacare and the president's disregard for constitutional limits on his power. ... In recent times, Ronald Reagan stood out as a rare leader who could express moral appeals for liberty. He said, for instance, 'Only when the human spirit is allowed to invent and create, only when individuals have a personal stake in their success — only then can societies remain dynamic, prosperous and free.'"
We Need an Angel Like Clarence, by
Lew Rockwell,
Mises Daily, 28 Dec 2006
Attempts to counter the despair felt by some in the freedom movement by examining, by example, the "unseen" benefits of libertarian activism over the past century
"Here is the crucial matter to consider. What might have been the fate of liberty if no one had cared about it in the last 100 years? That is an important way to look at this issue, one that accords with Frederic Bastiat's emphasis on looking not only at the seen but also at the unseen. ... what we need to take into account are the unseen benefits of activism. Had the advocates of liberty never spoken up, never written books, never taught in the classroom, never written editorials, and never advanced their views in any public or private forum, would the cause of liberty have been better off or the same? No way."
Why Are We Afraid To Be Free?, by
Butler Shaffer, 27 Nov 2001
Examines the question of how to bring about freedom in individuals' lives, discussing how government influences people to be in conflicted states and how one must look within oneself and act accordingly to begin to be "free"
"Let me begin by distinguishing the concepts 'freedom' and 'liberty.' Freedom is a state of mind that is not in conflict or contradiction, a mind that has integrity (i.e., is integrated into a consistent whole). Liberty describes a social system in which free men and women live and cooperate with one another. Because their minds are free of conflict, their relationships with others tend to be peaceful ... If you wish ... to discover the life-sustaining freedom that inheres within you, you need do no more than confront ... the means by which you have cooperated in your own psychological crippling."
Why the Republicans Are Doomed, by
Lew Rockwell, 21 Feb 2007
Discusses Republican behavior at both the presidential and grassroots level, arguing that they take their societal view from Hobbes
"Up with Hobbes, down with Locke: that is their implied creed. Liberty is fine but order, ORDER, is much more important, and order comes from the state. [Republicans] can't even fathom the truth that liberty is the mother, not the daughter, of order. ... But these days we see all around us how liberty generates order and how this order is self-sustaining. ... We see the glorious world of the web. We benefit daily, hourly, minute-by-minute, from an order that is not imposed from without but rather generated from within, by that remarkable capacity we have for pursuing self-interest while benefiting the whole."
Winning the Battle for Freedom and Prosperity, by John Mackey,
Liberty, Jun 2006
Updated from speech given at FreedomFest 2004; after a brief background on himself, Mackey criticises the freedom movement from a marketing and branding perspective and suggests a different approach by de-emphasising some issues and prioritising others
"The freedom movement must embrace the ideals of love, caring, and compassion, and return these words to their true meanings. ... Spreading freedom through the world is the most loving, caring, and compassionate thing we can do for people. True freedom allows people to create prosperity and gives them the opportunity to move up Maslow's hierarchy of needs towards self-actualization. True freedom gives us the opportunity to take social responsibility and to work towards making the world a better place."
Related Topics:
Business,
Children,
Educational Freedom,
Free Market,
Health,
Health Care,
Libertarianism,
Individual Liberty,
Life,
Life Extension,
Personal Responsibility,
Ayn Rand,
Socialism,
Taxation,
War
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