--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In the United States, where it has become…" description: "\"In the United States, where it has become almost impossible to use \"liberal\" in the sense in which I have used it, the term \"libertarian\" has been used..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ede/friedrich-august-von-hayek-141_answers_in-the-united-states-where-it-has-become_625682.jpg" --- # In the United States, where it has become almost… ![“In the United States, where it has become almost impossible to use "liberal" in the sense in which I have used it, the term "libertarian" has been used instead. It may be the answer; but for my part I find it singularly unattractive. For my taste it carries too much the flavor of a manufactured…” quote by Friedrich August von Hayek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ede/friedrich-august-von-hayek-141_answers_in-the-united-states-where-it-has-become_625682.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ede/friedrich-august-von-hayek-141_answers_in-the-united-states-where-it-has-become_625682.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ede/friedrich-august-von-hayek-141_answers_in-the-united-states-where-it-has-become_625682.jpg) > “In the United States, where it has become almost impossible to use "liberal" in the sense in which I have used it, the term "libertarian" has been used instead. It may be the answer; but for my part I find it singularly unattractive. For my taste it carries too much the flavor of a manufactured term and of a substitute. What I should want is a word which describes the party of life, the party that favors free growth and spontaneous evolution. But I have racked my brain unsuccessfully to find a descriptive term which commends itself.” [Friedrich August von Hayek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-august-von-hayek/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Hayek laments that “liberal” has been replaced by “libertarian,” a term he finds artificial and unsatisfying for describing a philosophy of spontaneous, organic growth. **In simple terms:** Hayek dislikes the term “libertarian” as a forced substitute for a more natural concept of freedom. Key Takeaway Seek language that captures organic, evolving freedom. Themes politics language philosophy freedom terminology Mood reflective critical thoughtful Type analytical philosophical When to use this quote - academic discourse - political debate - policy drafting - public speaking Key Concepts liberalism spontaneous order semantic shift Questions to Reflect On - How can we describe spontaneous freedom without jargon? - What alternative terms could better convey this idea? A Different Perspective The term may still be useful despite its imperfections. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Brain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brain/) [Evolution](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evolution/) [Growth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/growth/) [Liberal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/liberal/) [Libertarian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/libertarian/) [Party](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/party/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Spontaneous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spontaneous/) [United states](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/united-states/) ## Related quotes > [ “\[The\] term 'libertarian' itself, to be sure, raises a problem, notably, the specious identification of an anti-authoritarian ideology with a straggling movement for 'pure… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/murray-bookchin/the-term-libertarian-itself-to-be-sure-raises-a-problem-notably-the/) [Murray Bookchin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/murray-bookchin/) > [It may be that a free society... carries in itself the forces of its own destruction, that once freedom has been achieved it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-august-von-hayek/it-may-be-that-a-free-society-carries-in-itself-the-forces-of-its-own/) [Friedrich August von Hayek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-august-von-hayek/) > [The economic freedom which is the prerequisite of any other freedom cannot be the freedom from economic care which the socialist promise us, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-august-von-hayek/the-economic-freedom-which-is-the-prerequisite-of-any-other-freedom/) [Friedrich August von Hayek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-august-von-hayek/) > [The central problem of management is how spontaneous interaction of people within a firm, each possessing only bits of knowledge, can bring about the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-august-von-hayek/the-central-problem-of-management-is-how-spontaneous-interaction-of/) [Friedrich August von Hayek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-august-von-hayek/) > [The unattractive thing about chauvinism is not so much the aversion to other nations as the love of one's own.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-kraus/the-unattractive-thing-about-chauvinism-is-not-so-much-the-aversion/) [Karl Kraus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-kraus/) > [At the age of 11 I was about 6 ft. tall and my voice had completely broken. That caused problems. I was this gangly,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-stevens/at-the-age-of-11-i-was-about-6-ft-tall-and-my-voice-had-completely/) [Dan Stevens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-stevens/) > [If we were living in ancient Rome or Greece, I would be considered sickly and unattractive. The times dictate that thin is better for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gwyneth-paltrow/if-we-were-living-in-ancient-rome-or-greece-i-would-be-considered/) [Gwyneth Paltrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gwyneth-paltrow/) > [My entire film career's been dependent on my ability to look unattractive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-hathaway/my-entire-film-career-s-been-dependent-on-my-ability-to-look/) [Anne Hathaway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-hathaway/) > [May the state fence in the harmless mentally ill solely to save its citizens from exposure to those whose ways are different? One might…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/potter-stewart/may-the-state-fence-in-the-harmless-mentally-ill-solely-to-save-its/) [Potter Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/potter-stewart/) > [Iniesta doesn't dye his hair, he doesn't wear earrings and he hasn't got any tattoos. Maybe that makes him unattractive to the media but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pep-guardiola/iniesta-doesn-t-dye-his-hair-he-doesn-t-wear-earrings-and-he-hasn-t/) [Pep Guardiola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pep-guardiola/) > [Yes, testosterone-sodden young men too unattractive to get a woman in this world might be desperate enough to go for 72 private virgins in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/yes-testosterone-sodden-young-men-too-unattractive-to-get-a-woman-in/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [Autograph-hunting is the most unattractive manifestation of sex-starved curiosity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-olivier/autograph-hunting-is-the-most-unattractive-manifestation-of-sex/) [Laurence