When do you consider libertarianism to have been developed? I think of libertarianism (in the modern American sense) as originating around the early 20th century with HL Mencken and Albert Jay Nock.
Lao Tzu, section 75 of the Tao Te Ching, written in the sixth century B.C.:
The people starve because those above them eat too much tax-grain. That is the only reason why they starve. The people are difficult to keep in order because those above them interfere. That is the only reason why they are so difficult to keep in order.
I'd disagree with him as a matter of fact, of course, but historians of libertarianism typically put him as one of the earliest examples, and there seem to be lots of strong intellectual connections that may or may not be known well today. (I know some people who tout Lysander Spooner as the bridge between the libertarians before and after him who were previously thought unconnected, for example, but I don't know enough to say whether or not that's true.)
We may as well call Laozi an "anarchist" as a "libertarian"; he seems rather more interested in a classless society than a market-driven one. Or we could call him a "reactionary", since he writes about a supposed lost golden age in which society operated harmoniously.
Put another way — We should be careful about pattern-matching ancient authors onto modern ideologies, because we are likely to make useless but contentious claims.
We should also be careful to distinguish between political ideologies and movements. The difference i...
If it's worth saying, but not worth its own post (even in Discussion), then it goes here.
Notes for future OT posters:
1. Please add the 'open_thread' tag.
2. Check if there is an active Open Thread before posting a new one. (Immediately before; refresh the list-of-threads page before posting.)
3. Open Threads should be posted in Discussion, and not Main.
4. Open Threads should start on Monday, and end on Sunday.