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View Full Version : Best Article I Have Read, Maybe Ever: Rise, Fall, and Renaissance of Liberalism




justinc.1089
08-27-2010, 11:09 AM
http://mises.org/daily/4600



Some of my favorite parts:



"If a date were to be put on the rebirth of classical liberalism, it would be 1922, the year of the publication of Socialism, by the Austrian economist Ludwig von Mises. One of the most remarkable thinkers of the century, Mises was also a man of unflinching courage. In Socialism, he threw down the gauntlet to the enemies of capitalism. In effect, he said, "You accuse the system of private property of causing all social evils, which only socialism can cure. Fine. But would you now kindly do something you have never deigned to do before: would you explain how a complex economic system will be able to operate in the absence of markets, and hence prices, for capital goods?" Mises demonstrated that economic calculation without private property was impossible, and exposed socialism for the passionate illusion it was.

Mises's challenge to the prevailing orthodoxy opened the minds of thinkers in Europe and America. F.A. Hayek, Wilhelm Röpke, and Lionel Robbins were among those whom Mises converted to the free market. And, throughout his very long career, Mises elaborated and refined his economic theory and social philosophy, becoming the acknowledged premier classical-liberal thinker of the 20th century."


""War is the health of the state," warned the radical writer Randolph Bourne. And so it proved to be. By the time the butchery ended, many believed that liberalism in its classical sense was dead."



Please do take the time to read this article. It is a must read. If it seems dull at first, it gets more and more interesting as it goes along, but I found all of it incredibly interesting.

It gives a pretty detailed break down of liberalism through history, which I had not seen before laid out and explained so clearly. I kind of always had to piece together the rise and fall of liberalism throughout history myself from seperate sources about different things in different times, but this goes through history looking at history from a liberal perspective.

And if you think liberal means socialist like most people do now days, then this article TRULY is a MUST READ for you!



Btw, its also fascinating Mises converted Hayek into a classical liberal! I always figured Hayek understood liberalism from birth pretty much and never had a big "conversion" moment.

Original_Intent
08-27-2010, 11:58 AM
That was indeed a GREAT article. I posted the link over on another forum I frequent. Thanks much!

Acala
08-27-2010, 12:38 PM
Great article!

Inspiring, really.

BuddyRey
08-27-2010, 03:02 PM
Bump!

extrmmxer
08-27-2010, 03:28 PM
Thank you for the link.

BuddyRey
08-27-2010, 05:37 PM
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