Ronald Hamowy's "The Encyclopedia of Libertarianism" is really an encyclopedia of American-styled libertarianism, or what Europeans refer to as 'right-libertarianism'. In over 300 A-to-Z entries, Hamowy's encyclopedia provides a sound overview of American-styled libertarian concepts, historical events, institutions, movements, and personalities that helped shape libertarianism and the way it is thought of in America. A wide range of entries cover American Libertarianism's historical origins as well as interrelationships with other political philosophies.



A general introduction by tax consumer and government employee Stephen Davies, the United Kingdom's expert on American Libertarianism, provides an informative background and general chronology. Entries include: Lord Acton, John Adams, Anarcho-capitalism, Austrian School of Economics, Conservatism, Democracy, Milton Friedman, Government, Floyd Arthur "Baldy" Harper, Friedrich A. Hayek, Left Libertarianism, William Leggett, Magna Carta, Karl Marx, Ludwig von Mises, Robert Nozick, Private Property, Leonard E. Read, Ayn Rand, Right of Revolution, Murray Rothbard,Socialism, state, and U.S. Constitution.



Not included are Paul Avrich, Walter Bagehot, Michael Bakunin, Isaac Deutscher, Maurice Brinton, and many other European libertarians. An explanation for their omission can be found within the entry for Left Libertarianism: "Left libertarianism is a fairly recently coined term for a fairly old idea. . . However, they differ from what we generally understand by the term 'libertarian' . . . The question arises as to whether left libertarianism is both coherent and plausible."



Actually, Europeans were using the term 'libertarianism' long before Leonard Read began using it on the American side of The Pond. 'We' Americans are the ones who differ from 'them' and what European libertarians have long held to be libertarianism, which is not what we Americans think it is. No doubt American Yanks were shocked to read what they considered to be 'communism' referred to as 'libertarian' in British publications during World War I and again during World War II. More historical investigation is needed on the origins of the American use of the term 'libertarian' during the twentieth century.



That said, this is an easy-to-read and sound reference for anyone, including scholars, to understand the birth and growth of the free market movement in America that came to call itself 'libertarianism'. I highly recommend this competent summary of the current state of American knowledge in Right Libertarianism.

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