Libertarianism is more than a list of policy statements or even a political party. It's a complex political philosophy that has evolved over thousands of years of political thought. The foundation of this philosophy is individual freedom.
Freedom is also central to the libertarian approach to economics. A limited government should not interfere with or attempt to influence the economy. The best economy is powered by truly free markets. Individual freedom is the foundation of a successful civil society.
One of the central tenets of libertarianism is the belief in a "natural law" that exists independent of manmade laws. As early as the 6th century B.C., the Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu argued, "Without law or compulsion, men would dwell in harmony"
John Locke published his "Second Treatise of Government" in 1690. In it, he argues that the only role of government is to protect our natural rights, namely the rights to "Lives, Liberties, and Estates". Like other early libertarian thinkers, he argued that these natural rights superseded manmade rights and that no ruler or government could seek to remove these "inalienable rights"
The Declaration of Independence, written by Thomas Jefferson, can be read as a striking proclamation of the libertarian ideology. In his opening statement, Jefferson argues that the right of the colonies to secede from England are derived from the "Laws of Nature and of Nature's God," a reference to the natural law of classical liberalism. He goes on to write the most famous lines in the birth of a nation:
"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --that whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government..."
As an adherent of the western left hand path, I hold Libertarian philosophy dear to my heart and cannot see how the world can ever live in harmony until Libertarianism is implemented . . . Worldwide!