#minarchism

Libertarianism encompasses a range of theories about individual freedom, limited government, and the role of authority in society. Here are some key theories within libertarian thought:

1. Classical Libertarianism

Core Idea: Emphasizes individual liberty, minimal government interference, and free-market capitalism.

Theorists: John Locke, Adam Smith, and later, Robert Nozick.

Core Principle: The government’s role is to protect individual rights, especially property rights, and otherwise leave people free to pursue their own interests.

2. Anarcho-Capitalism

Core Idea: Advocates for the abolition of the state, with all functions typically performed by government, like law enforcement and defense, provided by private entities.

Theorists: Murray Rothbard, David D. Friedman.

Core Principle: Society should operate purely on voluntary agreements and contracts, with the market solving all problems through competition and self-regulation.

3. Left-Libertarianism

Core Idea: Combines libertarian principles with social justice concerns, emphasizing self-ownership, equal rights to natural resources, and opposing unequal wealth accumulation.

Theorists: Hillel Steiner, Peter Vallentyne.

Core Principle: While supporting individual liberty, it advocates for shared ownership or redistribution of natural resources to address inequality, thus aligning with some egalitarian ideals.

4. Minarchism

Core Idea: A form of libertarianism that supports a "minimal state" (minarchism), with the state limited to roles like protecting rights, defense, and judicial enforcement.

Theorists: Ayn Rand, Robert Nozick.

Core Principle: Government should only perform functions essential to protecting individual rights, such as maintaining a military and legal system, and stay out of other areas.

5. Civil Libertarianism

Core Idea: Focuses on protecting individual civil liberties and rights, particularly freedom of speech, privacy, and autonomy from state interference.

Theorists: John Stuart Mill, associated with modern civil rights movements.

Core Principle: Argues for strong protections against government encroachment on personal freedoms, particularly those enshrined in the Bill of Rights or similar civil liberties.

6. Libertarian Paternalism (Soft Libertarianism)

Core Idea: Suggests minimal, non-coercive state interventions that "nudge" individuals toward making better choices without restricting their freedom.

Theorists: Richard Thaler, Cass Sunstein.

Core Principle: Uses insights from behavioral economics to encourage beneficial choices while preserving individual autonomy, such as default retirement savings plans where people can opt out.

7. Geo-Libertarianism

Core Idea: Proposes that individuals fully own their labor and the products of their labor, but land and natural resources should be shared or taxed for the common good.

Theorists: Henry George.

Core Principle: Emphasizes a tax on land or natural resources to fund public goods, thus ensuring individuals benefit from the natural resources of a society without impeding individual liberty in other areas.

8. Libertarian Socialism

Core Idea: Advocates for a stateless society that organizes around decentralized communities, focusing on collective, voluntary, and self-managed structures.

Theorists: Pierre-Joseph Proudhon, Noam Chomsky.

Core Principle: Seeks to reduce hierarchical power, including capitalist structures, through a voluntary and community-focused approach.

9. Moral Libertarianism

Core Idea: Grounds libertarian beliefs in moral principles, often derived from Kantian ethics or natural rights theories.

Theorists: Robert Nozick, Jan Narveson.

“There will not be one kind of community existing and one kind of life led in utopia. Utopia will consist of utopias, of many different and divergent communities in which people lead different kinds of lives under different institutions. Some kinds of communities will be more attractive to most than others; communities will wax and wane. People will leave some for others or spend their whole lives in one. Utopia is a framework for utopias, a place where people are at liberty to join together voluntarily to pursue and attempt to realize their own vision of the good life in the ideal community but where no one can impose his own utopian vision upon others.

(...)

Minarchaqueer (queer minarchy/minqueer): the minarchist equivalent of queer anarchism (anarqueer/anqueer).

Note that not all minarchists are rightists, I’m left-aligned myself.