Home Conscientious Objector Menu THE LIBERTARIAN

"We shall probably have occasion to use the word "libertarian"

plenty of times from now on (Continuity News, June, 1938) ." Last month we asked for suggestions for a new name for government with limited powers, such as the American continuity demands. The suggestions we made were justly criticised as strange and unfamiliar, and we have as yet to no term to cover the particular ground. However, another term that may partly fill the need has been coming into use ― the word "libertarian."

This word is coming into use to denote advocacy of the supremacy of individual liberties and rights, including the proposition that no government must be allowed to exceed these limits. A libertarian government is essentially a limited government limited by individual rights; the definition not only does not imply majority rule, but definitely implies that all rule, whether majority or minority, is strictly limited to the field of preventing transgressions on the rights of any individuals whatever. This is in opposition to "authoritarian," which implies that the government, whether it represents a majority or not, is supreme and must be obeyed regardless. The idea of authoritarianist democracy, as opposed to libertarianism, is the one current in official circles, who believe that a "head of government," once elected, must not be opposed by anything whatever. The idea is more tersely expressed by Macauley: "Then choose we a Dictator,

Whom all men shall obey." We shall probably have occasion to use the word "libertarian" plenty of times from now on. But the more general idea of limited government is still without a good name. The word "democracy" is useless because abused. THE LIBERTARIAN

[No copies found thus far.] "Esther and I were glad to see your copy of the Libertarian." ―Letter from Julius Eichel, Monday, March 6, 1944 "I am sending you the latest, and last, issue of The Libertarian. You will see from it that the nature of the VUSP is changing, and it is withdrawing from political controversy. I have always hated politics in general, and am coming to the conclusion that pacifist politics is as poisonous as any other variety of politics." ― Letter to Eichel, Saturday, March 25, 1944. Thursday, August 12, 1943 We are grateful to David Sachs for calling our attention to a book by Charles T. Sprading with the word 'libertarian'. Liberty and the great libertarians :

an anthology on liberty, a hand-book of freedom / Charles T Sprading 1913 English Book 1 p.l., [5]-540, [3] p. ; 20 cm. Los Angeles : Published for the author, 1913