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Nov 3, 2011

An Introduction to Libertarian Thought

featuring David Boaz

In the first lecture in the “Exploring Liberty” series, David Boaz, the author of Libertarianism: A Primer, gives an introduction to the theory and politics of liberty.

Libertarianism is the belief that each person has the right to live his life as he chooses so long as he respects the equal rights of others. Libertarians defend each person’s right to life, liberty, and property. In the libertarian view, voluntary agreement is the gold standard of human relationships. If there is no good reason to forbid something (a good reason being that it violates the rights of others), it should be allowed. Force should be reserved for prohibiting or punishing those who themselves use force, such as murderers, robbers, rapists, kidnappers, and defrauders (who practice a kind of theft). Most people live their own lives by that code of ethics. Libertarians believe that that code should be applied consistently, even to the actions of governments, which should be restricted to protecting people from violations of their rights. Governments should not use their powers to censor speech, conscript the young, prohibit voluntary exchanges, steal or “redistribute” property, or interfere in the lives of individuals who are otherwise minding their own business.

Video produced by Evan Banks and Caleb Brown.

David Boaz

David Boaz is the executive vice president of the Cato Institute and has played a key role in both the Institute’s development and the growth of the American libertarian movement at large. Prior to joining Cato in 1981, he served as editor of New Guard magazine and executive director of the Council for a Competitive Economy.

In 1993, Boaz co-edited Market Liberalism: A Paradigm for the 21st Century with Edward H. Crane, president of the Cato Institute. His own work, Libertarianism: A Primer was published in 1997. That same year, The Libertarian Reader, which Boaz edited, was published. Boaz co-edited the 2003 Cato Handbook for Congress and the 2005 Cato Handbook on Policy. His book, The Politics of Freedom: Taking on The Left, The Right and Threats to Our Liberties, came out in 2008.

Boaz often appears in the media to discuss such issues as education choice, the growth of government, the ownership society, drug legalization, and the rise of libertarianism.