How Brian Doherty Became a Libertarian

Brian Doherty

Brian Doherty is a senior editor at Reason magazine. He is the author of six books, including Radicals for Capitalism: A Freewheeling History of the Modern American Libertarian Movement (2007). Doherty’s reporting and commentary have appeared in dozens of radio and TV programs and in over 100 publications, including the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Mother Jones, Wired, and Spin. He won the Center for Independent Thought’s Thomas S. Szasz Award for Outstanding Contributions to the Cause of Civil Liberties in 2011. Doherty’s recent book Modern Libertarianism (2025) is published with Lib​er​tar​i​an​ism​.org and the Cato Institute.

Brian Doherty is a senior editor at Reason magazine and Rea​son​.com, and is a preeminent historian of the American libertarian movement. His books include Ron Paul’s rEVOLution: The Man and the Movement He Inspired (2012), Radicals for Capitalism: A Freewheeling History of the Modern American Libertarian Movement (2007), and Gun Control on Trial: Inside the Supreme Court Battle Over the Second Amendment (2008).

If you are a libertarian, what inspired you to become one? Was it a fiction book? A novel? A philosophical treatise? A movie? A politician? Family? Your own reflections on freedom? Tell us in the comments.

Produced by Evan Banks.