It is frequently labeled part of the extreme right , or it is merely associated with drug legalization. To put it succinctly, the libertarian believes in the freedom of individuals to pursue their lives as they see fit, as long as they cause no harm to others, with minimal governmental interference. Libertarian thought is rooted historically in the ideas of many of the Enlightenment thinkers, including John Locke, Voltaire, and Adam Smith, as well as many of the founding fathers of America, including Thomas Jefferson, Patrick Henry, and Thomas Paine.
Many libertarians prefer to call themselves classical liberals .
Their philosophy has also been influenced by writer Ayn Rand s Objectivism , and various free-market economists, including Milton Friedman, F.A. Hayek, and Ludwig von Mises. Libertarians are strongly supportive of the civil liberties detailed in the Bill of Rights of our Constitution. They maintain that the Constitution does not grant us these rights, but instead recognizes those rights we naturally possess by virtue of our humanity. Included in these rights is the freedom of speech. Unlike many other supporters of free speech, the libertarian sees it as having a connection with property rights.