Libertarianism:

I made a bumper sticker years ago that I think pretty much sums it up, Libertarian: Be Respected as a Unique and Competent Individual.

Beyond the Libertarian party is libertarian philosophy and that is what I will be talking about here. Why? Because the Libertarian Party is a party of people, a political group with an agenda while libertarian philosophy is about ideas.

Not to say I don’t support the Libertarian party, I do, for the most part. I’ve even been a card-carrying member (though my membership is currently expired). But they are a group of people with an agenda and sometimes (as people with agendas often do) make mistakes and put the party above the principle. I know, ironic considering they call themselves the party of principle. Not to get too off-track here but a good example of that would be 2008. Bob Barr was nominated as the Libertarian Presidential Candidate. That’s right, they nominated a candidate whom supported the Patriot Act and the drug war. Sure, he said he regretted it but really did he? Who knows.

I think the best thing for the LP to have done was to not nominated anyone and suggest instead folks vote for Ron Paul. Alas, that didn’t happen. No need to talk me out of that thought or try to rationalize it to me. I’ve read (I think) all the reasons and I just don’t agree. All right try and change my mind, I will as always, listen.

Anywho back on track…libertarian philosophy…classical liberalism…constitutional conservatism…and/or all of the other labels you might have heard. The primary principles behind libertarianism are non-force and individualism. I can’t force anyone to do something they don’t want to. I also can’t force someone not to do something just because I might think it’s a bad idea. Of course if my right to freedom is trampled on by you then I have a right to defend myself, if I so choose.

For example things that would be *unacceptable* would be physical assault on another individual and/or destruction/pollution of another’s property.  I might think that people should all eat healthy (my definition of healthy) and humane foods as well as maintain a weight in a healthy range. However, from a libertarian perspective I have no right to force you to behave in that way or any other way for that matter. I can share my opinion but I can’t force anything.

Let’s take on the issue of drugs. For this discussion I’ll use  cocaine as an example because it’s a pretty harsh one with some significant penalties but also one with which you can apparently do (or “maybe” do) and still be president. I think it’s a bad idea. Actually, I think it’s a terrible idea. I know first hand what it does to a person. My father did cocaine. I was there once when he was arrested with a pouch of the stuff. I can still see it sitting on his dresser and the cop in the doorway. No laws stopped him from doing it. No laws stopped him from selling it. No force stopped him from any of it, even his 10 year old daughter telling him it was a bad idea.

The arbitrary enforcement of these drug laws makes it all the worse. My father was arrested. Was Mr. Obama? My father spent time in jail. Did Mr. Obama? Should he now? Oh wait, he only *maybe* did a *little blow.* How do you not remember something like that?

Mixed message? It’s okay, as long as you don’t get caught. If we are going to bother to have a law shouldn’t they be at least 95% enforceable? If not we create an environment where police officers and other government officials have HUGE god-like powers over individuals. It’s an environment primed for corruption, an environment that feeds discontent, negativity, resentment and power.

Where might we be as a society if we created an environment that instead fostered trust, compassion, love, respect and understanding through freedom? You are the only one who knows best for you. Instead of blind obedience, forced quasi-respect and fear.

People do best when they learn for themselves. People do best when they are treated as the unique and competent individuals they are. Think about yourself. Do you like being told what to do? Do you like it when your family or friends tell you what is best for you? Do you often listen? Or do you feel judged and resentful? What if it comes from a stranger? Does that make you feel better about it?

I believe in maximum freedom and principles over laws.

Want to learn more about libertarian philosophy from someone other than me? Here are a few links: Reason, Reason TV, John Mackey, Daily Paul, Libertarian Party,Mises, Cato Institute, Ayn Rand and the Campaign for Liberty.

Unschooling

If I was to make a similar bumper sticker for unschooling it would be, Unschooling: Respect Your Children as the Unique and Competent Individuals They Are

The unschooling core principle is the same, non-force, creating the optimal environment for that learning. It’s about focusing on building relationships built on trust, love, respect and giving children opportunity and guidance (in a mentor/partner sense not a teacher way). It’s about choosing principles over rules.

The idea is that children learn naturally and when something is learned naturally it holds more value to the child/person and it ends up being retained and understood better than when something is taught. It works. I’ve seen it. I live it with my kids. And it truly is amazing.

Unschooling is about honoring the individual and understanding that each child is exactly that, an individual. An individual with his/her own unique motivations, interests, talents and inspirations. Of course there may by similarities between people/children but the whole of a person is often made up of past, personality, upbringing, relationships, biology, sociology and culture and I can think of no situation where all of those things are identical for any two people in the world.

