Amazon.com Review
A helpful primer to the fundamental rift among right-wingintellectuals in the United States. Which is more important: personalliberty or society's maintenance of a transcendent moral order? Duringmuch of the cold war, libertarians and conservatives kept theirdifferences hidden. When they came out in the open, it was oftenunderstood that mutual opposition to communism and the growth of thewelfare state forced them to make common cause. With the collapse ofthe Soviet Union and the slowed growth of big government, however, thetwo camps are now regularly at each other's throats. This splitrepresents an important difference in political philosophy, andCarey's wisely chosen articles nicely lay out the debate in terms allcan understand. --John J. Miller ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Intellectually stimulating
I throughly enjoyed this book, which a collection of essays debating the merits of conservatives vs. libertarians. Many of the contributors, it should be pointed out, believe in some sort of "fusion" between the two camps. All of the contributors are highly intelligent. I especially liked Russell Kirk's essay criticizing libertarianism, and Murray Rothbard's essay defending it. I highly recommend Freedom and Virtue.

Freedom and Virtue: Antagonistic poles or vital compliments?
~Freedom and Virtue: The Conservative and Libertarian Debate~ is an interesting anthology of articles chronicling the similarities and dissimilarities between conservatives and libertarians. The debate observably establishes the common ground that libertarians and conservatives share: first, both parties are agreed that the greatest threat to liberty is the increasing centralization and concentration of powers amongst governmental authority; second, both generally recognize the vitality of free-markets and the benefits of minimal government intervention in the economy; third, both maintain a common opposition to modern statist liberalism for a myriad of reasons. Georgetown political science guru George Carey has assembled an anthology of writings from various voices: liberals such M.M. Auerbach; libertarians like Murray Rothbard and Tibor Machen; secular humanists like Paul Kurtz; and conservatives like John East, Russell Kirk, M. Stanton Evans and Richard Weaver.

A proponent of fusionism, Frank Meyer has long maintained that libertarianism and conservatism exist together in a broad theoretical unity, and a synthesis should be strived for. I used to fall for this incongruous idea of fusionism, but now I see the unfeasibility of it all, and as such I have grown past the intemperate libertarianism of my youth. It has to be ironic, but I got this book a few years ago, hoping to buoy the case for fusionist libertarian-conservative ideology in my mind. However, I gradually came to be perceptive of the unworkable contradictions within such a fanciful amalgamated ideology. I have since eschewed libertarianism altogether and ideology as well, and fell squarely into the classical conservative camp. As Russell Kirk says, anyone who thinks seriously about politics gradually falls away from libertarianism and "conservatism is the negation of ideology." Still I have a great deal of respect for many right-libertarian thinkers (usually those of the old school deemed paleolibertarian.) I have a great deal of common ground with them. But what results from a libertarian-conservative debate are serious questions (and sometimes answers) about political philosophy. Is there a transcendent moral order? What should be the role of tradition, reason, and religion in civil society? When does liberty become license? What of the elusive search for absolute freedom? Finally, are "freedom" and "virtue" antagonistic polar opposites or vital compliments? How is the balancing act between freedom and virtue to be achieved in a healthy, vibrant civil society?

How do freedom and virtue fit into the ordered liberty equation?I think freedom and virtue are complementary and not necessarily antithetical. One most avoid the elusive search for absolute freedom. Many libertarian ideologues are typically naïve heirs of the Enlightenment-Romanticist in a search for absolute freedom. History demonstrates societies that strive for absolute freedom often do so with the effect of trampling virtue under foot and destroying freedom in the process. Conservatism recognizes the vitality of freedom and virtue in the public and private arena. Libertarianism declares virtue to be a private affair of the heart and rejects coercion towards virtue. Some radical libertarians even grovvel about the stigmatism of church, family and community. Conservatism sees that freedom and virtue are requisite and not necessarily antagonist towards one another; libertarianism that neglects virtue is often scarcely discernable from libertinism.

Altogether, this is a fairly good read and recommended for students of political science, newcomers to libertarianism, and right-wing devotees in general. For the reviewer, who stated "libertarians are not conservatives," I'd like to second his motion, and add that interloper neoconservatives are not conservatives either.

Libertarians are not consevatives
A common slander by the Left is that Libertarians are really conservatives or Right wing. Despite trolling among Libertarians in the hope of a few votes, this excellent selection of reading shows conservative leaders knew better.

Many issues of discussion and difference are addressed in this valuable anthology, which is somewhat laden in the direction of early debates of some years ago.

