Features
- Cover Type: Paperback with 480 pages
- Published by: Free Press; 1st Pbk. Ed edition February 4, 1998
- Written in: English
- ISBN 10 Number: 0684847671
- ISBN 13 Number: 978-0684847672
-
Book Dimensions:
8.8 x 6 x 1.3 inches
- Weighs: 1.4 pounds
Product Review
Conceived as the companion volume to David Boaz's
Libertarianism, this anthology comprising the likes of Lao-tzu and Milton Friedman is a treasure trove. That's because libertarianism touches on such important issues as the nature and extent of individual rights, the proper powers of government, and the virtues and shortcomings of the marketplace, and besides, it has tempted many of history's best minds. Pound for pound, the most impressive piece of reasoning here is philosopher Robert Nozick's attempt to defend a "minimal state, limited to the narrow functions of protection against force, theft, [and] fraud, [and] enforcement of contracts" and the view "that any more extensive state will violate persons' rights not to be forced to do certain things." Still, I wonder if Nozick has always turned down federal research grants and has always refused to pay income taxes, and if he hasn't,
why not?
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Product Description
The first collection of seminal writings on a movement that is rapidly changing the face of American politics,
The Libertarian Reader links some of the most fertile minds of our time to a centuries-old commitment to freedom, self-determination, and opposition to intrusive government. A movement that today counts among its supporters Steve Forbes, Nat Hentoff, and P.J. O'Rourke, libertarianism joins a continuous thread of political reason running throughout history.
Writing in 1995 about the large numbers of Americans who say they'd welcome a third party, David Broder of
The Washington Post commented, "The distinguishing characteristic of these potential independent voters-aside from their disillusionment with Washington politicians of both parties-is their libertarian streak. They are skeptical of the Democrats because they identify them with big government. They are wary of the Republicans because of the growing influence within the GOP of the religious right."
In
The Libertarian Reader, David Boaz has gathered the writers and works that represent the building blocks of libertarianism. These individuals have spoken out for the basic freedoms that have made possible the flowering of spiritual, moral, and economic life. For all independent thinkers, this unique sourcebook will stand as a classic reference for years to come, and a reminder that libertarianism is one of our oldest and most ageless American traditions.
Reader Reviews
This review is from: The LIBERTARIAN READER: Classic & Contemporary Writings from Lao-Tzu to Milton Friedman (Hardcover)
A couple of years ago I got interested in libertarianism and had to scrounge for a reading list. Where to get started? Then this book came out, exactly what I had been looking for. While one might quibble about the choice of authors (e.g. I would have preferred P.J O'Rourke or Dave Barry over the humorless Ayn Rand), it is obviously impossible to put in one volume all the great libertarian thinkers, let alone all the great works. This book does an excellent job, and includes in an appendix a list of further recommended reading for which there wasn't room. This was the signpost that I needed, and I still refer to it frequently. The companion volume, The Libertarian Primer, of which Boaz is author rather than editor, is also good and an easier read That it came out so late (1997) reflects libertarians' tendency to arrogance, underestimating the need to market their abstract product and educate the populace. The Cato Institute, of which Boaz is vice president, is now rapidly making up for lost time.
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