The political character of college campuses is the subject of much debate among pundits and the like. It is generally accepted that most college students tend toward the left side of the political spectrum in a proportion far greater than that of the general population. Yet as Obamania shows signs of fizzling, or at least of going into hibernation until 2012, other political ideologies have begun to take on a more prominent role on college campuses and even on Grounds. It would be beneficial to take a closer look at the rather fascinating place that libertarianism occupies in the political arena of the University and across the country.
Libertarianism is unique in that individuals who describe themselves as either liberal or conservative can find a bevy of appealing facets within this particular ideology. Though libertarianism contains some aspects of liberal and conservative thought, self-described libertarians find themselves in a rather awkward position with regards to their red and blue state counterparts. Your average traditional conservative will likely look down upon the libertarian as an individual, "humorless, intolerant, self-righteous, badly schooled, and dull," as the eminent conservative philosopher Russell Kirk so delightfully put it. This scorn can be attributed to the libertarian notion that there are very few moral absolutes beyond "do no harm," a principle laid down by John Stuart Mill, and that government need not intrude on the personal lifestyle choices and activities of others.
However, when libertarians attempt to escape such criticism and seek shelter in the supposedly welcoming and open arms of the stereotypically tolerant liberal, they are met with a similar, palpable disdain. This negative attitude can be attributed to libertarianism's strong distaste for all things centralized, a principle often celebrated by the progressive left. So libertarians find themselves standing alone with one foot in each door, never being fully embraced by self-described conservatives or liberals.
Despite this, students who embrace a more liberal view of social issues yet espouse the ideals of true, classical liberalism with regards to the economy seem to flock to libertarianism. As a result, the past few years have seen a rise in the number of libertarian groups on Grounds. The University Libertarians and Students for Objectivism are among two of the more vocal organizations and work closely with The Liberty Coalition whose stated goal is "preserving the Bill of Rights, personal autonomy and individual privacy." These ideals are often translated into support for gay marriage, marijuana legalization and a variety of other contentious social issues that studies have shown college students overwhelmingly support. Fourth-year College student Ian Downie, a member of Students for Individual Liberty, summarizes libertarians as simply "those people who've never forgotten the lessons from kindergarten: not to hit others, and not to take what doesn't belong to you."
It appears that growing numbers of students are taking these words to heart and embracing this niche ideology. In a time when party labels are becoming more and more unfashionable, many students appear comfortable in their role as the black sheep of both political families. The rise of many strictly libertarian groups on Grounds seems to point to the growing prominence of libertarianism as a mainstream ideology. However, though tinges of libertarianism can be seen in a variety of places the question remains about how much legitimacy it can claim in the political sphere as a completely separate ideology.
Though libertarianism shows traces of growing, it is often the case that a libertarian approach to certain issues and perhaps not libertarianism itself is becoming more popular. Students may support certain libertarian stances on issues without a true regard for the complexity of the philosophical foundations. It is also often the case that though some aspects of the ideology seem appealing, embracing libertarianism in its entirety can be unsettling. The philosophy of Ayn Rand, though attractive to those who support free-market capitalism, can be quite troublesome to those who do not fully embrace her extreme sense of individualism almost to the point of political and social alienation. As a result, many individuals often prefer a hyphenated moniker such as libertarian-conservative or moderate-liberal rather than embracing all of what libertarianism has to offer. Though it's supporters are becoming more and more vocal on Grounds the future of the movement depends upon whether they can contend with Tea Partiers and others who claim aspects of their ideology as their own without fully embracing it.
Pietro Sanitate's column normally appears on Tuesdays in The Cavalier Daily. He can be reached at p.sanitate@cavalierdaily.com.
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