Excellent Primer on the Conservative/Libertarian Debate
Most of the material covered in this book was written several decades ago when conservatives were in the process of identifying their philosophy in order to present a positive agenda for America. This is not to say that thematerial is outdated or irrelevant - far from it. In fact, anyone wishingto understand and appreciate the modern social conservative vs. libertarianconservative debate can do no better than to examine the earliest writings,when the debate first raged. This book provides a sample of those earliestwritings and provides good bibliographic resources for furthering one'sknowledge of this historical debate. It is a must-read for conservativesinterested in the philosophical discussions of their ideologicalpredecessors. ... Read more

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The first collection of seminal writings on a movement that is rapidly changing the face of American politics, The Libertarian Reader links some of the most fertile minds of our time to a centuries-old commitment to freedom, self-determination, and opposition to intrusive government. A movement that today counts among its supporters Steve Forbes, Nat Hentoff, and P.J. O'Rourke, libertarianism joins a continuous thread of political reason running throughout history.

Writing in 1995 about the large numbers of Americans who say they'd welcome a third party, David Broder of The Washington Post commented, "The distinguishing characteristic of these potential independent voters—aside from their disillusionment with Washington politicians of both parties—is their libertarian streak. They are skeptical of the Democrats because they identify them with big government. They are wary of the Republicans because of the growing influence within the GOP of the religious right."

In The Libertarian Reader, David Boaz has gathered the writers and works that represent the building blocks of libertarianism. These individuals have spoken out for the basic freedoms that have made possible the flowering of spiritual, moral, and economic life. For all independent thinkers, this unique sourcebook will stand as a classic reference for years to come, and a reminder that libertarianism is one of our oldest and most venerable American traditions.Amazon.com Review
Conceived as the companion volume to David Boaz's Libertarianism, thisanthology comprising the likes of Lao-tzu and Milton Friedman is a treasuretrove. That's because libertarianism touches on such important issuesas the nature and extent of individual rights, the proper powers ofgovernment, and the virtues and shortcomings of the marketplace, andbesides, it has tempted many of history's best minds. Pound for pound,the most impressive piece of reasoning here is philosopher RobertNozick's attempt to defend a "minimal state, limited to thenarrow functions of protection against force, theft, [and] fraud,[and] enforcement of contracts" and the view "that any moreextensive state will violate persons' rights not to be forced to docertain things." Still, I wonder if Nozick has always turned downfederal research grants and has always refused to pay income taxes,and if he hasn't, why not? ... Read more

Customer Reviews (12)

Amazon Review Nonsense.
From the Amazon review:

"Still, I wonder if Nozick has always turned down federal research grants and has always refused to pay income taxes, and if he hasn't, why not?"

Does this make his arguments invalid? Not in the slightest. It may address the issue of how committed Mr Nozick is to practising what he argues for, which is anyway pointless given that he cannot make over an entire society through his personal choices, but it is completely irrelevant to the correctness of his arguments.

This is similar to claiming that high taxes are good policy because you are willing to pay them yourself.

A useless collection of essays
I only read through the first 107 pages of this book before I threw it in my left-unfinished bin. It was so full of useless babble! There was even articles in it in which the ancient kind of slavery was criticized. But any mentions of the modern days' wage slavery were nonexistent. -Don't let this kind of books define what "libertarianism" is. In my opinion it should be nothing but a more decent sounding name for anarchism.

The Cream of Libertarianism
As other reviewers have written, this book is a great representation of Libertarian thought throughout the ages. This does not mean that these great writers AGREE with one another. In fact, Boaz collects essays that disagree with each other in certain detail, and that conflict with my own Libertarian-world-view on certain points. This is part of the beauty of the book. Boaz contrasts these ideas within a framework of a unified philosophy. The book 'hangs together' despite the differing interpretations.

A wonderful and beautiful collection of writings! Intelligent, prosaic, logical, spiritual, and even humorous!

The Nature of Liberty
This book does not claim to be complete and openly admits that the heritage of liberty is much larger, deeper, and fuller than any one book could possibly hope to contain. This book is a brief--if you can call it such--summary of libertarian thought; it is a collection of writings containing ideas that have strongly influenced the evolution of politics. This is an excellent resource for finding essential thoughts on liberty and gathering names of many great thinkers to pursue in your future academic endeavors.

