Objectivism and Libertarianism

Traders get revenue from circulating goods and services of which they get a cut from each transaction.

This is why they want as much freedom as possible so that there would be as much circulation as possible.

They disregard the evils of overcirculation just as Warriors disregard the evils of undercirculation.

This commonly leads to The dominance of traders and

1. Libertarianism

• Core Ideas:

  • Emphasis on Individual Freedom: Libertarianism is a political philosophy that prioritizes individual liberty and autonomy. It advocates for minimal government intervention in both personal lives and the economy.
  • Minimal Government: Libertarians argue for a minimal state—often referred to as a night-watchman state—which is primarily concerned with protecting individuals’ rights (e.g., property rights, personal safety, and freedom of speech). The government’s role should be restricted to law enforcement, national defense, and the judicial system.
  • Free Markets: Libertarianism supports free-market capitalism, advocating for voluntary exchange without government regulation, taxation, or redistribution.
  • Non-Aggression Principle: Libertarians believe that the initiation of force is inherently wrong and that individuals should interact voluntarily and peacefully.

• Key Principles:

  • Private property rights
  • Freedom of choice
  • Self-ownership
  • Non-interventionist policies

1. Neoliberalism

• Core Ideas:

  • Market-Oriented Reforms: Neoliberalism is an economic and political ideology that promotes free markets, minimal state intervention, and privatization of state-owned enterprises. It advocates for reducing the role of the state in economic affairs and promoting policies that encourage competition and market efficiency.
  • Globalization: Neoliberalism supports the globalization of trade, including free trade agreements, deregulation, and the free movement of capital across borders.
  • Reduced Government: While neoliberalism doesn’t necessarily advocate for the abolition of government, it calls for limited government intervention—primarily focusing on providing a stable legal framework, enforcing property rights, and ensuring national security.
  • Individual Responsibility: Neoliberalism places emphasis on individual responsibility over state-provided welfare, encouraging citizens to rely on the market and their own initiative for economic success.

• Economic Characteristics:

  • Privatization: Neoliberal policies often lead to the privatization of public services and assets.
  • Deregulation: The removal or reduction of governmental regulations in sectors like finance, labor, and trade.
  • Free Market Capitalism: Neoliberalism strongly supports capitalism, with minimal constraints, allowing market forces to drive competition and innovation.
  • Welfare Reduction: Neoliberalism tends to reduce social safety nets, focusing instead on encouraging private solutions for issues like healthcare, education, and pensions.

• Key Figures:

  • Milton Friedman, Ronald Reagan, and Margaret Thatcher are often associated with the promotion and implementation of neoliberal economic policies.

• Examples:

  • 1980s Reaganomics in the U.S. and Thatcherism in the U.K. are often cited as practical examples of neoliberalism. These policies included tax cuts for the wealthy, deregulation, and reductions in social welfare programs.

Objectivism

This is a philosophical system from Russian Ayn Rand based on individualism – the belief that individuals have the right to pursue their own happiness and self-interest without interference from others, including the state.

Objectivism believes that rational self-interest should guide human actions. It emphasizes the importance of:

• reason
• individual rights
• the pursuit of one’s own happiness

We put this under the 4th Law because it happens twards the end of the Trader Cycle where the lack of spiritual knowledge causes the mind to go further into freedom and material desires.

To satisfy more desires, it pushes for liberty.

Objectivism advocates for a laissez-faire capitalist society, where the government’s role is limited to protecting individual rights—specifically, protecting people’s property and ensuring the enforcement of contracts. and national defense.

Rand argued that capitalism is the only moral social system because it respects individual rights and allows people to pursue their own happiness.

 - **Ethics of Rational Self-Interest**: Objectivism is grounded in an ethical theory of **rational self-interest**, where the pursuit of one's own happiness is considered the highest moral purpose. This contrasts with altruistic ideologies that prioritize the well-being of others over the individual’s own desires.

