ORIGINS & GENEALOGY OF LIBERALISM | Chapter VIII: The Stoics and the Concept of “Freedom” (ESP)
Lourdes Romero, Regional Leader, LOLA Latin America

In the eighth chapter of her series on the intellectual roots of cliasical liberalism, Lourdes Romero explores how the Stoic philosophers shaped the ancient understanding of “freedom.” Born from crisis in the Roman Empire, Stoicism offered an ethical framework centered on autonomy, reason, and self-mastery as the true path to liberty.

Romero shows how Stoic thought connected freedom to inner autonomy and rational action, anticipating principles later echoed in classical liberalism. By rejecting dependence on external conditions, Stoics defended a vision of liberty rooted in virtue and alignment with nature.

Key points include:
🔍 Stoic freedom was based on self-sufficiency, rational choice, and inner autonomy.
🔍 Virtue, not material wealth or power, was the foundation of a good life.
🔍 Stoic ideas on rational self-government influenced later classical liberal thought.
🔍 Their emphasis on individual dignity contrasted with Plato’s idealized state model.

This chapter reminds us that the libertarian tradition did not emerge in isolation but was nourished by centuries of philosophical reflection on the meaning of freedom.

(This article is part of the series Origins & genealogy of liberalism, tracing liberalism’s development from its earliest foundations to modern debates. Click below to read previous chapters: I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII.)

Note on terminology: In many parts of Latin America and Europe, liberalism is the historic term for the tradition that elsewhere—especially in the United States—is often called libertarianism. While the names vary by region, both point to the same intellectual lineage rooted in individual liberty, limited government, free markets, and personal responsibility.