Useful, but maybe a tad overambitious
This collection of libertarian literature is a good first look at the wondrous world of anti-statist thought. It seems particularly apt for college students and other young people, yearning for meaningful ideas through the maze of collectivist propaganda.

Nevertheless, it does have one sin: it is at once too broad and too narrow. Too broad because it covers too much ground and, at times, complex arguments are deprived of part of their explanatory power. Too narrow, because there are some significant omissions. In particular, I would have liked to see more examples of contemporary anarcho-capitalist theory (e.g., David Friedman).

Notwithstanding that qualm, I found this volume extremely helpful. ... Read more

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Looking at public policy debates in conventional terms in terms of conflict between the left and the right has grown increasingly cumbersome in an era where conservatives call themselves revolutionaries and liberals strike positively Burkean poses when it comes to reforming Social Security or Medicare. Through an examination of the libertarian worldview, once on the margins of American politics but now in the mainstream, William E. Hudson shows how it has attracted powerful political supporters and is promoted by a network of institutions and policy advocates dedicated to its ideals. The Libertarian Illusion offers a well researched, balanced, and systematic critique of libertarian policy proposals on both the conservative (taxation and fiscal policy, health care, social security, and business regulation) and liberal (abortion, stem cell research, and euthanasia) sides of the traditional political spectrum.

Always engaging and provocative, Hudson hones in on the fundamental value differences that drive political debate, arguing that a more communitarian outlook offers solutions more likely to solve America s policy problems.

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Chapters: Kach and Kahane Chai, Libertarian Party, Democratic Unionist Party, Socialist Party, Swiss People's Party, Socialist Workers Party, Broad Front, Libertarian Party of Alabama, Radical Cause, Libertarian Party of Texas, Puerto Rican Socialist Party, Socialist Party of Ireland, Democratic Party, Aontacht Éireann, Revolutionary Left Movement, D.c. Statehood Green Party, Polynesian Panthers, Movement for Socialism, German People's Union, Social Democratic Party, Democratic Action Congress, Bangladesh Communist Party, Committee to Form a Libertarian Party, Christian Left Party of Chile, Revolutionary Workers and Peasants Party of Turkey, Libertarian Party of Arizona, People's Party (United States, 1970s), United Progressive Party, Libertarian Party of Arkansas, Communist Revolutionary League of India, Communist Party of Spain, Civic Union, Workers' Revolutionary Party, Damara Council, Breton Communist Party, Communist Working Groups, Marxist-leninist League of Colombia, Andhra Pradesh Committee of Communist Revolutionaries, Voltaic Communist Organization. Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 169. Not illustrated. Free updates online. Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Excerpt: The Libertarian Party is a United States political party founded on December 11, 1971. In the 30 states where voters can register by party there are over 225,000 voters registered with the Libertarian Party, making it the third largest of America's parties. Hundreds of Libertarian candidates have been elected or appointed to public office, and thousands have run for office under the Libertarian banner. The political platform of the Libertarian Party reflects that group's particular brand of libertarianism, favoring minimally regulated, laissez-faire markets, strong civil liberties, minimally regulated migration across borders, and non-interventionism in fore...More: http://booksllc.net/?id=32044 ... Read more

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Chapters: Green Party, Four Pillars of the Green Party, Libertarian National Socialist Green Party, Alliance '90/the Greens, Greenleft, Green Party Taiwan, Australian Greens, Green League, the Greens - the Green Alternative, European Green Party, Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand, the Green Movement, Ecologist Party "The Greens", Green Party in Northern Ireland, List of Green Topics, Green Party of Lebanon, 4change, Global Greens, Greens/green Party Usa, Democratic Alternative, Green Party of Switzerland, Ecological Democratic Party, Greens 2004, Initiative for Catalonia Greens, Federation of Green Parties of Africa, Green Left, Earth Party, Ecologist Party of Romania, Party for Labour, Environment and Family, Estonian Greens, Green Liberal Party of Switzerland, Green Party of the Philippines, Green Party of the Netherlands, Politics Can Be Different, Party of Greens of Ukraine, the Green Alliance, Lidingö Party, Ecologist Party of Moldova "Green Alliance", Mazingira Green Party of Kenya, Asia-Pacific Green Network, Federation of the Green Parties of the Americas, Ecological Movement of Uzbekistan, Global Greens Charter, Ecological and Environmental Movement, Environmental Green Political Assembly, Greens of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Green Party of Bulgaria, Belarusian Party "The Greens", Rainbow and Greens, Green Party of Egypt, Liberals for Forests, World Ecological Parties, Greens Party, Izigzawen, de Grønne, Green Party of Pakistan, Confederation of the Greens, Green Party of Iraq, Mongolian Green Party, Green Party of Kosovo, Greens of Andorra, Korea Greens, Rally of Congolese Ecologists - the Greens, Federation of the Greens-green Left, Greens Japan, Green Party of Fiji, Oxygen Green Party, Les Verts, Greens of Serbia, Ecologist Green Party of Nicaragua, Somalia Green Party, Greens of Montenegro, Uganda Green Party, Parti Ecologiste Du Mali, Green Confederation, Green Party of Iran, East German Green Party, Green Left ...More: http://booksllc.net/?id=155948 ... Read more

