By Francisco Gonzalez, JMI Development Director
On February 3, I attended a lecture at the Florida State University law school, hosted by the FSU chapters of the Federalist Society and the Young Americans for Liberty. The speaker, Ilya Shapiro, Senior Fellow in Constitutional Studies at the Cato Institute, gave a talk, “So you think you know libertarianism?”His purpose was to outline the general principles of libertarianism, while he clearly articulated that there are many various schools of thought within this philosophy of liberty. That said, Shapiro outlined that most libertarians believe in the principles of (1) individualism, (2) spontaneous order, (3) the rule of law, (4) limited government, (5) the virtue of production, (6) ownership over the fruits of one’s own labor, (7) the natural harmony of interests (everyone prospers from the opportunity of the free-market), and (8) peace (and that it’s opposite, war, is the enemy of a productive people, as it places more power in the hands of the state).Shapiro pointed out that the popular push back against the reckless big government policies being touted today are part of the rise in libertarian thought. Many on the right and left are frustrated by government and are turning to libertarianism as a political philosophy they can embrace.
2010
