What are the Libertarian Principles?
Libertarian philosophy is built upon a surprisingly small number of principles, but these principles are very strict and firm, which makes them a solid foundation for a wide range of practical applications.
The basic tenets of Libertarian philosophy are individual liberty and personal responsibility:
 | Everyone should be free to do as they choose, so long as they don't infringe upon the equal freedom of others. |
| Human interaction should be peaceful, voluntary, and honest. It is never acceptable to use physical force to achieve your goals. The only time force is acceptable is when you are defending against force. |
| The above principles must always be followed, with no exceptions, including government. Governments should not interfere with the interactions and exchanges of peaceful people. |
What is Libertarianism?
Libertarians and their ideas are often misunderstood. Libertarian.Org is here to offer an overview of the libertarian philosophy and the libertarian movement. It is designed to be an introduction to the breadth and depth of libertarianism, for the long-time libertarian and the curious newcomer.
While libertarians are a diverse group of people with many philosophical starting points, they share a defining belief: that everyone should be free to do as they choose, so long as they don't infringe upon the equal freedom of others.
Human interaction should be peaceful, voluntary, and honest. It is never acceptable to use physical force to achieve your goals. The only time force is acceptable is when you are defending against force.
This might not seem very radical. After all, your parents probably taught you not to cheat, steal or pick fights -- in other words, not to use force against others. What sets libertarians apart is that they don't make any exceptions to this principle -- not even for governments.
In the libertarian view, governments should be held to the same standards of right and wrong as individuals. As a result, libertarians believe that governments should not interfere with the interactions and exchanges of peaceful people.