# Rituals of Freedom: Libertarian Themes in Early Confucianism **URL:** **By** Roderick T. Long, Aaron Ross Powell, Trevor Burrus **Published:** October 7, 2016 --- Roderick T. Long joins us to talk about libertarian themes in Chinese philosophy. How much do libertarianism and early Confucianism have in common? How much do we know about Confucius? What type of world were the Taoists and early Confucians living in? Were early Confucians pro free-market and pro individualism as we understand the terms today? Roderick T. Long joins us this week for a discussion on the thought of the early Confucians, who were precursors of modern libertarians. **Show Notes and Further Reading** Long's new book is [_Rituals of Freedom: Libertarian Themes in Early Confucianism_](https://www.amazon.com/Rituals-Freedom-Libertarian-Themes-Confucianism/dp/0692732225/) (2016).