Individualist anarchism (or anarchist individualism, anarcho-individualism, or individualistic anarchism) refers to any of several traditions that hold that "individual conscience and the pursuit of self-interest should not be constrained by any collective body or public authority"[1] and that the state, decreed and legislated law, and "the system of democracy, of majority decision, is held null and void."[2] Individualist anarchism is seen by many as one of two main categories or wings of anarchism, with the other being called - depending on the writer - socialist[3][4][5][6], social, or collectivist[7][8].
Individualist anarchism, which may be seen as classical liberalism "taken to the extreme," stresses the importance of individual liberty, the sovereignty of the individual, private property or possession, and opposes all monopolies.[9] One view is that the individualist wing of anarchism puts more emphasis on negative liberty, in opposing state or social control over the individual and their liberty, while the social wing puts more emphasis on positive liberty to achieve one's potential and rights to have one's needs fulfilled through interaction with society.[10] Individualist anarchism is not a single philosophy but refers to a group of individualistic philosophies; there are "several traditions of individualist anarchism."[11][12] Individualist forms of anarchism appear most often in the United States.[13][14] Some contemporary individualist anarchists are Kevin Carson, Joe Peacott, Wendy McElroy and David D. Friedman.
Individualist anarchists are typically market anarchists - they believe that the institutions necessary for the function of a free market, which may include money, police, and courts, should be supplied by the market itself. But, beyond this there is disagreement among different market anarchists in regard to particular issues. Individualist anarchists use the term "capitalism" in different ways; some mean state collusion in the market, others to mean "free market." Some, such as Josiah Warren, Benjamin Tucker, and Kevin Carson[citation needed] use "capitalism" to mean the monopolization of capital,[15][16] while others, such as Murray Rothbard, David Friedman, and Wendy McElroy[17] define "capitalism" as a laissez-faire free market capitalist economy.[18] Anarcho-capitalism is a political philosophy that emerged in the middle of the 20th century, through the writings of Murray Rothbard with his rejection of the nineteenth century individualists' labor theory of value. Agorism is a radical left-libertarian form of market anarchism popularized by the late Samuel Edward Konkin III, which emphasizes counter-economic activity. Anti-capitalist individualist anarchism declined through much of the twentieth century, but has recently aroused renewed interest. [19]
Individualist anarchism is sometimes seen as an evolution of classical liberalism, and hence, has been called "liberal anarchism."[20] Benjamin Tucker, for example, was influenced by Herbert Spencer, as he took up Spencer's "law of equal liberty."