Libertarian Socialism

Libertarian Socialism (sometimes called Socialist Libertarianism or Free Socialism) is a political philosophy that advocates for the ability of people to directly control the institutions that control them such as schools, workplaces, community and culture.

Also see capitalism and authoritarian socialism.

Strategies

Various different strategies have been advocated for the establishment of a libertarian socialist societies.

Tendencies

Anarchism

*An additional subdivision within individualist anarchism may be the difference between its early American and European branches. Most American individualist anarchists advocated for mutualism, while European individualist anarchists were pluralists who advocated for anarchism without adjectives and synthesis anarchism, ranging from anarcho-communist to mutualist economic types.

Libertarian Marxism

Left-Libertarianism

Other

History

Libertarian Socialism has a long and extensive history. While it is generally agreed to have emerged in the aftermath of the failure of the French Revolution and consequences of the Industrial Revolution, there isn't a universally agreed upon start point.

Forerunners

Main Article: Forerunners of Libertarian Socialism

There are a significant number of historical movements, societies and revolutions which some authors have argued constitute examples of forerunners to libertarian socialism. Some common examples given are as follows:

Various revolutions that occurred in ancient cities, such as Cayonu Tepesi, Taosi and Athens
Certain philosophies that developed in ancient China and ancient Greece, such as Taoism, Agriculturalism, Cynics and Stoics
Early Judaism, Christianity and Islam
Various heretic movements and peasant rebellions in medieval Europe
Certain indigenous nations and alliances in North America

Criticism

Libertarian Socialism is often viewed as unfeasible, dangerous, too optimistic about human nature or unable to organise certain key societal infrastructures without centralisation.