Encyclopedic Libertarianism

Brian Doherty | December 22, 2008

In the December/January issue of the American Spectator, reason contributor Jeremy Lott reviews the Encyclopedia of Libertarianism. He wonders why such an encyclopedia avoids giving an authoritiative definition of the very term to which it is devoted, and accurately notes many of the tensions inherent in an intellectual movement that manages, with varying degrees of comfort, to encompass both Adam Smith-style classical liberals and Murray Rothbardian anarchist radicals.

For much, much more on the topic, consult my own narrative take on libertarianism's history, Radicals for Capitalism: A Freewheeling History of the Modern American Libertarian Movement.

Comments

Warty|12.22.08 @ 4:26PM|#

What, do I have to do Lefiti's job for him?

You're all fucktards, fundamentalists, wingnuts, etc.

dhex|12.22.08 @ 4:29PM|#

oh man nice donderoooooooooooooooooooooooooooo comment on the amspec webpage.

|12.22.08 @ 9:41PM|#

"Authoritative" and "Libertarianism" are surely incompatible.

The Democratic Republican|12.24.08 @ 3:28PM|#

I respect Doherty in this case for not imposing his own ultra-minimal definition of libertarianism.