Map My Politics

PALEOLIBERTARIANISM – The Ideology of Conservatism and Liberty

Paleolibertarianism is one of the seven semi-mainstream political ideologies on the Map My Politics ideology chart, occupying the area in the upper right below the paleoconservative zone, above the neoliberal zone and to the right of the neoconservative zone. Paleolibertarians consider themselves freedom-loving libertarians who endorse traditional values. That might seem a contradiction to those who identify libertarians as crucially differing from conservatives on the issue of personal liberty. But paleolibertarians see no such conflict, believing that libertarianism should embrace mainstream Western social standards of religiosity, taste and lifestyle. Because little separates paleolibertarians from their paleoconservative neighbors, the ideology doesn't occupy much space on the Map My Politics grid. The differences are important, however, enough to warrant an ideology all its own.

Paleolibertarianism fully embraces free-market capitalism and the ideology therefore occupies the right side the x-axis of economic liberty. Because paleolibertarians are first and foremost economic libertarians, they are staunch supporters of unhampered free trade, small government, and private property. In this regard, paleolibertarians as very much in the classic libertarian tradition as neoliberals are. In fact, this belief in free markets is what distinguishes paleolibertarians from many paleoconservatives, who often support trade tariffs and limits on immigration. However paleolibertarians are in accord with paleoconservatives about minimizing defense spending and military engagements, which is a point of sharp divide for both ideologies with neoconservatism.

What makes paleolibertarianism unique as a libertarian ideology is its place on the y-axis of social liberty. Paleolibertarians embrace traditional values to such a degree that they are willing to limit their support for civil liberties to those based on property rights, not personal behavior. A paleolibertarian might be more strategic about supporting traditional values, for example by advocating against state-sanctioned marriages in general rather than solving the same-sex marriage debate by outlawing gay unions. Similarly, paleolibertarians do not advocate for directly incorporating Judeo-Christian principles in the legal system in the same manner paleoconservatives do, rather they argue that everything good in Western culture, including the notion of individual liberty, comes from Christianity, therefore libertarians should voluntarily embrace pious virtues and accept the wisdom of social authority.

Paleolibertarianism is a modern ideology that has its philosophical roots in both the conservatism of Edmund Burke and the classical liberalism of Adam Smith and John Locke. Some disparage paleolibertarianism as merely a political “strategy” to make libertarianism more palatable to social conservatives, or that, as a hybrid ideology, it fails to be consistent with either libertarian or conservative tenets. However, just as social libertarians have expanded the definition of personal freedom to include both positive and negative senses of the phrase, thereby justifying more government spending, so too have paleolibertarians broadened it to encompass aspects of social authority and cultural conformity. The twin philosophical “fathers” of paleolibertarianism are Murray Rothbard and Lew Rockwell. Rothbard, an American heterodox economist who originally identified himself as an anarcho-capitalist, broke with libertarians in 1990 over his frustration with their cultural liberalism. He articulated a right-wing populist agenda for paleolibertarians that included supporting Pat Buchanan, an ideological paleoconservative, in his 1992 candidacy for president. Rockwell similarly broke with the Libertarian Party in 1990, publishing a manifesto he titled “The Case for Paleolibertarianism” in which he also called for a libertarian-conservative alliance based on family, the free market and other traditional values. More recent paleolibertarian scholars include Hans-Hermann Hoppe, who is a disciple of Rothbard.

The United States is – for the most part – a two-party system, and paleolibertarians typically either join the Republican Party or vote independently. Paleolibertarians often find the Libertarian Party too culturally liberal, which helps explain the genesis of the ideology. Regardless how a paleolibertarian chooses to engage politically, however, a dominant aspect of their participation will be a focus on free markets, small government and traditional values. As we stress repeatedly on the Map My Politics site, politics at its most fundamental level is about ideology.

Paleolibertarianism has been more of an indirect influence on American politics, supporting paleoconservative and right-leaning populist politicians such as Pat Buchanan and Donald Trump rather than fielding paleolibertarian candidates. Some consider Ron Paul a paleolibertarian. Paul, a former Texas Congressman and frequent presidential candidate (as both a Republican and a Libertarian), certainly espoused paleolibertarian opinions, and he had a longtime professional affiliation with Lew Rockwell, but his positions on capital punishment, recreational drugs and same-sex marriage are more libertarian. Justin Raimondo was a paleolibertarian activist and writer who also ran (unsuccessfully) for elective office as both a Libertarian and a Republican. Other important paleolibertarian writers and thinkers, apart from Rothbard and Rockwell, include Joseph Sobran and Jeff Deist.

For further reading about the paleolibertarian ideology, click here.

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