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Chapters: Democratic Party, the Left, Libertarian Movement, Red, Liberal Alliance, Union, Progress and Democracy, Independent Party of Oregon, Florida Whig Party, Gorkha Janmukti Morcha, the Right, United New Democratic Party, Left Alternative, New Centre, Traditional Unionist Voice, Democratic Movement, United Socialist Party of Venezuela, the Kiwi Party, People's Power Party, Movement of the Future, Democratic Left, Liberal Democrats, Venetian National Party, the Left - the Rainbow, Norwegian Patriots, 4change, Creative Korea Party, Party of National Unity, Neorhino.ca, Modern Left, Animals Count, Social Justice, Scottish Voice, Wildrose Party of Alberta, New Democracy Party of China, Parti Indépendantiste, for the Motherland, United National Front, National Action, National Congress for Timorese Reconstruction, Third Society Party, Independence Party of America, Green Liberal Party of Switzerland, Bhutan Peace and Prosperity Party, Great Russia, Communist Party of Nepal, Hatikva, League and Self-Defense, Bulgarian New Democracy, Center Alliance, Rally for Democracy and Progress, for Darwen Party, Human Rights Party, Critical Left, People's Democratic Party, Republicans, Liberals, Reformers, Christian Democratic Federation, Rajyadhikara Party, Right of the Republic, Norwegian Alliance Party, Labour Party, Khmer Anti-Poverty Party, Democratic League of Dardania, What Women Want, Prosperous Armenia, Fair Republic, Jersey Conservative Party, Thais United, Haryana Janhit Congress, Pauline's United Australia Party, Tarai-Madhesh Loktantrik Party, Centre Democrats, Icelandic Movement - Living Land, Communist Alternative Party, Fathers Rights-Responsibility Party, Social Democratic Party of Pridnestrovie, Belaya Rus, Peace United Family Party, Al Jama-Ah, Movement for United Georgia, People's National Party, African Peoples' Convention, Party of Regions, Worker-communist Unity Party of Iran, Cambia Perú, United Anti-Capitalist L...More: http://booksllc.net/?id=9034086 ... Read more

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Charles Murray believes that America's founders had it right--strict limits on the power of the central government and strict protection of the individual are the keys to a genuinely free society. In What It Means to Be a Libertarian, he proposes a government reduced to the barest essentials: an executive branch consisting only of the White House and trimmed-down departments of state, defense, justice, and environment protection; a Congress so limited in power that it meets only a few months each year; and a federal code stripped of all but a handful of regulations.

Combining the tenets of classical Libertarian philosophy with his own highly-original, always provocative thinking, Murray shows why less government advances individual happiness and promotes more vital communities and a richer culture. By applying the truths our founders held to be self-evident to today's most urgent social and political problems, he creates a clear, workable vision for the future.

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Customer Reviews (45)

A Breath of Fresh Air
Charles Murray first establishes the framework for returning our country to the principles that ran it for nearly 150 years.He then explains how it would work and finishes the book asking the question, "Is it possible"?While hardly anyone is going to agree with him on 100% of the issues discussed in this short read, I think if you've made an effort to buy and read this book that you would find yourself agreeing on most of the topics which range from economic freedom, education, healthcare, sex, drugs, protecting the environment and most importantly The Pursuit of Happiness through Limited Government.Strongly Recommend!

Here are a few excerpts from the book:

"When did you last hear a leading Republican or Democrat politician argue that preserving individual freedom is government's primary responsibility even if it prevents government from achieving some other noble goal?"

"Freedom and responsibility are as inseperable as opposite sides of the same coin....The Responsibility that goes with living in a free society is often seen as one of its burdens....Responsibility is not the "price" of freedom but its reward."

