Libertarianism, from A to Z (Cato Institute Book Forum, 2010)
Channel: Libertarianism.org
Date: 10/06/2011

Featuring the author Jeffrey A. Miron, Senior Fellow, Cato Institute, Senior Lecturer in Economics, Harvard University; with comments by Tom G. Palmer, Vice President, Atlas Foundation, Author, Realizing Freedom: Libertarian Theory, History, and Practice.

Libertarian principles seem basic enough — keep government out of boardrooms, bedrooms, and wallets, and let markets work the way they should. But what reasoning justifies those stances, and how can they be elucidated clearly and applied consistently? In Libertarianism, from A to Z, Harvard economist Jeffrey Miron sets the record straight with a dictionary of libertarian views on everything from abortion to the war on terror. Tackling subjects as diverse as prostitution and drugs, the financial crises and the government bailouts, federalism and utilitarianism, Miron takes the reader on a tour of libertarian thought. Taking issue with rights-based libertarian philosophers, he makes the argument for a consequentialist libertarianism that balances the costs and benefits of any given government intervention, emphasizing personal liberty and free markets. Miron never flinches from following those principles to their logical and sometimes controversial ends. Principled, surprising, and thought provoking, Libertarianism, from A to Z, has everything a budding libertarian — or any responsible citizen — needs to know.