What Is Anarcho-Capitalism?
Anarcho-capitalism is a pro-market form of individualist anarchism, closely tied to libertarianism. Its supporters defend free-market exchange based on individual choice and reject the state, in contrast to social or… Part of the Libertarian family.
Definition
Anarcho-capitalism is a pro-market form of individualist anarchism, closely tied to libertarianism. Its supporters defend free-market exchange based on individual choice and reject the state, in contrast to social or communist anarchists who favor a sharing economy.
Core ideas
- Free markets based on individual choices in trading and producing goods.
- Individual autonomy rather than communal good as the starting point.
- Rejection of the state, unlike minarchists who accept a minimal one.
Associated thinkers and leaders
Definition based on Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy: Anarchism (checked October 20, 2026).
Where Anarcho-Capitalism sits on the Atlas maps
| Map dimension | Score (0–100) | Position | Reading |
|---|---|---|---|
| Economic Collective / planned ↔ Market | 97 | strongly toward market | |
| Social Progressive ↔ Traditional | 27 | toward progressive | |
| Authority Libertarian ↔ Authoritarian | 12 | strongly toward libertarian | |
| National identity Cosmopolitan ↔ Nationalist | 35 | near the center | |
| Foreign policy Non-intervention ↔ Intervention | 4 | strongly toward non-intervention |
All nine underlying dimensions
| Dimension | Score | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| Economic ownership Collective ownership ↔ Private ownership | 100 | strongly toward private ownership |
| Civil liberties Civil liberty ↔ State restrictions | 23 | toward civil liberty |
| National identity Cosmopolitan ↔ Nationalist | 35 | near the center |
| Social and cultural values Progressive ↔ Traditionalist | 32 | toward progressive |
| Political governance Democratic ↔ Autocratic | 1 | strongly toward democratic |
| Equality and hierarchy Egalitarian ↔ Hierarchical | 65 | near the center |
| Economic management Free market ↔ State planning | 8 | strongly toward free market |
| Military intervention Non-intervention ↔ Intervention | 4 | strongly toward non-intervention |
| Religion and government Secular state ↔ Religious authority | 16 | toward secular state |
These positions are estimates on the Atlas’s nine-dimension scale, produced by running the tradition’s core principles through the same questions and scoring used for test-takers. They are interpretations for comparison, not objective measurements. How scores are made.
Estimated positions on key questions
| Statement | Position | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| The means of production should ultimately be owned collectively. | Strongly disagrees | estimated from doctrine |
| People should be free to criticize the government without fear of legal punishment. | Strongly agrees | estimated from doctrine |
| Opposition parties should be free to compete in elections. | Strongly agrees | estimated from doctrine |
| Central economic planning is preferable to decentralized market decisions. | Strongly disagrees | estimated from doctrine |
| Religious doctrine should take precedence over civil law when they conflict. | Strongly disagrees | estimated from doctrine |
| Preserving a historic national majority is a legitimate immigration objective. | Strongly disagrees | estimated from doctrine |
| Military power should be used proactively when serious external threats are emerging. | Strongly disagrees | estimated from doctrine |
| Same-sex couples should have the same right to marry as opposite-sex couples. | Strongly agrees | estimated from doctrine |
| Reducing the gap between rich and poor should be a major government goal. | Disagrees | estimated from doctrine |
| Regulations on business should be minimized whenever possible. | Strongly agrees | estimated from doctrine |
Related ideologies
Main differences from the closest ideologies
- Compared with Voluntaryism, Anarcho-Capitalism sits 2 points further toward nationalist on the national identity dimension.
- Compared with Minarchism, Anarcho-Capitalism sits 5 points further toward libertarian on the authority dimension.
- Compared with Right-Libertarianism, Anarcho-Capitalism sits 9 points further toward non-intervention on the foreign policy dimension.
Comparisons
Anarcho-Communism vs Anarcho-Capitalism
Figures with the closest estimated positions
Closeness of estimated positions only; this does not mean these people identify with Anarcho-Capitalism.
Sources
- Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy: Anarchism
- Wikipedia: Anarcho-Capitalism (Wikipedia search)
- Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy: Libertarianism
Position last reviewed: not yet reviewed individually.