--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The fact is that libertarianism is not…" description: "\"“The fact is that libertarianism is not and does not pretend to be a complete moral or aesthetic theory; it is only a political theory, that is, the im..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/297/murray-n-rothbard-18059_libertarianism_the-fact-is-that-libertarianism-is-not-a_33155.jpg" --- # The fact is that libertarianism is not and does not… ![“The fact is that libertarianism is not and does not pretend to be a complete moral or aesthetic theory; it is only a political theory, that is, the important subset of moral theory that deals with the proper role of violence in social life. Political theory deals with what is proper or improper…” quote by Murray N. Rothbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/297/murray-n-rothbard-18059_libertarianism_the-fact-is-that-libertarianism-is-not-a_33155.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/297/murray-n-rothbard-18059_libertarianism_the-fact-is-that-libertarianism-is-not-a_33155.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/297/murray-n-rothbard-18059_libertarianism_the-fact-is-that-libertarianism-is-not-a_33155.jpg) > ““The fact is that libertarianism is not and does not pretend to be a complete moral or aesthetic theory; it is only a political theory, that is, the important subset of moral theory that deals with the proper role of violence in social life. Political theory deals with what is proper or improper for government to do, and government is distinguished from every other group in society as being the institution of organized violence. Libertarianism holds that the only proper role of violence is to defend person and property against violence, that any use of violence that goes beyond such just defense is itself aggressive, unjust, and criminal. Libertarianism, therefore, is a theory which states that everyone should be free of violent invasion, should be free to do as he sees fit, except invade the person or property of another. What a person does with his or her life is vital and important, but is simply irrelevant to libertarianism. It should not be surprising, therefore, that there are libertarians who are indeed hedonists and devotees of alternative lifestyles, and that there are also libertarians who are firm adherents of "bourgeois" conventional or religious morality. There are libertarian libertines and there are libertarians who cleave firmly to the disciplines of natural or religious law. There are other libertarians who have no moral theory at all apart from the imperative of non-violation of rights. That is because libertarianism per se has no general or personal moral theory. Libertarianism does not offer a way of life; it offers liberty, so that each person is free to adopt and act upon his own values and moral principles. Libertarians agree with Lord Acton that "liberty is the highest political end" — not necessarily the highest end on everyone's personal scale of values.”” [Murray N. Rothbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/murray-n-rothbard/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Libertarianism is a political doctrine focused solely on limiting state violence to self‑defense of individuals and property, leaving moral and aesthetic choices to each person. **In simple terms:** Political theory of non‑aggression. Key Takeaway Liberty defined by non‑violation of rights. Themes political philosophy non‑aggression principle individual liberty state violence moral pluralism property rights Mood analytical critical thoughtful Type philosophical political definitional When to use this quote - debating government authority - designing libertarian policies - evaluating ethical frameworks - discussing personal freedom - analyzing property rights Key Concepts non‑aggression self‑ownership limited government rights Practical Applications - policy analysis - ethical education Questions to Reflect On - How does libertarianism handle public goods? - Can non‑aggression alone sustain a just society? 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Rothbard quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/murray-n-rothbard/) ## More Libertarianism quotes > [The politician attempts to remedy the evil by increasing the very thing that caused the evil in the first place: legal plunder.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederic-bastiat/the-politician-attempts-to-remedy-the-evil-by-increasing-the-very/) [Frederic Bastiat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederic-bastiat/) > [“Socialists and Progressives confuse compassion and compulsion.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-e-samaan/socialists-and-progressives-confuse-compassion-and-compulsion/) [A.E. Samaan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-e-samaan/) > [Do not suppose that abuses are eliminated by destroying the object which is abused. Men can go wrong with wine and women. 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Political theory deals with what is proper or improper for government to do, and government is distinguished from every other group in society as being the institution of organized violence. Libertarianism holds that the only proper role of violence is to defend person and property against violence, that any use of violence that goes beyond such just defense is itself aggressive, unjust, and criminal. Libertarianism, therefore, is a theory which states that everyone should be free of violent invasion, should be free to do as he sees fit, except invade the person or property of another. What a person does with his or her life is vital and important, but is simply irrelevant to libertarianism. It should not be surprising, therefore, that there are libertarians who are indeed hedonists and devotees of alternative lifestyles, and that there are also libertarians who are firm adherents of \"bourgeois\" conventional or religious morality. 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