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Podcast: New Books in American Politics
Episode: Matt Zwolinski and John Tomasi, "The Individualists: Radicals, Reactionaries, and the Struggle for the Soul of Libertarianism" (Princeton UP, 2023)
Description: Is libertarianism a progressive doctrine, or a reactionary one? Does libertarianism promise to liberate the poor and the marginalized from the yoke of state oppression, or does talk of "equal liberty" obscure the ways in which libertarian doctrines serve the interests of the rich and powerful? Through an examination of the history of libertarianism, The Individualists: Radicals, Reactionaries, and the Struggle for the Soul of Libertarianism (Princeton University Press, 2023) argues that the answer is (and always has been): both. In this book, the authors explore the neglected 19th century roots of libertarianism to show that it emerged firs...