"A free society is most threatened not by uses of government that are obviously bad but by uses of government that seem obviously good."

interesting view of the libertarian mindset
this book is straightforward and direct in its assessment of the American economic and social situation from the view of the mid 90's conservative. The author set his mind to addressing social policy through libertarian idealism and neo-conservative values. a quick read, and easy to understand. i must admit though that this book reflects views and opinions that i not only disagree with, but i find morally repulsive. if i didn't need to read this for my graduate classes i would've past right by it and other great works like the "zen of farting" and "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: The Classic Regency Romance-Now with Ultraviolent Zombie Mayhem!" scratch that. i may actually read that one. good luck if you are of liberal or centrist mindset. this one's for the die-hard conservative.

What It Means to be a Libertarian
This is an excellent book.It truly describes the core beliefs of what freedom is and how our country could be.Murray is an excellent writer, and the books flows well.He explains his beliefs in a logical manner and enables the reader to easily understand the concepts in the book.

Great Help for a Beginning Libertarian
Murray is able to condense the main principles of libertarian government down to a few basics in brief paragraphs and simple language free of jargon.The overriding basic principle is:freedom."When did you last hear a leading Republican or Democratic politician argue that preserving individual freedom is government's primary responsibility, even if it prevents government from achieving some other worthy goal." (p. 4) he asks and suggests we "meditate once again on the proposition that freedom, classically understood, is the stuff by which we live satisfying lives....Much of it has been taken from us.We must reclaim it." (p. 4).Government should, therefore, limit itself to only that which government can do well and should be as local as possible, e.g., the federal government should not do anything that a state government could do which should not do anything a county government could do, etc.

What government should do is exert its one power, which he calls, unfortunately,"police power" and which takes three forms 1) restraining people from injuring one another (criminal law); 2) enabling people to enter into enforceable voluntary agreements, i.e., contracts (civil law) and 3) maintaining/fostering the public good.

The latter is an elusive concept and not acknowledged by all libertarians.Murray, however, believes it can be defined as a legitimate function of government if it is a "nonexclusive, jointly consumable" good (p. 13).One fairly clear instance is that of transportaion and the need for a cohesive system of roads.

Libertarians believe that we must trust that most people, barring some actual mental disability, are capable of running their lives.Government protection is limited to criminal acts, including such intangibles as fraud or slander.There is little tolerance for "I couldn't help it."This is because taking responsibility for one's own life is a big factor in libertarian government and it is assumed that, unhindered, people will do just that.Responsibility is not the price of freedom; it is the reward of freedom.

The middle and longest section of the book shows how such a government would work in the areas of economic life, tolerance/discrimination, education & health care, darker issues such as addictive substances and gambling, porn and prostitution, and environmental protection and social services.Each of these chapters presents a proposal, description of current practice and problems and the libertarian solution.The scope of the book being small these are not exhaustive studies, but possible scenarios with just enough detail to support his argument convincingly.

At just 170 pages this book is a wonderful introduction to libertarianism - so it proved itself to this reader who came from a background of nearly complete ignorance about the subject.An added bonus for such a beginner is a final, bibliographic chapter which leads one to follow-up reading in the classic texts and what it means to be a libertarian.This is particularly helpful to a beginner wanting to know more but unsure of where eto go next.

Well written, but doesn't address the challenging questions
I give this book a mixed review because I have mixed feelings about it.I think the author does a reasonably good job of explaining the Libertarian position, as I have encountered it elsewhere.I found his style easy to follow, and the flow of the book smooth and logical.

However, I was disappointed in several areas.There were a number of points that he tried to finesse, rather than deal with.He made a number of arguments in which he addressed a major point, but then did not address any of the obvious counters points to his arguments.Finally, he places assumes that many people will not choose their own short-term benefit over the long-term benefit of others.

Throughout the book he based many arguments on the assumption of a free market, both in general and in specific fields.He does not examine the assumptions upon which free markets are based (perfect knowledge on the part of all parties, no barriers to entry into the market, and a long-term viewpoint on the part of all participants).If he had, he might have been forced to recognize that often one or more of those assumptions are so far from being true that one cannot assume that a free market exists in a particular field.Gasoline is an example.The barriers to entry for a new supplier are huge, in terms of capital costs.The customer lacks the highly technical knowledge to be able to compare choices in an informed manner, and decisions that have negative long-term consequences for all others in the marketplace can have some very nice short-term payoffs for those making the decisions.

