Book Forum 

# *Libertarianism: What Everyone Needs to Know*

Oxford University Press, 2012

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Date and Time 

November 8, 2012 1 - 2:30 PM EST 

Location 

Hayek Auditorium 

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##### Featuring 

Featuring the author **Jason Brennan**, Assistant Professor of Ethics, Economics, and Public Policy, Georgetown University; with comments by **Aaron Ross Powell**, Research Fellow, Cato Institute and Editor, Lib​er​tar​i​an​ism​.org; and **Tom Merrill**, Assistant Professor of Government, American University; moderated by **John Samples**, Director, Center for Representative Government, Cato Institute. 

[ [![Media Name: brennan-libertarianism.jpg](/sites/cato.org/files/styles/optimized/public/download-remote-images/www.cato.org/8693878921/brennan-libertarianism.jpg?itok=Fzmv12ZB)](/sites/cato.org/files/download-remote-images/www.cato.org/8693878921/brennan-libertarianism.jpg) 

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Historically, Americans have seen libertarians as far outside the mainstream, but as Jason Brennan points out, libertarianism is a quite different — and far richer — system of thought than most suspect. Brennan offers a nuanced portrait of libertarianism, proceeding through a series of questions to illuminate the essential elements of libertarianism and the problems the philosophy addresses, including such topics as the value of liberty, human nature and ethics, economic liberty, civil rights, social justice and the poor, government and democracy, and contemporary politics. As he sheds light on libertarian beliefs, Brennan overturns numerous misconceptions. Libertarianism is not about simple-minded paranoia about government, he writes. Rather, it celebrates the ideal of peaceful cooperation among free and equal people. Brennan argues that libertarians are, in fact, animated by benevolence and a deep concern for the poor.