Socialism and libertarianism

In this article, I attempt to define the concepts of socialism and libertarianism. While recognising that the meaning of socialism has developed over time and is not set in stone, and after outlining the ways in which a number of writers have defined socialism, I argue that key socialist values are incompatible with libertarianism, the core feature of which, I argue, is a commitment to the principle of self-ownership. Libertarianism, I contend, involves a denial of what are widely seen as core socialist ideas (that we are social beings, that society should be organised, and individuals should act, so as to promote the common good, that we should strive to achieve social equality and promote democracy, community and solidarity) even though some writers regard libertarianism as a socialist principle or value. I conclude that socialists should not be libertarians, for there is an acute tension between socialism and libertarianism.