Radicals for Capitalism A Freewheeling History of the Modern American Libertarian Movement

by Doherty, Brian

• ISBN13: 9781586485726
• ISBN10: 1586485725
• Edition: Reprint
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2008-05-27
• Publisher: PublicAffairs

Summary

On Wall Street, in the culture of high tech, in American government: Libertarianismthe simple but radical idea that the only purpose of government is to protect its citizens and their property against direct violence and threat has become an extremely influential strain of thought. But while many books talk about libertarian ideas, none until now has explored the history of this uniquely American movementwhere and who it came from, how it evolved, and what impact it has had on our country.In this revelatory book, based on original research and interviews with more than 100 key sources, Brian Doherty traces the evolution of the movement through the unconventional life stories of its most influential leaders Ludwig von Mises, F.A. Hayek, Ayn Rand, Murray Rothbard, and Milton Friedmanand through the personal battles, character flaws, love affairs, and historical events that altered its course. And by doing so, he provides a fascinating new perspective on American historyfrom the New Deal through the culture wars of the 1960s to today's most divisive political issues. Neither an expose nor a political polemic, this entertaining historical narrative will enlighten anyone interested in American politics.

Author Biography

Brian Doherty is a senior editor at Reason magazine. His articles, essays, and reviews have appeared in dozens of magazines, newspapers, and books, including the Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, Mother Jones, and The Weekly Standard. He is also the author of This is Burning Man: The Rise of a New American Underground. He lives in Los Angeles.

Table of Contents

Introduction: Reviving an American Radical Tradition	p. 1
Patriots, Unterrified Jeffersonians, and Superfluous Men	p. 21
Austrian Roadblocks on the Road to Serfdom	p. 67
The Three Furies of Libertarianism	p. 113
Fighting for the Freedom Philosophy	p. 149
Objectivism, Anarcho-Capitalism, and the Effects of Psychedelics on Faith and Freedom	p. 225
The Goldwater Movement, the Objectivist Crackup, and the Hippies of the Right	p. 291
Libertarian Zionism, the Koch Bubble, and America's Third Largest Political Party	p. 389
A Mainstreamed Radicalism	p. 445
The Twilight of the Libertarian Gods	p. 537
Epilogue: An Eternal Revolution	p. 573
Notes	p. 621
Selected Bibliography	p. 715
Acknowledgments	p. 719
Index	p. 723
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