The Libertarian Reader

by Tibor R. Machan

Tibor Machan edited this outstanding collection of writings, which came to print in 1982. It was one of my first introductions to libertarian thought and it remains immensely valuable. The writers are all twentieth century thinkers. All the big names in contemporary libertarianism (with the exception of Ayn Rand) are Rothbard, von Mises, Hayek, Friedman, Nozick and Hospers. While Rand herself isn't included, there are essays by semi-Randians. (I'm sure Prof. Machan would have included an essay by Rand if he had been able to get permission.) The one gap in this book is the complete exclusion on any discussion of libertarian foreign policy (non-interventionism). A couple essays stand out. First, there is Rothbard's "Society without State." Rothbard was an anarcho-capitalist. If you think anarchy is unworkable, read this essay. There is also John Hosper's "Libertarianism and Legal Paternalism," a discussion of the limits of libertarianism when applied to children and other thorny issues. It garnered a fair amount of attention when it originally came out. No doubt there has been important work done in libertarian thought since 1982, but this is still a great place to start if you want to get the basics of libertarianism. I haven't read David Boas' collection of the same name, but based on the index it covers writings from a much broader time span (starting with the Bible), so they would complement each other quite well. (Amazon customer)

287 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1982

About the author

Aryos school of business and economics
Chapman university

Reviews

[James Henderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an excellent compilation of articles, essays and excerpts from larger works representing the libertarian philosophy that advocates a free society. It explores the legal, social, political, economic and moral implications of libertarian thought. Included are essays by the foundational authors of libertarian thought such as Ludwig von Mises, F. A. Hayek, Milton Friedman, John Hospers and Murray Rothbard. But it includes younger thinkers like Eric Mack, Lester Hunt, Walter Block and Machan himself among others. The extent and erudition of the works makes this volume a useful resource for those interested in the philosophy of freedom.