He uses trendlines as if the trends were something driven by physical constants, such as gravity, rather than made of discrete factors.He argued that when the law requiring seatbelts to be worn was introduced highway fatalities were already on a downward trend.He did not, however, address whether the law requiring seatbelts be installed in all new cars might have been partially responsible for that trend (and no, the manufacturers were not going to make them standard without being required to).

He would have most regulations replaced with civil suits in the case of damages, without considering that lawyers often seem to be more of the problem than the solution at reaching just decisions.He would give parent $3000 per year per child for education, without considering the effect on children whose parents "home school" them, spend the money on themselves, and don't educate their children.He addresses the need for some type of control over natural monopolies, but doesn't even mention the unnatural monopolies that are the endpoint of Capitalism in an unregulated marketplace.

All in all, it is not bad, but it is also not convincing.I would encourage the author to try again, this time with a co-author who does not agree with him, so objections can be raised and answered.
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Customer Reviews (2)

HAVEN'T READ IT YET!
Be careful what edition you receive.
I received the book without the Illustrations by Maurice Spira. (Huge fan of the artist Maurice Spira, hence the importance of that edition)
Sent it back, twice. Was told I'd be getting a refund.
Got nothing. Amazon's not responding.
Hope you enjoy.

The definitive anarchist anthology
This is quite simply the best anthology of anarchist writings available. It includes fascinating material from China, Korea, Japan, Europe and Latin America, much of which has never before appeared in English, from an ancient Taoist text, "Neither Lord Nor Subject," to Herbert Read's "Poetry and Anarchism." The topics covered include freedom and servitude, enlightenment and revolution, industrialization and the rise of socialism, the 1848 revolutions in Europe, the First International and the Paris Commune, the rise of anarchist communism, anarcho-syndicalism, art and anarchy, women, love and marriage, propaganda by the deed and direct action, anti-colonialism, war and anti-militarism, the Mexican, Russian and Spanish Revolutions, anarchism in Japan, China and Korea, Latin American anarchism, the rise of fascism and totalitarianism, sexual revolution and libertarian education.
The most interesting and noteworthy anarchist writers are all included, such as Godwin, Proudhon, Louise Michel, Jacques Dejacques, Carlo Cafiero, Charlotte Wilson, Luigi Galleani, Manuel Gonzalez Prada, Ricardo Flores Magon, Emma Goldman, Malatesta, Elisee Reclus, Leo Tolstoy, Gustav Landauer, Voltairine de Cleyre, Kropotkin, Voline, Carmen Lareva, Diego Abad de Santillan, Shifu, Ba Jin, Kotoku Shusui, Takamure Itsue, Jean Grave, Rudolf Rocker and many others.
Each selection is introduced by the editor, Robert Graham, who provides informative historical detail and helpful commentary.
This is now the indispensible source book for anarchist writings. Volume 2, which should be out next spring, will cover the period from 1939 to the present.
Note: Volume one is actually over 500 pages long, not 304. There is a wealth of material here for everyone interested in anarchist ideas. ... Read more

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This is the first and only book to examine the ideas and arguments produced by the intellectual traditions of conservatism and classical liberalism which have set much of the political agenda in Europe and the United States since the mid 1970s. Covering the ideas of many such distinguished thinkers as Hayek, Scruton, Friedman and Buchanan, the volume provides a valuable survey of the historical development of both schools of thought in all of the major western countries and their contributions to contemporary debates. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Belongs on the shelf of every conservative intellectual
Although 50 years ago some wag might have said the phrase"conservative and libertarian thought" is a redundant oxymoron,much has changed.Among other things, William Buckley founded NationalReview in the United States (1955), creating a respectable forum forconservative thought and an umbrella for disparate strands of politicalphilosophy -- classical liberal, Southern agrarian, Straussian -- to cometogether for dialogue.Politically, the campaigns of Barry Goldwater(1964) and Ronald Reagan (1976-80-84) energized young conservatives and thepremiership of Margaret Thatcher (1979 to 1990) overthrew a half-century ofcollectivism.Simultaneously, libertarian thinkers were awarded the NobelPrize in Economics (Friedman, Hayek, Buchanan, Coase, Becker) and theSoviet system collapsed.Ashford and Davies have collected short articlesinto what is more properly termed an encyclopedia than a dictionary, withentries on a wide range of topics, including The Enlightenment, Race,Sociology, Utopianism, and Welfare.A list of thinkers appended to thetext also provides a bibliographic reference.This book belongs on theshelf of every conservative or libertarian policymaker and should be usefulto their intellectual adversaries as well. ... Read more

