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It was the contention of the classic liberals that the world runs by itself. If such is true, then a command and control hierarchy is not needed to run society. This does not mean that the rules by which we live with one another are not necessary, but simply that they do not need to be made, applied or enforced by a central authority. More modern thinkers describe this aspect of society by saying that society is a "self-organizing system" or a "spontaneous order". These thoughts usher in the political philosophies of Libertarianism.
Libertarianism is not about rebelling, as some might think, nor is it about submitting. Libertarianism is about trying to find and incorporate a "sweet spot" between chaos (where there are no rules or laws keeping society orderly at all) and totalitarianism (where the government is clearly the main contributor to social disorder). Anarchism will not work: there is no protection for the individual. Yet, do we need a large, program-happy government to mandate our lives?
Though I now consider myself a full-fledged Libertarian, I never heard of this political philosophy until last semester, in a political science course. It came at just the right time, a time when I was rebelling against the world and its rules; a time when I was searching for alternatives. After looking at the alternatives, I embraced Libertarianism almost immediately.
An Economics teacher I once had declared that the opposite of freedom was government. This is the core belief of Libertarians. Above all else, Libertarians value freedom and liberty. A libertarian believes that the government should exist solely to protect the citizen’s life and property. A government does not exist to regulate fishing licenses or to tell citizens what they can and cannot do in their own homes. Would our founding fathers have wanted such?
While Libertarians love freedom desperately, they value order as well. This is why a Libertarian cannot be an Anarchist. Libertarians believe that the government does have a place on our lives, but that this place should be small. Libertarians believe in self-government and not infringing upon the rights of others. When the rights of one person have been violated, then the government may step in if one of the two parties involved so wishes. There is order, perhaps even more order than was previously present under a larger government. A smaller government without certain petty laws and regulations will be more efficient.
Some favor a large government because of the equality it can assure, such as affirmative action. If Libertarians were in charge, there would be no laws mandating equality in social terms. There would be equality under the law, something that has become scarce in today’s society. I think most people will agree that equality under the law is of much greater worth than government-mandated social equality. Likewise, I think that equality under the law can bring about social equality in a spontaneous and self-organizing manner.
In conclusion, Libertarians believe they have found the "sweet spot" of government. A government that is truly "for and by the people". A government where freedom of the individual comes first, and order and equality follow naturally. A government that is smaller and more efficient. As the classic liberals, modern thinkers, and libertarians believe, the world runs by itself.