Libertarian perspectives on abortion

Libertarians promote individual liberty and seek to minimize the role of the state. The abortion debate is mainly within right-libertarianism between cultural liberals and social conservatives as left-libertarians generally see it as a settled issue regarding individual rights, as they support legal access to abortion as part of what they consider to be a woman's right to control her body and its functions.^[1] Religious right and intellectual conservatives have attacked such libertarians for supporting abortion rights, especially after the demise of the Soviet Union led to a greater divide in the conservative movement between libertarians and social conservatives.^[2] Libertarian conservatives claim libertarian principles such as the non-aggression principle (NAP) apply to human beings from conception and that the universal right to life applies to fetuses in the womb. Thus, some of those individuals express opposition to legal abortion.^[3] According to a 2013 survey, 5.7/10 of American Libertarians oppose making it more difficult for a woman to get an abortion.^[4]

^
- Doug Bandow, The politics of envy: statism as theology, p. 280, Transaction Publishers, 1994, ISBN 978-1560001713. Quote: "the majority of libertarians are pro-choice"...
- Marc Jason Gilbert, The Vietnam War on campus: other voices, more distant drums, Greenwood Publishing Group, 2001, p. 35, ISBN 978-0275969097. Quote: "On the whole, however, centrist and conservative libertarians usually espoused expected libertarian views on such issues as abortion, where the individual's right to be free from coercion by others (either individuals or the state) too precedent over questions of morality or religion."
- George F. Johnston, Abortion from the religious and moral perspective: an annotated bibliography, Greenwood Publishing Group, 2003 p. 160, ISBN 978-0313314025. Quote: "Most Libertarians, on the grounds that a woman has the right to control her own body, support legalized abortion."
- John Micklethwait, Adrian Wooldridge, The Right Nation: Conservative Power in America, Penguin, 2004, p. 252, ISBN 978-1594200205. Quote: “Libertarians support abortion as part of their general support for individual rights.”
- Charles W. Dunn, J. David Woodard, American conservatism from Burke to Bush: an introduction, Madison Books, 1991, p. 41, ISBN 978-0819180698. Quote: "...libertarians would say that the government should not regulate abortion since that is a personal matter."
- Mary Ruwart, Ask Dr. Ruwart column, formerly available at Advocates for Self Government website. Quote: "The predominant 'pro-choice' viewpoint, as expressed in the current version of the Libertarian Party platform, is backed by principled arguments as well. Libertarians believe that no one should be enslaved to support another, including a pregnant woman 'enslaved' to carry a fetus she does not want. A woman's body is her property, to do with as she wishes."
^ David Boaz, The Politics of Freedom: Taking on the Left, the Right, and Threats to Our Liberties, Cato Institute, 2008, ISBN 978-1933995144 page 3
^ Doris Gordon (1995, 1999). "Abortion and Rights: Applying Libertarian Principles Correctly". Libertarians for Life.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) Also see: McElroy, Wendy (2002). Liberty for Women. Chicago: Ivan R. Dee. p. 156. ISBN 978-1566634359. OCLC 260069067. Libertarians for Life declare that abortion is not a right but a 'wrong under justice.'
^ Jones, Robert; Cox, Daniel; Navarro-Rivera, Juhem (2013). "The 2013 American Values Survey: In Search of Libertarians in America". Public Religion Research Institute. Nearly 6-in-10 (57%) libertarians oppose making it more difficult for a woman to get an abortion, a proportion identical to the general population.

[1] 
Doug Bandow, The politics of envy: statism as theology, p. 280, Transaction Publishers, 1994, ISBN 978-1560001713. Quote: "the majority of libertarians are pro-choice"...

Marc Jason Gilbert, The Vietnam War on campus: other voices, more distant drums, Greenwood Publishing Group, 2001, p. 35, ISBN 978-0275969097. Quote: "On the whole, however, centrist and conservative libertarians usually espoused expected libertarian views on such issues as abortion, where the individual's right to be free from coercion by others (either individuals or the state) too precedent over questions of morality or religion."