It rejects altruism or the moral doctrine that individuals have a duty to serve the needs of others. This is because it sees altruism as a form of self-sacrifice that undermines human flourishing.

There are no taxes, no regulation of business, and no welfare systems.

Private Property: Objectivism strongly defends private property and the right of individuals to freely engage in commerce, accumulate wealth, and keep the fruits of their labor.

Self-Interest and Voluntary Exchange: Objectivism argues that individuals should engage in voluntary, mutually beneficial exchanges in the marketplace, driven by rational self-interest.

Ayn Rand, the creator of Objectivism, with her major works being Atlas Shrugged and The Fountainhead. Rand’s philosophy has had a lasting influence on libertarianism and free-market capitalism.

Its principles are reflected in libertarian movements and the idea of a night-watchman state, which limits the government’s role to protecting individual rights.

Founder of Liberalism:

Liberalism as a political ideology does not have a single “founder” in the same way some other movements do. It evolved over time through the work of many philosophers and political thinkers. However, key figures who are often credited with laying the foundations of liberalism include:

1. John Locke (1632–1704) - Often considered one of the founders of classical liberalism:

   • Locke’s writings on natural rights, including life, liberty, and property, are central to liberal thought. He argued that individuals have inalienable rights and that government exists to protect these rights, with its power being derived from the consent of the governed.
   • Locke’s social contract theory greatly influenced liberal democratic thought and the principles of limited government, equality, and individual freedom.

2. Adam Smith (1723–1790) - Known as the father of modern economics and a key figure in classical liberalism:

   • Smith’s The Wealth of Nations (1776) laid the foundation for economic liberalism, advocating for free markets, the invisible hand of competition, and minimal government interference in economic matters.

3. Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712–1778) - While Rousseau is sometimes considered more associated with democratic theory and republicanism, his ideas on the general will and popular sovereignty influenced the liberal tradition of thought.

As liberalism evolved, it branched into different strands, such as classical liberalism (focused on individual freedom and free markets) and social liberalism (focused on social justice, equality, and government intervention to correct inequality).

Founder of Libertarianism:

Libertarianism, as a distinct political philosophy, developed later than liberalism and draws heavily from classical liberalism. Some key figures associated with the development of modern libertarianism include:

1. John Locke (1632–1704) - As with liberalism, Locke’s ideas on natural rights (life, liberty, and property) and the limited role of government laid the groundwork for libertarian principles, especially his emphasis on the protection of individual freedom and the non-aggression principle.

2. Murray Rothbard (1926–1995) - Often considered the founder of modern libertarianism:

   • Rothbard, an economist and political theorist, advanced the anarcho-capitalist form of libertarianism. His work emphasized the absolute rights of the individual, advocating for a stateless society where private property and voluntary exchange govern all interactions.
   • His book, Man, Economy, and State (1962), and his role in the Austrian School of Economics played a major role in developing the libertarian tradition of free-market capitalism and minimal government intervention.

3. Ayn Rand (1905–1982) - While not always considered a “classic” libertarian (since she advocated for a minimal government), her Objectivist philosophy has significantly influenced libertarian thought, particularly her defense of rational self-interest and capitalism. She is well-known for her books Atlas Shrugged and The Fountainhead.

4. Friedrich Hayek (1899–1992) - While primarily an economist, Hayek’s work on the dangers of central planning and his advocacy for limited government and individual liberty made him a key intellectual influence on modern libertarian thought. His book, The Road to Serfdom (1944), critiqued socialist and interventionist policies, arguing that they would lead to totalitarianism and the erosion of individual freedoms.

In summary:

• Liberalism can be traced back to thinkers like John Locke and Adam Smith, with its development over time influencing modern democratic governance.
• Libertarianism as a more distinct and modern ideology emerged with thinkers like Murray Rothbard, Ayn Rand, and Friedrich Hayek, drawing heavily from the classical liberal tradition but emphasizing more extreme minimalism in government and individual freedom.