Reason Papers Vol. 26 Libertarianism vs Objectivism; A Response to Peter Schwartz 1 Walter Block Loyola University New Orleans For many years, Rand and the Randians would not mention libertarianism in print. To do so would be to give sanction to what they regarded as a mischievous and misbegotten political philosophy. Happily, this profoundly and intellectually source ended with the publication of Schwartz (1986). This was a no holds barred attack on several libertarian thinkers, including myself. It is a pleasure defending the philosophy of libertarianism in the present reply. Schwartz’s article is a vicious attack on libertarianism. When I first read it I cringed, not because of the ideas, which are not really that challenging, but because it is so nasty as to be almost unprecedented in what passes for scholarly writing. Rand (1964, 1967) criticized authors such as David Hume and Immanuel Kant as “whim-worshippers,” “muscle-mystics,” “Huns,” and “Attillas,” and Schwartz is an apt student of hers in this regard. Such verbiage is hardly welcome in rational discourse. According to Schwartz libertarianism amounts to nihilism. The chief nihilist, as it happens, is Block (1991). It is important that there be a systematic to reply to this document 2 . There have been many criticisms of libertarianism ov er the y ears, from the left. As a result, advocates of this philosophy are accustomed to dealing with charges that the free enterprise system is heartless and pro poverty. Attacks from the right are a new challenge 3 . Second, a reply gives us an opportunity to further reflect on the essence of libertarianism. Schwartz attacks libertar ianism at its very roots. 1. Too heterogeneous 1 This article is based on two speeches on this sub ject made to the Greater Vancouver Libertarian Association, and to the Laissez Faire Books Supper Club in New York City, both in 1986. I thank Paul Geddes of the G VLA, and the Andrea Rich of LF Books for their support. 2 For other libertarian replies to Schwartz (1986), see Miller and Evoy (1987), Bergland (1986). All otherwise unidentified quotations are from Schwartz (1986). 3 Libertarianism is considered by many to occupy a position on the political economic spectrum of the ex treme right. Thus, there are virtually no critiques of this perspec tive from anyone w ho might be placed on the right side of this spectrum. For a possible exception, see Friedman-Block unpublished letters, 1999.