"Geolibertarianism is a political philosophy that holds with other forms of libertarianism that all products of labor should be privately owned and controlled. However, geolibertarianism differs by arguing that land and other natural resources cannot be owned. Geolibertarians believe that homesteading cannot create ownership, only productive work can. They follow John Locke's proviso that one has private property in land only to the extent that there is "enough, and as good left in common for others." When this is not the case, the land accumulates rental value. Geolibertarians generally advocate distributing the land rent to the community via a Land Value Tax, as proposed by Henry George, and others before him. For this reason, they are often called "single taxers." Fred Foldvary coined the word "geo-libertarian" in an article so titled in Land and Liberty, May/June 1981, pp. 53-55.

Geolibertarians are generally influenced by Georgism, but the ideas behind it predate Henry George, and can be found in different forms in the writings of John Locke, Thomas Jefferson, Adam Smith, Thomas Paine, David Ricardo, and John Stuart Mill. Perhaps the best summary of geolibertarianism is Thomas Paine's assertion that "Men did not make the earth. It is the value of the improvements only, and not the earth itself, that is individual property. Every proprietor owes to the community a ground rent for the land which he holds."