Unveiling Libertarianism: Key Critiques and Controversies

Libertarianism is all about freedom and equality before the law. But that is not the perspective of all the ideologists. 

Hence, criticism of libertarianism posits a different narrative. This article will deal with the critical assessment of Libertarianism.

Critiques of Libertarianism

The critiques of libertarianism primarily includes environmental, economic, pragmatic and ethical concerns. With the right Libertarians, the critiques have vehemently argued that capitalism does not necessarily produce the best or the most efficient outcome while libertarian philosophy of individualism and policies of deregulation have significantly failed to the prevent the abuse of natural resources.

Aggressive and ethical criticisms have also taken place with the libertarians, but the liberal perspective of having free will and no government interference is legitimate and logical.

Eminent Critiques of Libertarianism

While in the West, Libertarianism has been criticized ethically and aggressively, in India, eminent figures have looked down upon libertarianism from an eye of scrutiny. Some of these eminent personalities are:

Amartya Sen- The noble laurate has given his view regarding the extreme market policies which links with Libertarianism.  He argues for the necessity of state intervention in some areas such as education, social welfare and healthcare.

As opposed to this view of Amartya Sen, Libertarianism does not oppose state intervention in the education and healthcare sector but calls for more accountable systems by promoting choice and competition.

Arundhati Roy- A prominent author who has many books to her credit, has criticized the minimal state intervention and emphasis on free markets. In her writings, her criticism of liberal ideas is also highlighted.

The points that Roy has raised are valid, but Libertarian principles promote property rights and responsible handling of resources. With sustainable management of resources and environmentally friendly measures, the community can benefit at large.

P. Sainath- A journalist and social activist, Sainath has raised his criticism of the liberal principles of privatization and deregulation. He argues that these policies aggravate social inequalities and neglect the needs of the rural community

Libertarianism supports deregulation and privatization only to reduce corruption which is often seen in state-run enterprises. With significant encouragement to competition, policies will come at the aide of society.

Conclusion

While there have been many critiques of libertarianism challenging the idea of freedom, it can’t be denied that libertarian principles rightly break the shackles of restrictive trade and mindset.