I think institutionalizing our children like we today (in the US specifically) with daycare, mandatory kindergarten and preschool, compulsory grammar, middle and highschool is harmful to the development of the individual. I believe it has resulted in an increase (and will continue to do so, as we extend the compulsory age of attendance and lean toward longer days and year round schooling) in personality disorders. People growing up without a sense of identity, with no direction, no honest true self-direction. These people go on to work in fields they have no interest in. They find jobs that will pay the bills and don’t go beyond that. Then as adults with sense of self there is discontent with job, life and choices contributing to the “me me me” attitude (I have to find myself) that breaks up families and marriages.

If you grow up as part of a partnership. If you grow up with people that respect your ability to discern what you want to do with your life and who you want to be as opposed to being forced into those decisions by someone else or some institution, there can be something really wonderful there. By the time you are an adult you’ve figured out, for the most part, who you are…because you have always been allowed to be who you are.

I remember being told, You can be anything you want to be when you grow up. That’s what we were told in school but it was often followed with if you do this, this and this. Implying there is only one path to your dreams, one that requires you to be compliant, non-questioning listeners.  There is a lot of talk lately amongst educational academic types of teaching critical thinking. I do not believe it is possible to teach critical thinking. I think to try and teach *critical thinking* in a controlled, compulsory environment is all the more absurd.

Unschooling (done well) is all critical thinking. It’s about recognizing everything as a choice (with emphasis on mindful choices) and having freedom to actually make decisions. I’m talking real choices, life choices, not choices born of fabricated academic exercises.

If you want more information about unschooling and/or natural learning here are some links: Sandra Dodd, Kelly Lovejoy, John Holt, Pam Sorooshian, Dayna Martin, Joyce Fetteroll, Peter Gray or any of the blogs listed in my blogroll under unschooling.

Libertarianism & Unschooling

Now here is the controversial part,  like all that I wrote above isn’t out of the mainstream enough. I see unschooling as a clear extension of libertarian thought just as I see libertarian thought as a clear extension of unschooling. I don’t feel this in any sort of *religious* way. In other words I don’t think it’s the same as saying unschooling is an extension of Christianity or Law of Attraction or even Buddhism (despite the emphasis on mindfulness). I can see how those different philosophies can compliment (or provide inspiration for) unschooling but I don’t see these other things as clear *extensions* of unschooling as I do libertarian thought.

Unschooling, specifically radical/whole life unschooling and libertarian philosophy are at the very core the same. Individualism, in unschooling the kids are the individuals having freedom to make their own choices as long as those choices don’t infringe upon another individual. In the same way adults in a libertarian society are free to make their own choices as long as those choices don’t infringe on the right of others.

The following are a couple of examples of applying the concept of freedom/liberty first in unschooling then in libertarianism.

1. Creating an Honest Environment

• radical unschooling: Say you have a rule of no video games. Maybe your son goes to a friend’s house and they have a video game system. That friend is having a really good time and coaxing him to play too. It’s okay, I won’t tell your parents. Do you think your kid is feeling good about you at that moment? Who do you think your son trusts more at that moment? Do you think maybe you’ve bred an environment ripe for lies? Is that rule going to stop him from playing the game? Is the rule even enforcible without monitoring his every move?
• libertarian philosophy: There is a law against smoking pot. Does it stop people? Do you know someone who smokes pot? Did you turn them in? Would you turn them in? Do you think they are hurting anyone? Do they lie? Do they smoke in public? Are they fearful of getting caught? Do you think the law creates a trust in government or authority?

2. Experts

• unschooling: You learn along side your child. Sometime they impart some knowledge onto you or you impart some bit of wisdom onto them but it’s freely given and taken. You are no more their teacher than they are yours.
• libertarian philosophy: In a libertarian society (or here for a little while after 1776) the small, limited government is made up of citizens. Not upper class types with lots of letters after their names. A society of the people, for the people, by the people…NOT a society of a people, run by other smarter, more experiencedpeople who know better than all the others.

3. Inspiration & Motivation

• unschooling: Inspiration and motivation is individual and allowed to freely develop into passionate learning without restrictions. If your child loves bugs, they can sit and observe bugs all day long, or draw, write and talk about bugs and only bugs if that is what inspires them. When inspiration is so pure and limitless motivation follows in a pure, almost unstoppable way, and the learning thrives.
• libertarian philosophy: When people are free to pursue their inspirations without a lot of red tape beautiful things can result like pacemakers being built in garages.

There are tons of examples, like these, some probably better than the ones I’ve given while some not as good. But to keep this from becoming a book as opposed to a blog entry I’ll wrap it up here…for now.