--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Our whole civilization rests on the fact…" description: "\"Our whole civilization rests on the fact that men have always succeeded in beating off the attack of the re-distributors.\" — Ludwig von Mises" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9b6/ludwig-von-mises-364_civilization_our-whole-civilization-rests-on-the-fact_1765086.png" --- # Our whole civilization rests on the fact that men have… ![“Our whole civilization rests on the fact that men have always succeeded in beating off the attack of the re-distributors.” quote by Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9b6/ludwig-von-mises-364_civilization_our-whole-civilization-rests-on-the-fact_1765086.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9b6/ludwig-von-mises-364_civilization_our-whole-civilization-rests-on-the-fact_1765086.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9b6/ludwig-von-mises-364_civilization_our-whole-civilization-rests-on-the-fact_1765086.png) > “Our whole civilization rests on the fact that men have always succeeded in beating off the attack of the re-distributors.” [Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Society depends on individuals constantly defending against those who would redistribute wealth. **In simple terms:** Civilization survives by resisting redistribution. Key Takeaway Protect property rights and market incentives. Themes property rights individualism economics political philosophy Mood critical analytical Type philosophical political When to use this quote - policy debates - tax reform - entrepreneurial ventures - community organizing Key Concepts libertarianism spontaneous order public choice Questions to Reflect On - How do we balance fairness with incentives? - What role does voluntary charity play? A Different Perspective Overemphasis on conflict can ignore cooperative benefits of redistribution. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Beating Attack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beating-attack-1728366/) [Civilization](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/civilization/) [Civilization Rests](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/civilization-rests-286977/) [Distributors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/distributors/) [Fact Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fact-men-1101736/) [Facts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/facts/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Men Succeeded](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men-succeeded-1728365/) [Whole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/whole/) ## Related quotes > [Natural ability is by far the best, but many men have succeeded in winning high renown by skill that is the fruit of teaching.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pindar/natural-ability-is-by-far-the-best-but-many-men-have-succeeded-in/) [Pindar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pindar/) > [The men who have succeeded are men who have chosen one line and stuck to it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-carnegie/the-men-who-have-succeeded-are-men-who-have-chosen-one-line-and-stuck/) [Andrew Carnegie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-carnegie/) > [I have always believed that the aristocracy of any country should be the men who have succeeded - the men who have aided in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-m-schwab/i-have-always-believed-that-the-aristocracy-of-any-country-should-be/) [Charles M. Schwab](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-m-schwab/) > [“Our civilization rests on a faulty premise, that the world is physical and mechanical, energy and matter only. We do not pay for it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-grossinger/our-civilization-rests-on-a-faulty-premise-that-the-world-is-physical/) [Richard Grossinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-grossinger/) > [Civilization rests on the fact that most people do the right thing most of the time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-koontz/civilization-rests-on-the-fact-that-most-people-do-the-right-thing/) [Dean Koontz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-koontz/) > [Civilization rests on two things: the discovery that fermentation produces alcohol, and the voluntary ability to inhibit defecation. And I put it to you,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robertson-davies/civilization-rests-on-two-things-the-discovery-that-fermentation/) [Robertson Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robertson-davies/) > [Civilization rests on two things," said Hitzig; "the discovery that fermentation produces alcohol, and voluntary ability to inhibit defecation. And I put it to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robertson-davies/civilization-rests-on-two-things-said-hitzig-the-discovery-that/) [Robertson Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robertson-davies/) > [Civilization rests on a set of promises; if the promises are broken too often, the civilization dies, no matter how rich it may be,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert/civilization-rests-on-a-set-of-promises-if-the-promises-are-broken/) [Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert/) > [Technological civilization... rests fundamentally on power-driven machinery which transcends the physical limits of its human directors, multiplying indefinitely the capacity for the production of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-a-beard/technological-civilization-rests-fundamentally-on-power-driven/) [Charles A. Beard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-a-beard/) > [“Once again, to the ladies out there—here’s a fact for you: Men pretty much have sex on the brain twenty-four-seven. 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I hold it a fact, that if men knew exactly what one says of the other, there would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blaise-pascal/all-men-naturally-hate-one-another-i-hold-it-a-fact-that-if-men-knew/) [Blaise Pascal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blaise-pascal/) > [Besides reasoning about matters of fact, men also make moral judgements.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/besides-reasoning-about-matters-of-fact-men-also-make-moral-judgements/) [C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) ## More by Ludwig von Mises > [If the members of parliament no longer consider themselves mandatories of the taxpayers but deputies of those receiving salaries, wages, subsidies, doles, and other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/if-the-members-of-parliament-no-longer-consider-themselves/) [Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/) > [Changes in human conditions are brought about by the pioneering of the cleverest and most energetic men. They take the lead and the rest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/changes-in-human-conditions-are-brought-about-by-the-pioneering-of/) [Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/) > [During the 2300 years since Plato, very little opposition has been registered to his ideas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/during-the-2300-years-since-plato-very-little-opposition-has-been/) [Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/) > [“How little one is justified in speaking in this connection of "optimism" and "pessimism" and how much the characterization of liberalism as "optimistic" aims…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/how-little-one-is-justified-in-speaking-in-this-connection-of/) [Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/) > [Every step by which an individual substitutes concerted action for isolated action results in an immediate and recognizable improvement in his conditions. The advantages…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/every-step-by-which-an-individual-substitutes-concerted-action-for/) [Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/) > [The capitalistic social order, therefore, is an economic democracy in the strictest sense of the word. In the last analysis, all decisions are dependent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/the-capitalistic-social-order-therefore-is-an-economic-democracy-in/) [Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/) > [Without calculation, economic activity is impossible. Since under Socialism economic calculation is impossible, under Socialism there can be no economic activity in our sense…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/without-calculation-economic-activity-is-impossible-since-under/) [Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/) > [There is no kind of freedom and liberty other than the kind which the market economy brings about.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/there-is-no-kind-of-freedom-and-liberty-other-than-the-kind-which-the/) [Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/) > [Peace and not war is the father of all things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/peace-and-not-war-is-the-father-of-all-things/) [Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/) > [What counts alone is the innovator, the dissenter, the harbinger of things unheard of, the man who rejects the traditional standards and aims at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/what-counts-alone-is-the-innovator-the-dissenter-the-harbinger-of/) [Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/) > [In reality no food is valued solely for its nutritive power and no garment or house solely for the protection it affords against cold…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/in-reality-no-food-is-valued-solely-for-its-nutritive-power-and-no/) [Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/) > [All this talk: the state should do this or that, ultimately means: the police should force consumers to behave otherwise than they would behave…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/all-this-talk-the-state-should-do-this-or-that-ultimately-means-the/) [Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/) > [The most successful businessmen were often uneducated when measured by the scholastic standards of the teaching profession. But they were equal to their social…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/the-most-successful-businessmen-were-often-uneducated-when-measured/) [Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/) > [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;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/two-hundred-years-ago-before-the-advent-of-capitalism-a-man-s-social/) [Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/) > [Facts per se can neither prove nor refute anything. Everything is decided by the interpretation and explanation of the facts, by the ideas and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/facts-per-se-can-neither-prove-nor-refute-anything-everything-is/) [Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/) [Explore all 637 Ludwig von Mises quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/) ## More Civilization quotes > [What sets worlds in motion is the interplay of differences, their attractions and repulsions. Life is plurality, death is uniformity. By suppressing differences and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavio-paz/what-sets-worlds-in-motion-is-the-interplay-of-differences-their/) [Octavio Paz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavio-paz/) > [Sentiment is the mightiest force in civilization; not sentimentality, but sentiment. Women will bring this into politics. 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Each civilization dies from indifference toward the unique values which created it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-gomez-davila/violence-is-not-necessary-to-destroy-a-civilization-each-civilization/) [Nicolas Gomez Davila](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-gomez-davila/) > [“The voice in the head that never stops speaking becomes a civilization that is obsessed with form and therefore knows nothing of the most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eckhart-tolle/the-voice-in-the-head-that-never-stops-speaking-becomes-a/) [Eckhart Tolle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eckhart-tolle/) > [We released 400,000 classified documents, the most extraordinary history of a war to ever have been released in our civilization. Those documents cover 109,000…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-assange/we-released-400-000-classified-documents-the-most-extraordinary/) [Julian Assange](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-assange/) > [Wine is one of the most civilized things in the world and one of the most natural things of the world that has been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/wine-is-one-of-the-most-civilized-things-in-the-world-and-one-of-the/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [Whenever we touch nature we get clean. People who have got dirty through too much civilization take a walk in the woods, or a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-jung/whenever-we-touch-nature-we-get-clean-people-who-have-got-dirty/) [Carl Jung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-jung/) > [The invention of gunpowder and the constant improvement of firearms are enough in themselves to show that the advance of civilization has done nothing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-von-clausewitz/the-invention-of-gunpowder-and-the-constant-improvement-of-firearms/) [Carl von Clausewitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-von-clausewitz/) > [Another success is the post-office, with its educating energy augmented by cheapness and guarded by a certain religious sentimentin mankind; so that the power…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/another-success-is-the-post-office-with-its-educating-energy/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [“The mission is, not to replace old world mindlessness with new world mindlessness, but to put an end to all forms of brainless authoritarianism.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/the-mission-is-not-to-replace-old-world-mindlessness-with-new-world/) [Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/) > [We are somehow the children of the planet, we are somehow its finest hour; we bind time, we bind the past, we anticipate the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/we-are-somehow-the-children-of-the-planet-we-are-somehow-its-finest/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [Our civilization, bequeathed to us by fierce adventurers, eaters of meat and hunters, is so full of hurry and combat, so busy about many…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-joyce/our-civilization-bequeathed-to-us-by-fierce-adventurers-eaters-of/) [James Joyce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-joyce/) > [Coal lay in ledges under the ground since the Flood, until a laborer with pick and windlass brings it to the surface. 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