I'm well aware of the word "libertine", and that's one of the brushes
libertarians get tarred with, for sure--what I'm actually trying to do is
trace the Non-Aggression Principle as it actually appears in literature
that calls itself libertarian (not libertine! :) ).
A claim has been made elsewhere:
At 12:33 AM 7/25/97 -0400, you wrote:
>Michael M. Butler wrote:
>>
>> Can someone with an OED handy please give me its citation for the word
>> "libertarian" as it first appeared in print? The OED frequently (always?)
>> cites first use, author and year.
>
>>From the Compact Oxford English Dictionary, 2d ed.
>
>libertarian:
>
>...2. One who approves of or advocates liberty.
>
>1878 Seeley Stein III. [doesn't give anything else].
>
>1901 F.W. Maitland in English History Review July 419. ...In such
>matters Englishmen are individualists and libertarians. The picture of
>an editor defending his proof sheets ... before an official board of
>critics is not to our liking.
>
>There's other cites from 1906, 1966, 1969, and 1972.
>
>The archaism "libertine" may in certain contexts be synonomous with
>"libertarian." I think this word is much, much older -- Roman Empire or
>thereabouts.
>
>
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