i know only a little bit about each philosophy. they seem so similar, and i wonder, are they really just the same thing in spirit? or would you make certain distinctions? i’m seeking more understanding. i know that each has a different history, but i am asking about the philosophies themselves, separate from their manifestations.

additionally, are there other titled philosophies that are more or less the same as these?

i have read some definitions of so-called “classical liberalism” and they vary. some say that it is a philosophy that isn’t attached to any political agendas, but other definitions bind it to certain political agendas. i presume that so-called anarchism and libertarianism are also defined in different ways depending on who you ask.

it seems to me that many of the terms people use to categorize each other are too ambiguous, over-simplify, become perverted over time, and cause too much misunderstanding. maybe we should rid ourselves of these category conventions altogether, but that’s a conversation for another time; my primary question is enough of a topic for this post’s discussion.

  • SleepographerOPEnglish
    4·
    1 year ago

    regarding libertarianism, you said,

    The original usage of the word was in relation to early libertarian communism, e.g. direct transition to stateless, classless, moneyless society.

    mambabasa said,

    Classical or left-libertarianism is the same as anarchism. When the French government outlawed anarchism in the late 19th century, anarchists in France developed a new word to describe themselves and their political philosophy. They began to call themselves libertarians instead of anarchists.

    these seem to be contrary claims. or are you both saying the same thing?

    • PM_ME_VINTAGE_30S@vlemmy.netEnglish
      2·
      1 year ago

      I think mambabasa is more correct here, and I’ll change my comment in a minute. The point I was really trying to make was that the term “libertarian” “belonged” to the left instead of the right as is typically assumed.

      That being said, I still think that libertarian leftism is a superset of anarchism.