The Two Types of Libertarian

Let's look at two archetypes of a Libertarian. But before we do that, a quick aside on ethics and cognition.

Some Libertarians believe that it is rationality that caused them to adopt their beliefs. My view is that while logic may have played a role, the evidence is strong that humans have rather innate ethical intuitions, and mostly use reason to justify them. Occasionally, reason can be used to overrule our intuitions, but this is difficult and rare. For a longer exposition on this idea, explore the work of Jonathan Haidt. For a succinct example, consider how great everyone thinks their arguments on abortion are and how rarely they actually change anyone's mind.

A compassionate Libertarian holds an ethical impulse oriented towards equality, egalitarianism, and tolerance. They were attracted to Libertarian philosophy because free markets really do make everyone better off. They are big on immigration because they see many people worse-off that could have a much better life in America. They are nearly universally socially progressive and place primacy on social issues like sex work and LGBTQ rights because they see these as minority groups that are suffering injustice or harm. This archetype opposed the Mises Caucus.