George F. Johnston, Abortion from the religious and moral perspective: an annotated bibliography, Greenwood Publishing Group, 2003 p. 160, ISBN 978-0313314025. Quote: "Most Libertarians, on the grounds that a woman has the right to control her own body, support legalized abortion."

John Micklethwait, Adrian Wooldridge, The Right Nation: Conservative Power in America, Penguin, 2004, p. 252, ISBN 978-1594200205. Quote: “Libertarians support abortion as part of their general support for individual rights.”

Charles W. Dunn, J. David Woodard, American conservatism from Burke to Bush: an introduction, Madison Books, 1991, p. 41, ISBN 978-0819180698. Quote: "...libertarians would say that the government should not regulate abortion since that is a personal matter."

Mary Ruwart, Ask Dr. Ruwart column, formerly available at Advocates for Self Government website. Quote: "The predominant 'pro-choice' viewpoint, as expressed in the current version of the Libertarian Party platform, is backed by principled arguments as well. Libertarians believe that no one should be enslaved to support another, including a pregnant woman 'enslaved' to carry a fetus she does not want. A woman's body is her property, to do with as she wishes."

[2] Doug Bandow, The politics of envy: statism as theology, p. 280, Transaction Publishers, 1994, ISBN 978-1560001713. Quote: "the majority of libertarians are pro-choice"...

[3] Marc Jason Gilbert, The Vietnam War on campus: other voices, more distant drums, Greenwood Publishing Group, 2001, p. 35, ISBN 978-0275969097. Quote: "On the whole, however, centrist and conservative libertarians usually espoused expected libertarian views on such issues as abortion, where the individual's right to be free from coercion by others (either individuals or the state) too precedent over questions of morality or religion."

[4] George F. Johnston, Abortion from the religious and moral perspective: an annotated bibliography, Greenwood Publishing Group, 2003 p. 160, ISBN 978-0313314025. Quote: "Most Libertarians, on the grounds that a woman has the right to control her own body, support legalized abortion."

[5] John Micklethwait, Adrian Wooldridge, The Right Nation: Conservative Power in America, Penguin, 2004, p. 252, ISBN 978-1594200205. Quote: “Libertarians support abortion as part of their general support for individual rights.”

[6] Charles W. Dunn, J. David Woodard, American conservatism from Burke to Bush: an introduction, Madison Books, 1991, p. 41, ISBN 978-0819180698. Quote: "...libertarians would say that the government should not regulate abortion since that is a personal matter."

[7] Mary Ruwart, Ask Dr. Ruwart column, formerly available at Advocates for Self Government website. Quote: "The predominant 'pro-choice' viewpoint, as expressed in the current version of the Libertarian Party platform, is backed by principled arguments as well. Libertarians believe that no one should be enslaved to support another, including a pregnant woman 'enslaved' to carry a fetus she does not want. A woman's body is her property, to do with as she wishes."

[2] David Boaz, The Politics of Freedom: Taking on the Left, the Right, and Threats to Our Liberties, Cato Institute, 2008, ISBN 978-1933995144 page 3

[Libertarians_for_Life-3] Doris Gordon (1995, 1999). "Abortion and Rights: Applying Libertarian Principles Correctly". Libertarians for Life.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) Also see: McElroy, Wendy (2002). Liberty for Women. Chicago: Ivan R. Dee. p. 156. ISBN 978-1566634359. OCLC 260069067. Libertarians for Life declare that abortion is not a right but a 'wrong under justice.'

[4] Jones, Robert; Cox, Daniel; Navarro-Rivera, Juhem (2013). "The 2013 American Values Survey: In Search of Libertarians in America". Public Religion Research Institute. Nearly 6-in-10 (57%) libertarians oppose making it more difficult for a woman to get an abortion, a proportion identical to the general population.

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