Left-Rothbardianism
Left-Rothbardianism (also known as Left-Voluntarism) refers to a strain of left-wing market anarchism that aims to affirm traditional Socialist sentiments and desires with Classical Liberal or Libertarian economic and political principles, namely those theorized by or associated with Murray Rothbard, one of the foundational thinkers of American Libertarianism. Left-Rothbardism, notably, represents the only strain of Left-Market economics that, in no way, sacrifices Liberal economic principles, instead seeking to use these for their ends.
Left-Rothbardians seek to utilize organizations of mutual aid, traditional labor unions, covenant-type communities and other organizations and activities that do not harm or trespass on the person or private property of other individuals, in order to distribute and localize capital ownership, diminish the dominance of wage labor and hierarchical business structures, and ensure ease of access to education, healthcare services, etc. Some may liken this approach to Syndicalism, or refer to a less Anarchistic understanding of Left-Rothbardianism as falling under the broader labels “Liberal Syndicalism” or “Liberal Distributism”.
While Left-Rothbardians believe in a Classical Liberal or Rothbardian understanding of private property, self-ownership, and voluntaryism, some will also diverge from traditional Liberal/Capitalist sentiments on Intellectual Property, land ownership, etc. in nuanced ways that are argued to be right applications of Rothbardian/Liberal principles.
Founder
Left-Rothbardianism was created by Roderick T. Long a market anarchist who is the founder of the Alliance of the Libertarian Left.
Differences from Anarcho-Capitalism
Even though Left-Rothbardianism and Anarcho-Capitalism are both based on Rothbard's homesteading principles and Austrian school there are some notable differences that make it different from vanilla anarcho-capitalism or libertarianism in general.
- Left-Rothbardians want to eliminate economic hierarchy insofar as viable.
- Left-Rothbardians want worker co-ops with a self-determined right to their private property
- Left-Rothbardians do not idealize privatized education and healthcare, preferring mutual aid organizations to provide or aid in access to those essential programs.
- Left-Rothbardians oppose corporate property rights and the worker-boss hierarchy
- Left-Rothbardians advocate for the abolition of all intellectual property. While this is a common trait among many traditional Rothbardians, it is not universal.
Left-Rothbardian Groups and Thinkers
Roderick T. Long, a Market Anarchist and the founder of the Alliance of the Libertarian Left, remains the primary name associated with the ideology. There is much overlap between Agorist and Left-Rothbardian thought, with the primary difference between the two movements being an issue of praxis.
The Libertarian Party Wild Caucus (the Environmentalist, Thoreauite wing of the U.S. Libertarian Party) has posted favorably about Left-Rothbardian ideology, and supports the growth of modern mutual aid societies. Elijah Mack, it’s founder, and the youngest individual to run for a State Legislative position in the 2024 U.S. Election, though not an Anarchist, cites Rothbard as a major influence on his personal thought, advocates for Mutual aid and traditional Labor Unions as a means of achieving very Left-Rothbardian ends, and identifies as a Classical Liberal with Distributist sentiments.
Otherwise, few formal organizations with explicit ties to the ideology exist, though many informal groups exist on the internet.
