What is the origin of libertarianism?

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Libertarianism has deep roots in Western thought. A central feature of the religious and intellectual traditions of ancient Israel and ancient Greece was the idea of a higher moral law that applied universally and constrained the powers of even kings and governments. Libertarianism also was influenced by debates within Scholasticism on slavery and private property.

What is libertarianism?

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Libertarianism is a political philosophy that takes individual liberty to be the primary political value. It may be understood as a form of liberalism, which seeks to define and justify the legitimate powers of government in terms of certain natural or God-given individual rights. The central philosophical issue is not individuality versus community, but rather consent versus coercion.