Banner Quote by Leonard Read
“The right way is the greatest gratifier of human wishes ever come upon - when allowed to operate. It is as morally sound as the Golden Rule. It is the way of willing exchange, of common consent, of self-responsibility, of open opportunity. It respects the right of each to the product of his labor. It limits the police force to keeping the peace. It is the way of the free market, private property, limited government. On its banner is emblazoned Individual Liberty.”
About This Quote
Source Essay: "The Right Way" in *The Freeman*, 1952
A free market respecting individual labor and limited government fulfills moral wishes and liberty.
In simple terms: Free markets align with moral rights and liberty.
Key Takeaway
Support voluntary exchange and limited authority.
Themes
freedom
property
individualism
Mood
thoughtful
determined
Type
philosophical
political
When to use this quote
- Policy debates
- entrepreneurial ventures
- civil liberty advocacy
- education on economics
Key Concepts
Libertarian economics
self‑responsibility
consent
Questions to Reflect On
- What role should government play in protecting rights?
- How can markets balance profit and fairness?
A Different Perspective
Overemphasis on markets may ignore social safety nets.
![“The solution to this problem [welfare-statism] must take a positive form: the restoration of a faith in what free men can accomplish.” quote by Leonard Read](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/456/leonard-read-14543_accomplish_the-solution-to-this-problem-welfare-sta_46640.jpg)
![“[S]tatism is but socialized dishonesty; it is feathering the nests of some with feathers coercively plucked from others - on the grand scale. There is no moral difference between the act of a pickpocket and the progressive income tax or any other social program.” quote by Leonard Read](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/a3e/leonard-read-14543_corruption_s-tatism-is-but-socialized-dishonesty-it_511252.jpg)
![“[W]ar is a question, under our constitution, not of Executive, but of Legislative cognizance. It belongs to Congress to say whether the Nation shall of choice dismiss the olive branch and unfurl the banners of War.” quote by Alexander Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/bd8/alexander-hamilton-619_banner_w-ar-is-a-question-under-our-constitutio_33383.jpg)
