Libertarians aren’t hard to understand. David Boaz in his book Libertarianism: A Primer outlines the key concepts of the philosophy: Individualism, Individual Rights, Spontaneous Order, The Rule of Law, Limited Government, Free Markets, the Virtue of Production, the Natural harmony of interests, and Peace. (Read his description here.)
These are the foundational principles outlined in our site. These are the ideas that a libertarian begins with when examining politics, government, and society at large. Advocates for Self-Government board member Dr. Ken Bisson sums it up best, “Libertarianism is what your mom taught you: behave yourself and don’t hit your sister.” (You can get more definitions of libertarianism here.)
If you haven’t been through our guide to the libertarian philosophy, The Path to Libertarianism, then please check it out here.
Listen to our podcast on the basics of the libertarian movement.
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Articles that help explain Libertarianism’s ideas further
- Hope for the Politically Homeless
- Explore Your Personal Principles Further
- Persuasion vs. Force
- Who Makes Life Better For You?
- Comparing Liberal, Conservative, and Libertarian Answers to Issues
- We’ve assembled many different YouTube playlists. Watch those here.
Where Can I Learn More About What Libertarians Believe?
- View our simple guide – The Path to Libertarianism.
- The Advocates for Self-Government – They provide many resources that explain the basics of libertarianism. Head to their website, and look for the “Libertarianism” tab. One will find a complete list of libertarian organizations, websites, podcasts, publications and an FAQ’s page.
- Libertarianism.org – The Cato Institute is a prominent libertarian think tank. They have assembled many wonderful resources to explore the basics of liberty. View speeches, read columns, and find several helpful guides to libertarianism at Libertarianism.org.
- LearnLiberty.org – The Institute for Humane Studies have built a resource for learning about the ideas of a free society. They provide a starting point for conversations on important questions like “What is the nature of man and society?” and “What is the proper role of government?”
- Mises.org – Many libertarians consider Austrian economics to be central to the libertarian framework. What is it? Learn more at the site of the Ludwig von Mises Institute’s website. They offer many free audiobooks and ebooks.
- The Online Library of Liberty – The Liberty Fund has an excellent resource that encourages the study of the ideal of a society of free and responsible individuals by providing many great historical texts for free.
- Liberty.me – This is a global community of libertarians is hard to explain. Think of it as your online dashboard to libertarian thought, art, podcasts and new friends. It is founded by Jeffrey Tucker, our favorite libertarian.
- Tom Woods – Tom Woods is a great writer, and his daily podcast is a must listen.
- Ron Paul’s Reading List – Borrow or buy these books recommended by Ron Paul.
Browse through our YouTube playlist for videos that explain the libertarian philosophy in depth.
Where Can I Learn More About Libertarian Views on Today’s Issues?
- Reason Magazine – Reason is the leading libertarian magazine in the movement today.
- The Cato Institute – Cato’s scholars put out podcasts, articles, studies, and event videos on a daily basis.
- The Heartland Institute – Heartland’s scholars put out a wide variety of materials. Many of their policy suggestions are perfect for state-based activism.
- The Future of Freedom Foundation – Their mission is to present an uncompromising moral, philosophical, and economic case for the free society.
- Foundation for Economic Education – FEE focuses on free market economics and its foundations in the broader philosophy of individual liberty.
- Rational Review News Digest – Self-described as the freedom movement’s daily newspaper, they live up to the claim!