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The essays in this collection look at three concerns of libertarianism: its conceptual and theoretical basis; its challenge to mainstream democracy; and the chances for libertarian societies in the future. ... Read more

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With particular emphasis on sociology, psychology and economics, areas the author perceives anarchism as weak on. ... Read more

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Volume 14 in the "Major Conservative and Libertarian Thinkers" series focuses on Karl Popper, an important and controversial thinker of the 20th century. Karl Popper is best known for his contributions to the philosophy of science and the history of ideas. Elements of Popper's thought were clearly libertarian or conservative in character. His politics, however, were recognisably social democratic. His ideal of an open society was not a free market utopia, but a political community in which diverse people engaged with one another in constructive dialogue to seek political solutions to common problems. If Popper made important and enduring contributions to the libertarian and conservative traditions, it would be a mistake to uncritically label him a conservative or libertarian. Rather, Popper was a scholar who contributed to a range of different fields without being shackled to one particular perspective or approach. It is in this context that we should understand Popper's contribution to libertarian and conservative thought."Major Conservative and Libertarian Thinkers" provides comprehensive accounts of the works of seminal conservative thinkers from a variety of periods, disciplines, and traditions - the first series of its kind. Even the selection of thinkers adds another aspect to conservative thinking, including not only theorists but also writers and practitioners. The series comprises twenty volumes, each including an intellectual biography, historical context, critical exposition of the thinker's work, reception and influence, contemporary relevance, bibliography including references to electronic resources, and an index. ... Read more

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These are the first five volumes of the twenty-volume reference series, "Major Conservative and Libertarian Thinkers", covering the work of Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, David Hume, Joseph A. Schumpeter and the Modern Papacy. "Major Conservative and Libertarian Thinkers" provides comprehensive accounts of the works of seminal conservative thinkers from a variety of periods, disciplines and traditions. Even the selection of thinkers adds another aspect to conservative thinking, including not only theorists but also thinkers in literary forms and those who are also practitioners. This volume includes an intellectual biography, historical context, critical exposition of the Hume's work, reception and influence, contemporary relevance, bibliography including references to electronic resources and an index. ... Read more

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This volume provides a thorough and crucial account of the political work of Edmund Burke. "Major Conservative and Libertarian Thinkers" provides comprehensive accounts of the works of seminal conservative thinkers from a variety of periods, disciplines and traditions - the first series of its kind. Even the selection of thinkers adds another aspect to conservative thinking, including not only theorists but also thinkers in literary forms and those who are also practitioners. This volume includes an intellectual biography, historical context, critical exposition on Burke's work, reception and influence, contemporary relevance, bibliography including references to electronic resources and an index. The series comprises twenty volumes, each including an intellectual biography, historical context, critical exposition of the thinker's work, reception and influence, contemporary relevance, bibliography including references to electronic resources and an index. ... Read more

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In this outstanding volume, Mimi Gladstein details Rand's belief in the moral supremacy of individualism over collectivism, highlighting her contribution to libertarian thought. The novelist and philosopher Ayn Rand was one of the most influential 20th century advocates of free market capitalism. Her work inspired Objectivism, a philosophical movement and former US Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan cited Rand as a formative intellectual influence. In this outstanding volume, Mimi Gladstein details Rand's belief in the moral supremacy of individualism over collectivism, highlighting her contribution to libertarian thought. "Major Conservative and Libertarian Thinkers" provides comprehensive accounts of the works of seminal conservative thinkers from a variety of periods, disciplines and traditions - the first series of its kind. Even the selection of thinkers adds another aspect to conservative thinking, including not only theorists but also thinkers in literary forms and those who are also practitioners.The series comprises twenty volumes, each including an intellectual biography, historical context, critical exposition of the thinker's work, reception and influence, contemporary relevance, bibliography including references to electronic resources and an index. ... Read more

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Challenging the libertarians' definition of freedom and democracy, this study portrays the social philosophy of Milton Friedman, James Buchanan, Friedrich Hayek, and George Stigler as the bulwark of an attack on welfare and regulatory state collectivism and as undermining democracy, civil liberties, and social equality. The book opens with Frank Knight's doctrines and their impact on the Chicago laissez faire economists, places libertarianism within the American tradition of empirical collectivism, and explores Friedrich Hayek's road-to-serfdom thesis. Posing problems of corporate power, it uses Friedman, Stigler, and Buchanan as examples of libertarian denial of these problems and, in a consideration of the debate between the New Left and Libertarian Right, contrasts their ideologies. The work concludes with a historical summing up that juxtaposes the recent past to the present and links libertarian materialiam with the growth of corporate hegemony. ... Read more

