Capitalist Quote by Noam Chomsky
““I mean, contrary to the contemporary version of it, classical liberalism (which remember was pre-capitalist, and in fact, anti-capitalist) focused on the right of people to control their own work, and the need for free creative work under your own control—for human freedom and creativity. So to a classical liberal, wage labor under capitalism would have been considered totally immoral, because it frustrates the fundamental need of people to control their own work: you're a slave to someone else.””
About This Quote
Source Speech: Interview on Classical Liberalism, 2013
Classical liberalism valued personal control over work and saw wage labor as contrary to human freedom and creativity.
In simple terms: Work should be self‑directed; wage labor is oppressive.
Key Takeaway
Advocate for autonomy in labor.
Themes
freedom
creativity
labor rights
political theory
Mood
critical
thoughtful
Type
philosophical
political
When to use this quote
- union organizing
- creative entrepreneurship
- co‑ops
- policy reform
Key Concepts
self‑determination
anti‑capitalism
human agency
Questions to Reflect On
- How can societies balance autonomy with economic viability?
- What alternatives to wage labor are realistic today?
A Different Perspective
The critique may overlook practical economic constraints of non‑wage work.
![“The [classical] liberal, of course, does not deny that there are some superior people -- he is not an egalitarian -- but he denies that anyone has authority to decide who these superior people are.” quote by Friedrich August von Hayek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/c2a/friedrich-august-von-hayek-141_authority_the-classical-liberal-of-course-does-not_1632301.jpg)
![“I wrote an article about the marine landing [in Haiti] right away, but barely mentioned the oil, because my article would come out two months later and I assumed by then, "of course, everybody knows." Nobody knew. There was a news report in the Wall Street Journal, in the petroleum journals, and…” quote by Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/dc5/noam-chomsky-42_articles_i-wrote-an-article-about-the-marine-land_13341.jpg)
