Left and Right: A Journal of Libertarian Thought
A libertarian journal published from 1965 to 1968 that argued for a rethinking of the conventional political divide between left and right.
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Overview
Left and Right: A Journal of Libertarian Thought was a short-lived but influential English-language libertarian journal published between 1965 and 1968. It was founded by Murray N. Rothbard, George Resch, and Leonard P. Liggio, with Rothbard serving as editor and contributing much of the writing. The publication emerged during a period when American libertarians were debating whether their movement should remain politically aligned with conservatives or seek common ground with anti-authoritarian forces associated with the New Left. The journal's title expressed its central intellectual proposition: that the standard left-right political spectrum had become inadequate for understanding the doctrine of liberty. Its editors argued that libertarianism contained elements historically associated with both sides of contemporary politics, while also insisting that this did not amount to a centrist compromise. Instead, the journal presented liberty as a distinct and internally coherent tradition that could challenge established political categories. This editorial position reflected Rothbard's growing dissatisfaction with the developing alliance between libertarians and the conservative right. Issues such as the Vietnam War exposed substantial differences between libertarian opposition to state power and conservative support for aspects of American foreign and domestic policy. Rothbard consequently sought to reconnect libertarian thought with what he regarded as its radical and left-liberal roots, including opposition to militarism, centralized authority, and entrenched political power. The opening editorial established the journal's program and was followed in the first issue by Rothbard's essay "Left and Right: The Prospects for Liberty." The essay examined libertarianism as an extension of radical liberalism and criticized what Rothbard viewed as the politically unstable or "unholy" alliance between libertarians and conservatives. Through essays and editorial material, the journal contributed to debates over anarcho-capitalism, left-libertarianism, the history of liberalism, and the strategic direction of the emerging modern libertarian movement. Although publication ended in 1968, the journal remained available as an important historical source for the development of postwar libertarian thought. In 2007, the Ludwig von Mises Institute collected the journal's issues in a 690-page volume titled Left and Right: A Journal of Libertarian Thought (Complete, 1965–1968). The compilation gave later readers access to the complete run and helped preserve the publication as a reference point in the intellectual history of libertarianism. The journal itself is no longer active, and no independent operating organization, commercial parent, or current website is identified in the supplied reference material.
History
Left and Right was created in the mid-1960s amid disagreements within the American libertarian movement about political alliances and ideological identity. Murray N. Rothbard, George Resch, and Leonard P. Liggio founded the journal in 1965, and Rothbard edited it while also supplying a substantial portion of its content. The publication's central concern was the relationship between libertarianism and the established categories of left and right. Rothbard had become increasingly critical of the tendency for libertarians to ally with conservatives, particularly where conservative positions conflicted with libertarian opposition to war and state coercion. The Vietnam War was one important context for these disputes. Rothbard argued that libertarianism had significant roots in radical and left-wing liberalism and that libertarians could potentially find greater common ground with the anti-authoritarian New Left than with conventional conservatism. The journal's opening editorial explained that its title was intended to question the usefulness of contemporary political labels. Rather than advocating a middle position, the publication presented liberty as a coherent doctrine incorporating ideas that had been claimed by both the left and the right. The first issue also included Rothbard's essay "Left and Right: The Prospects for Liberty," which developed the argument that libertarian thought emerged from radical liberalism and examined the historical and political problems created by its alliance with the conservative right. From 1965 through 1968, Left and Right served as a venue for libertarian political and historical argument. Its subject matter formed part of the intellectual background of later debates concerning left-libertarianism, anarcho-capitalism, the history of liberalism, anti-militarism, and the strategic orientation of the libertarian movement. The journal was not a mass-market consumer brand; its identity rested primarily on its role as a specialist periodical and forum for political theory. Publication ended in 1968. The journal's legacy was later preserved through a collected edition issued by the Ludwig von Mises Institute in 2007. Titled Left and Right: A Journal of Libertarian Thought (Complete, 1965–1968), the volume brought together the full run in a 690-page book. The collection has particular value for readers studying Rothbard's political development and the evolution of libertarian arguments about the relationship between individual liberty, the state, war, and conventional ideological alignments.
- 2007
Complete run republished as a collected volume
[1]The Ludwig von Mises Institute issued a 690-page book containing all issues published from 1965 through 1968.
- 1968
Publication ends
[1]The journal concluded its publication run after three years of libertarian political and philosophical commentary.
- 1965
Journal founded and launched
[1]Murray N. Rothbard, George Resch, and Leonard P. Liggio founded Left and Right, with Rothbard serving as editor.
- 1965
Opening editorial defines the journal's political perspective
[1]The first issue presented the journal as an effort to move beyond conventional left-right categories while defending a distinct theory of liberty.
Products and positioning
An intellectually oriented libertarian publication positioned as a critique of the conventional left-right political spectrum and of an automatic libertarian-conservative alliance.
Libertarian political journal · 1965
Left and Right: A Journal of Libertarian Thought
The original periodical published from 1965 to 1968. It focused on libertarian political theory, the history and meaning of liberalism, the relationship between libertarians and conservatives, and the possibility of cooperation between libertarians and anti-authoritarian elements of the New Left. Its editorial identity challenged the assumption that libertarianism belonged straightforwardly on either side of the conventional political spectrum.
Collected book edition · 2007
Left and Right: A Journal of Libertarian Thought (Complete, 1965–1968)
A 2007 collected edition published by the Ludwig von Mises Institute. The 690-page volume assembled the complete run of the journal, making its essays and editorial material available in a single reference work after the periodical itself had ceased publication.
Brand decisions
2007
Preserve the complete journal archive in book formOtherBackground
The original periodical had ended in 1968, leaving its content distributed across its individual issues.
Action taken
The Ludwig von Mises Institute assembled all issues into a single 690-page collected edition.
Aftermath
The complete publication run became accessible as a consolidated historical and intellectual reference.
1965
Challenge the conventional libertarian-conservative allianceStrategyBackground
The founders launched the journal during disputes over whether libertarians should remain aligned with conservatives, especially in light of disagreements over the Vietnam War and state power.
Action taken
The publication framed libertarianism as a distinct doctrine with roots in radical liberalism and explored possible common ground with anti-authoritarian currents on the left.
Aftermath
This orientation became the defining intellectual position of the journal and contributed to later discussions of left-libertarianism and libertarian political strategy.
Sources1 sources
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