“If any of the socialist chiefs had tried to earn his living by selling hot dogs, he would have learned something about… — Ludwig von Mises Copy Share Image
Whoever prefers life to death, happiness to suffering, well-being to misery must defend without compromise private ownership in the means of production. — Ludwig von Mises Copy Share Image
The program of liberalism if condensed into a single word, would have to read: property, that is, private ownership of the means… — Ludwig von Mises Copy Share Image
Neither the entrepreneurs nor the farmers nor the capitalists determine what has to be produced. The consumers do that. — Ludwig von Mises Copy Share Image
The standard of living of the common man is higher in those countries which have the greatest number of wealthy entrepreneurs. — Ludwig von Mises Copy Share Image
This, then, is freedom in the external life of man-that he is independent of the arbitrary power of his fellows. — Ludwig von Mises Copy Share Image
Public works are not accomplished by the miraculous power of a magic wand. They are paid for by funds taken away from… — Ludwig von Mises Copy Share Image
The program of classical liberalism, condensed into a single word, would have to read: property. — Ludwig von Mises Copy Share Image
The aim of all struggles for liberty is to keep in bounds the armed defenders of peace, the governors and their constables.… — Ludwig von Mises Copy Share Image
Rulers do not like to admit that their power is restricted by any laws other than those of physics and biology. They… — Ludwig von Mises Copy Share Image
The law-abiding citizen by his labor serves both himself and his fellow man and thereby integrates himself peacefully into the social order.… — Ludwig von Mises Copy Share Image
The foundation of any and every civilization, including our own, is private ownership of the means of production. Whoever wishes to criticize… — Ludwig von Mises Copy Share Image
It is impossible to grasp the meaning of the idea of sound money if one does not realize that it was devised… — Ludwig von Mises Copy Share Image
The direction of all economic affairs is in the market society a task of the entrepreneurs. Theirs is the control of production.… — Ludwig von Mises Copy Share Image
This dilettantish inability to comprehend the essential issues of the conduct of production affairs is not only manifested in the writings of… — Ludwig von Mises Copy Share Image
He who acts under an emotional impulse also acts. What distinguishes an emotional action from other actions is the valuation of input… — Ludwig von Mises Copy Share Image
The men who are to protect the community against violent aggression easily turn into the most dangerous aggressors. They transgress their mandate.… — Ludwig von Mises Copy Share Image
“Socialism is an alternative to capitalism as potassium cyanide is an alternative to water.” — Ludwig von Mises Copy Share Image
Government is a guarantor of liberty and is compatible with liberty only if its range is adequately restricted to the preservation of… — Ludwig von Mises Copy Share Image
Not mythical material productive forces, but reason and ideas determine the course of human affairs. What is needed to stop the trend… — Ludwig von Mises Copy Share Image
To the masses, the catchwords of Socialism sound so enticing... so they will continue to work for Socialism, helping thereby to bring… — Ludwig von Mises Copy Share Image
The recurrence of periods of depression and mass unemployment has discredited capitalism in the opinion of injudicious people. Yet these events are… — Ludwig von Mises Copy Share Image
Those fighting for free enterprise and free competition do not defend the interests of those rich today. They want a free hand… — Ludwig von Mises Copy Share Image
Spiritual movements are revolts of thought against inertia, of the few against the many; of those who because they are strong in… — Ludwig von Mises Copy Share Image
Liberalism and capitalism address themselves to the cool, well-balanced mind. They proceed by strict logic, eliminating any appeal to the emotions. Socialism,… — Ludwig von Mises Copy Share Image
It is necessary to curb the power of government. This is the task of all constitutions, bills of rights and laws. This… — Ludwig von Mises Copy Share Image
The state is essentially an apparatus of compulsion and coercion. The characteristic feature of its activities is to compel people through the… — Ludwig von Mises Copy Share Image
To the grumbler who complains about the unfairness of the market system only one piece of advice can be given: If you… — Ludwig von Mises Copy Share Image
All varieties of interference with the market phenomena not only fail to achieve the ends aimed at by their authors and supporters,… — Ludwig von Mises Copy Share Image
Professor von Mises has a splendid analytical mind and an admirable passion for liberty; but as a student of human nature he… — Ludwig von Mises Copy Share Image
If the members of parliament no longer consider themselves mandatories of the taxpayers but deputies of those receiving salaries, wages, subsidies, doles, and other… — Ludwig von Mises Copy Share
Changes in human conditions are brought about by the pioneering of the cleverest and most energetic men. They take the lead and the rest… — Ludwig von Mises Copy Share
During the 2300 years since Plato, very little opposition has been registered to his ideas. — Ludwig von Mises Copy Share
“How little one is justified in speaking in this connection of "optimism" and "pessimism" and how much the characterization of liberalism as "optimistic" aims… — Ludwig von Mises Copy Share
Every step by which an individual substitutes concerted action for isolated action results in an immediate and recognizable improvement in his conditions. The advantages… — Ludwig von Mises Copy Share
The capitalistic social order, therefore, is an economic democracy in the strictest sense of the word. In the last analysis, all decisions are dependent… — Ludwig von Mises Copy Share
Without calculation, economic activity is impossible. Since under Socialism economic calculation is impossible, under Socialism there can be no economic activity in our sense… — Ludwig von Mises Copy Share
There is no kind of freedom and liberty other than the kind which the market economy brings about. — Ludwig von Mises Copy Share
What counts alone is the innovator, the dissenter, the harbinger of things unheard of, the man who rejects the traditional standards and aims at… — Ludwig von Mises Copy Share
In reality no food is valued solely for its nutritive power and no garment or house solely for the protection it affords against cold… — Ludwig von Mises Copy Share
All this talk: the state should do this or that, ultimately means: the police should force consumers to behave otherwise than they would behave… — Ludwig von Mises Copy Share
The most successful businessmen were often uneducated when measured by the scholastic standards of the teaching profession. But they were equal to their social… — Ludwig von Mises Copy Share
Two hundred years ago, before the advent of capitalism, a man's social status was fixed from the beginning to the end of his life;… — Ludwig von Mises Copy Share
Facts per se can neither prove nor refute anything. Everything is decided by the interpretation and explanation of the facts, by the ideas and… — Ludwig von Mises Copy Share
