Libertarianism : what everyone needs to know / Jason Brennan.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Brennan, Jason, 1979-

Series:

What everyone needs to know

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Libertarianism--United States.

Libertarianism.

United States.

United States--Politics and government.

Politics and government.

Physical Description:

xvi, 213 pages ; 21 cm.

Place of Publication:

New York ; Oxford : Oxford University Press, [2012]

Summary:

In recent years, Libertarianism's popularity has grown at an explosive rate. In a recent CNN poll, 63 percent of Americans agreed that the government is doing too much and that more issues should be left to individuals and businesses. In that same poll, 50 percent said that government should not try to promote traditional values. The Republican Party's increasingly staunch opposition to government intervention also signals libertarianism's expanding influence. And its growth is not restricted to the United States. In fact, its popularity is growing in many nations throughout the world. Yet most people have little idea what exactly libertarianism is.

In Libertarianism: What Everyone Needs to Know, Jason Brennan, one of the world's leading libertarian political philosophers, provides a clear, straightforward, yet thorough introduction to libertarian and classical liberal political thought. He reveals the ideas behind this growing political movement and explains how libertarianism offers a third-way alternative to traditional left and right politics. Libertarianism also corrects popular misconceptions. It is not about simple-minded paranoia about government, and libertarians are not out to justify the excesses of Big Business or to protect the interests of the rich and powerful. Rather, libertarianism, especially in its oldest "classical liberal" incarnations and in its newest "bleeding heart" wave, is animated by benevolence and a deep concern for the most vulnerable members of society. Book jacket.

Contents:

The basics of libertarianism

The nature and value of liberty

Human nature and ethics

Government and democracy

Civil rights

Economic freedom

Social justice and the poor

Contemporary problems

Politics : yesterday, today, and tomorrow.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

0199933898

9780199933891

019993391X

9780199933914

OCLC:

811729066