Olivier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-olivier/) > [Ladies,don't go around telling your men how unattractive you are. You should never put yourself down especially in front of your partner. You are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/ladies-don-t-go-around-telling-your-men-how-unattractive-you-are-you/) [Joel Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/) > [Here's a little irony of life. The more u surrender your life to someone. The more unattractive u become to that person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nishan-panwar/here-s-a-little-irony-of-life-the-more-u-surrender-your-life-to/) [Nishan Panwar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nishan-panwar/) > [“It’s a strange but consistent trait of people who consider themselves unattractive. They look embarrassed if you suggest that they might be interested in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-davidson/it-s-a-strange-but-consistent-trait-of-people-who-consider-themselves/) [Andrew Davidson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-davidson/) ## More by Friedrich August von Hayek > [The system of private property is the most important guaranty of freedom, not only for those who own property, but scarcely less for those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-august-von-hayek/the-system-of-private-property-is-the-most-important-guaranty-of/) [Friedrich August von Hayek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-august-von-hayek/) > [By the time any view becomes a majority view, it is no longer the best view: somebody will already have advanced beyond the point…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-august-von-hayek/by-the-time-any-view-becomes-a-majority-view-it-is-no-longer-the-best/) [Friedrich August von Hayek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-august-von-hayek/) > [Freedom can be preserved only if it is treated as a supreme principle which must not be sacrificed for particular advantages.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-august-von-hayek/freedom-can-be-preserved-only-if-it-is-treated-as-a-supreme-principle/) [Friedrich August von Hayek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-august-von-hayek/) > [Should our moral beliefs really prove to be dependent on factual assumptions shown to be incorrect, it would be hardly moral to defend them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-august-von-hayek/should-our-moral-beliefs-really-prove-to-be-dependent-on-factual/) [Friedrich August von Hayek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-august-von-hayek/) > [It is true that the virtues which are less esteemed and practiced now--independence, self-reliance, and the willingness to bear risks, the readiness to back…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-august-von-hayek/it-is-true-that-the-virtues-which-are-less-esteemed-and-practiced-now/) [Friedrich August von Hayek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-august-von-hayek/) > [Unlike the rationalism of the French Revolution, true liberalism has no quarrel with religion, and I can only deplore the militant and essentially illiberal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-august-von-hayek/unlike-the-rationalism-of-the-french-revolution-true-liberalism-has/) [Friedrich August von Hayek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-august-von-hayek/) > [We must make the building of a free society once more an intellectual adventure, a deed of courage… Unless we can make the philosophic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-august-von-hayek/we-must-make-the-building-of-a-free-society-once-more-an-intellectual/) [Friedrich August von Hayek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-august-von-hayek/) > [The central problem of management is how spontaneous interaction of people within a firm, each possessing only bits of knowledge, can bring about the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-august-von-hayek/the-central-problem-of-management-is-how-spontaneous-interaction-of/) [Friedrich August von Hayek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-august-von-hayek/) > [The discussions of every age are filled with the issues on which its leading schools of thought differ. But the general intellectual atmosphere of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-august-von-hayek/the-discussions-of-every-age-are-filled-with-the-issues-on-which-its/) [Friedrich August von Hayek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-august-von-hayek/) > [The Nobel Prize confers on an individual an authority which in economics no man ought to possess.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-august-von-hayek/the-nobel-prize-confers-on-an-individual-an-authority-which-in/) [Friedrich August von Hayek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-august-von-hayek/) > [ \[Socialistic\] economic planning, regulation, and intervention pave the way to totalitarianism by building a power structure that will inevitably be seized by the most… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-august-von-hayek/socialistic-economic-planning-regulation-and-intervention-pave-the/) [Friedrich August von Hayek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-august-von-hayek/) > [It is rather a problem of how to secure the best use of resources known to any of the members of society, for ends…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-august-von-hayek/it-is-rather-a-problem-of-how-to-secure-the-best-use-of-resources/) [Friedrich August von Hayek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-august-von-hayek/) > [The state itself becomes more and more identified with the interests of those who run things than with the interests of the people in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-august-von-hayek/the-state-itself-becomes-more-and-more-identified-with-the-interests/) [Friedrich August von Hayek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-august-von-hayek/) > [We must face the fact that the preservation of individual freedom is incompatible with a full satisfaction of our views of distributive justice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-august-von-hayek/we-must-face-the-fact-that-the-preservation-of-individual-freedom-is/) [Friedrich August von Hayek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-august-von-hayek/) > [Human envy is certainly not one of the sources of discontent that a free society can eliminate. It is probably one of the essential…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-august-von-hayek/human-envy-is-certainly-not-one-of-the-sources-of-discontent-that-a/) [Friedrich August von Hayek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-august-von-hayek/) [Explore all 244 Friedrich August von Hayek quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-august-von-hayek/) ## More Answers quotes > [The one thing that I keep learning over and over again is that I don't know nothing. I mean, that's my life lesson.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwayne-johnson/the-one-thing-that-i-keep-learning-over-and-over-again-is-that-i-don/) [Dwayne Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwayne-johnson/) > [Sometimes a question can hurt more than an answer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/sometimes-a-question-can-hurt-more-than-an-answer/) [Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) > [You feed yourself. 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