Libertarian Ideas: Dean Russell (August 17, 2006)
Who Is A Libertarian?
Dean Russell, The Freeman: Ideas on Liberty – 1955, www.fee.org
Webster’s New International Dictionary defines a libertarian as “One who holds to the doctrine of free will; also, one who upholds the principles of liberty, esp. individual liberty of thought and action.”
In popular terminology, a libertarian is the opposite of an authoritarian. Strictly speaking, a libertarian is one who rejects the idea of using violence or the threat of violence—legal or illegal—to impose his will or viewpoint upon any peaceful person. Generally speaking, a libertarian is one who wants to be governed far less than he is today…
The libertarian’s goal is friendship and peace with his neighbors at home and abroad.