The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to libertarianism.
Libertarianism – political philosophy that holds individual liberty as the basic moral principle of society. It may also mean any political philosophy which approximates this view. Libertarianism includes diverse beliefs, all advocating strict limits to government activity and sharing the goal of maximizing individual liberty and political freedom.[1] Philosopher Roderick T. Long defines libertarianism as "any political position that advocates a radical redistribution of power from the coercive state to voluntary associations of free individuals", whether "voluntary association" takes the form of the free market or of communal co-operatives.[2] According to the The U.S. Libertarian party, libertarianism is the advocacy of a government that is funded voluntarily and limited to protecting individuals from coercion and violence.[3]
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Libertarianism has many different schools of thought, although they all focus on smaller government and greater individual responsibility. Some Libertarian schools of thought promote the total abolition of government, while some promote a smaller government which does not initiate force. Some seek private ownership of all property and natural resources, others promote communal ownership of all natural resources and varying degrees of private property.
These are concepts which, although not necessarily exclusive to libertarianism, are significant in historical and modern libertarian circles.
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