Virginia Postrel on Radicals for Capitalism, Libertarianism
If you haven't yet done so, check out former Reason Editor Virginia Postrel's excellent entry in the Cato Unbound discussion of Reason Senior Editor Brian Doherty's Radicals for Capitalism. Here's a snippet:
Culture, not philosophy, largely accounts for the colorful characters celebrated in Brian Doherty's book (or books-these traditions are also the heritage of Burning Man). And culture, not philosophy, is more often than not what motivates grassroots activists. Cultural libertarianism says This is wrong before figuring out exactly why. Although often expressed in absolutist rules, the better to guard against government encroachment, cultural libertarianism is, by its nature, empirical and consequentialist. It's animated by a vision of personal freedom and worried about what happens in the real world. It can also be entrepreneurial and creative, the source of such radical innovations as home schooling and the personal computer.
And check out the whole exchange, including links to blog coverage, here.