Cooperation Quote by Henry Hazlitt
“The State, of course, is absolutely indispensable to the preservation of law and order, and the promotion of peace and social cooperation. What is unnecessary and evil, what abridges the liberty and threatens the true welfare of the individual, is the State that has usurped excessive powers and grown beyond its legitimate function - the super-State, the socialist State, the redistributive State, in brief, the ironically misnamed 'Welfare State.'”
About This Quote
Source Book: Economics in One Lesson, 1946
Warns that an overreaching state can become oppressive, undermining individual liberty and welfare.
In simple terms: Excessive government power harms freedom.
Key Takeaway
Guard against concentration of state authority.
Themes
politics
freedom
government
economics
Mood
critical
analytical
Type
philosophical
political
When to use this quote
- policy debates
- legislative reform
- civil rights activism
- public budgeting
Key Concepts
authoritarianism
state overreach
libertarianism
Questions to Reflect On
- What powers should be limited?
- How to ensure state serves rather than dominates?
A Different Perspective
Balancing security and liberty is complex.
