The New Libertarianism

Book excerpt: The Ludwig von Mises Institute says (reviewer David Gordon): ..".this remarkable book began as an academic thesis written in 1972, and submitted the next year for a graduate degree...The book is much more than an academic thesis, though; it is a distinguished addition to libertarian thought." The late 1960s and early 1970s marked the first wave of the libertarian movement. Ayn Rand's Objectivism had shaken mainstream philosophy with its core ideas. But Rand was a staunch advocate of limited government, a stance which distanced her from many of her own admirers and students, who saw the State not as the protector but the enemy of human society. At the same time, the political and economic thoughts of Dr. Murray Rothbard clarified the route libertarianism must take. Rand and Rothbard, two forces seemingly at odds, personally and ideologically. J. Michael Oliver, then editor of the nationally circulated objectivist-libertarian journal, "The New Banner," argued that it was a false division. Written in 1972 as an academic work but not published until now. "The New Libertarianism: Anarcho-Capitalism" inexorably links objectivist principles with anarcho-capitalism, and argues that libertarianism, both then and now, must be founded upon the bedrock of Rand's philosophy if it is to remain vital.