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Libertarianism is an idea in
ethics and
politics. The word comes from the word "liberty". Simply put, libertarians believe that people should be able to do whatever they desire as long as their actions do not harm others. As a result, Libertarians want to limit the government's power so people can have as much freedom as possible.
Like other people, libertarians oppose slavery, rape, theft, murder, and all other examples of initiated violence.
Garrison based his opposition to slavery on the idea of self-ownership. Since you have a natural right to control your own body, no one else has any right to steal that control from you. Garrison and Douglass both called slave masters "man stealers."
All libertarians believe that it is wrong to start violence against any person or against what he or she owns. They call this the "non-aggression principle."
Ownership is the right to control something.
Property is the thing that you control.
Libertarians believe that property rights come from self-ownership. This means that because you have a right to control your own body, you also have a right to control what you make with it.
The English
philosopher John Locke said that a person comes to own something by using it. So, if you turn an area that no-one else owns into a farm and use it, that area becomes your property. This is called the "
homestead principle."
Libertarians also say that you can become a legitimate owner by receiving something as a
gift or by trading it with someone for something they own. You do not become a legitimate owner by stealing. You also do not become a legitimate owner by simply
saying you own something. If you have not "homesteaded" the thing or received it through trade or gift, you do not own it.
Libertarians are opposed to states (or governments) creating any "
laws" that tell people what they can and cannot do with their own bodies. The only legitimate laws are laws that say a person may not start violence against other people or their legitimate property. All "laws" stopping people from doing nonviolent things should be
repealed, according to libertarians. (These "laws" are usually called "
victimless crimes" because there is no victim if there is no theft.)
In most
countries, the
state (or government) takes
tax money from the people. All libertarians support cutting taxes back, and some libertarians believe the state should not take tax money at all. Libertarians think people can take care of the poor without the government. They believe that people should pay for the things that they want to use, but not have to pay for other things that they do not want.
Tax evasion (refusal to pay taxes to the state) is a victimless crime. Libertarians would prefer to see taxation replaced with
lotteries,
user fees, and
endowments.
Many libertarians also believe that families and friends should look after people so that they will not use drugs, drive without seat belts, or do other things that are dangerous for them. But no one can force others to do things that they do not want to do, or to stop them from doing nonviolent things that they want to do.