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In this revelatory book, based on original research and interviews with more than one hundred key sources, Brian Doherty traces the evolution of the libertarian movement through the unconventional life stories of its most influential leaders--Ludwig von Mises, F. A. Hayek, Ayn Rand, Murray Rothbard, and Milton Friedman--and through the personal battles, character flaws, love affairs, and historical events that altered its course. And in doing so, he provides a fascinating new perspective on American history--from the New Deal through the culture wars of the 1960s to today's most divisive political issues. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (31)

Avoid the Kindle edition
I'm enjoying this book very much, but the Kindle edition contains dozens (if not hundreds) of typographical errors that were presumably introduced during the conversion process to the Kindle's Topaz format. Most of the errors are in the form of ommitted spaces, extra spaces, superfluous hyphens, and misplaced quotation marks. It makes me wonder if there was any human supervision or proofreading involved in the creation of this Kindle edition. This adds frustration to an otherwise pleasurable read.

A good publisher obviously won't tolerate even a few tyops in a published book. I don't see why the same care can't be given to ensure an error-free electronic edition. I support the right of publishers to charge whatever they want for e-books, but when a computer file costs thirteen bucks, I would at least hope that it would be a mistake-free e-book.

Wonderful Book Fills in the Gaps for a Libertarian
I was surprised how much I enjoyed his book. I had put off reading it for a long time because of it length, it's title, and its subject. Once I got started though, I did not want to put it down. It provides a detailed history of the modern libertarian movement and explains how my favorite organizations were created (e.g. FEE, Cato, Reason). Itdiscusses the philosophical leaders (Hayak, Mises, Rothbard, Friedman, Rand, Read, Sowell, etc.) and their differences of opinion of what a libertarian is. It discusses the funders of the libertarian movement (e.g. Koch brothers) and Austrian versus Chicago economics. I grew up reading Mises, Hayek, Friedman, Read and Hazlitt at my Grandfather's house in the Freeman Magazine and had a Taxation is Theft sticker in my car window during college. For me it filled in a lot of gaps and told me about parts of the libertarian movement I was completely unaware of. It also reasuringly lets me know that I am not alone. I would only recommmend it to another confirmed libertarian. It is not for conversion or enlightenment.

Horrible!
This book is great if you care about the fringe nuances of libertarianism, but not if you want an intelligent overview.

Terrific overview of the great libertarian thinkers
Whether or not the reader is a libertarian, he will learn a great deal from Radicals for Capitalism. This would be a great textbook for an Introduction to Libertarian Thought 101 class. Doherty covers the lives of many of the great libertarian thinkers, from famous authors like Ayn Rand and Milton to more obscure writers like Rose Wilder Lane. He discusses the contribution of libertarian economists, from Mises to Hayek to the radical Murray Rothbard. Dohertyalso discusses the ideological and personal disagreemnets between various libertarians, (many readers may already be familiar with the disagreement between the Austrian and Chicago schools of economics).I found little to criticize in this wonderful book.

The most thorough history of the colorful libertarian movement
This book is for people already familiar with the basic concepts of libertarianism but who wish to have a structured introduction to how different segments of the movement developed. This book is NOT an introduction to libertarianism, and I don't think it was intended to be.

I cannot summon the right adjective to describe what an impressive job Brian Doherty (a self-admitted anarcho-capitalist) does at presenting an objective history. He does not marry himself to a single person nor does he pull punches.

Perhaps my personal fascination with libertarianism is to be held accountable for why I could not put this book down, but it goes unsaid that Doherty is a talented writer; an insider in the world of the ideology whose history he tells in this book, Doherty's ability to tie EVERYbody together adds the gravity of fiction to a work of nonfiction.

I got this book for five bucks. I cannot begin to tell you what a return on investment I have made. But I wouldn't expect less in the free-market world that is the internet. ... Read more

Product Description
Chapters: List of State Constitution Parties, List of State Libertarian Parties in the United States, List of State Green Parties in the U.s.. Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 38. Not illustrated. Free updates online. Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Excerpt: These are affiliates of the Constitution Party. There are no affiliates in Montana or Oregon. Former affiliates of the Constitution Party. ...More: http://booksllc.net/?id=7448286 ... Read more