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Ludwig von Mises

Ludwig von Mises Quotes

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Famous Ludwig von Mises Quotes

“They [intellectuals] coined most of the slogans that guided the butcheries of Bolshevism, Fascism, and Nazism. Intellectuals extolling the delights of murder, writers advocating censorship, philosophers judging the merits of thinkers and authors, not according to the value of their contributions but according to their achievements on battlefields, are the spiritual leaders of our age of perpetual strife.”

AgeSpiritualValuesLeaderJudgingAchievementMurderPhilosopherDelightMeritContributionThinkerFascismCensorshipPerpetualStrifeSlogansBattlefieldsNazismAdvocatingSpiritual LeaderBolshevismButchery
Author:Ludwig von Mises
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“Everyone carries a part of society on his shoulders; no one is relieved of his share of responsibility by others. And no one can find a safe way out for himself if society is sweeping toward destruction. Therefore, everyone, in his own interests, must thrust himself vigorously into the intellectual battle. None can stand aside with unconcern; the interest of everyone hangs on the result. Whether he chooses or not, every man is drawn into the great historical struggle, the decisive battle into which our epoch has plunged us.”

IfsMenWayInterestResultsResponsibilityStruggleShareBattleSafeIntellectualDestructionHistoricalLibertarianEvery ManShouldersCarrieThrustRelievedSweepingEpochGreat LibertarianGreat Historical
Book:Planning for freedom, and twelve other essays and addresses
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“Under capitalism the common man enjoys amenities which in ages gone by were unknown and therefore inaccessible even to the richest people. But, of course, these motorcars, television sets and refrigerators do not make a man happy. In the instant in which he acquires them, he may feel happier than he did before. But as soon as some of his wishes are satisfied, new wishes spring up. Such is human nature.”

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Author:Ludwig von Mises
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“Inequality of wealth and incomes is an essential feature of the market economy. It is the implement that makes the consumers supreme in giving them the power to force all those engaged in production to comply with their orders. It forces all those engaged in production to the utmost exertion in the service of the consumers. It makes competition work. He who best serves the consumers profits most and accumulates riches.”

GivingOrderForceWealthEconomyEssentialsCompetitionProfitProductionsRichesSupremeIncomeInequalityConsumersFeaturesEngagedExertionMarket Economy
Book:Economic freedom and interventionism: an anthology of articles and essays
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“It is vain to fight totalitarianism by adopting totalitarian methods. Freedom can only be won by men unconditionally committed to the principles of freedom. The first requisite for a better social order is the return to unrestricted freedom of thought and speech.”

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Book:Omnipotent Government: The Rise of the Total State and Total War
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“In the long run the ideas of the majority, however detrimental they may be, will carry on. The future of mankind depends on the ability of the elite to influence public opinion in the right direction.”

MayLongIdeasRunningFreedomAbilityOpinionDemocracyInfluenceMankindDependsMajorityElitesLong RunsPublic OpinionRight DirectionDetrimentalFuture Of Mankind
Book:The Ultimate Foundation of Economic Science: An Essay on Method
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“Capitalism and socialism are two distinct patterns of social organization. Private control of the means of production and public control are contradictory notions and not merely contrary notions. There is no such thing as a mixed economy, a system that would stand midway between capitalism and socialism.”

MeanTwoSocialEconomyCapitalismOrganizationNotionPatternsProductionsContrarySocialismContradictoryMidwaySocial OrganizationCapitalism And SocialismMixed Economy
Author:Ludwig von Mises
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“Capitalism means free enterprise, sovereignty of the consumers in economic matters, and sovereignty of the voters in political matters. Socialism means full government control of every sphere of the individuals life and the unrestricted supremacy of the government in its capacity as central board of production management.”

MeanMatterGovernmentPoliticalIndividualEconomicCapitalismCapacityManagementProductionsSocialismConsumersBoardsEnterpriseVotersSpheresSovereigntySupremacyFree Enterprise
Book:Bureaucracy
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“A society that chooses between capitalism and socialism does not choose between two social systems; it chooses between social cooperation and the disintegration of society. Socialism is not an alternative to capitalism; it is an alternative to any system under which men can live as human beings.”

MenHumansDoeTwoSocialHuman BeingsCapitalismSocialismAlternativesCooperationSocial SystemsDisintegrationCapitalism And Socialism
Book:Human action: a treatise on economics
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“The desire for an increase of wealth can be satisfied through exchange, which is the only method possible in a capitalist economy, or by violence and petition as in a militarist society, where the strong acquire by force, the weak by petitioning.”

DesireStrongForceWealthEconomyViolenceCapitalismWeakIncreaseMethodSatisfiedSocialismAcquireCapitalistPetitionsCapitalist Economy
Book:Socialism - An Economic and Sociological Analysis: The Economist
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“Liberalism and capitalism address themselves to the cool, well-balanced mind. They proceed by strict logic, eliminating any appeal to the emotions. Socialism, on the contrary, works on the emotions, tries to violate logical considerations by rousing a sense of personal interest and to stifle the voice of reason by awakening primitive instincts.”

TryingMindWellsReasonVoiceInterestEmotionLibertyEconomicCapitalismEconomicsLogicInstinctAwakeningContrarySocialismAppealsLiberalismAddressesConsiderationLogicalBalancedPrimitiveStrictEliminatingPersonal InterestVoice Of Reason
Book:Socialism - An Economic and Sociological Analysis: The Economist
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“The salesman thanks the customer for patronizing his shop and asks him to come again. But the socialists say: Be grateful to Hitler, render thanks to Stalin; be nice and submissive, then the great man will be kind to you later too.”

MenKindAsksNiceCapitalismGratefulCustomersSocialismThanksGreat MenShopsBe KindBeing NiceBe GratefulSalesmanSubmissivePatronizing
Book:Omnipotent Government: The Rise of the Total State and Total War
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“There is simply no other choice than this: either to abstain from interference in the free play of the market, or to delegate the entire management of production and distribution to the government. Either capitalism or socialism: there exists no middle way.”

WayPlayGovernmentChoicesMiddleCapitalismManagementProductionsSocialismDistributionInterferenceDelegatesMiddle WayFree Play
Book:The free and prosperous commonwealth: an exposition of the ideas of classical liberalism
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“The main characteristic of collectivism is that it does not take notice of the individual's will and moral self-determination. In the light of its philosophy the individual is born into a collective and it is "natural" and proper for him to behave as members of this collective are expected to behave. Expected by whom? Of course, by those individuals to whom, by the mysterious decrees of some mysterious agency, the task of determining the collective will and directing the actions of the collective has been entrusted.”

DoeHas BeensSelfPhilosophyLightActionCoursesIndividualBornNaturalMoralMembersDeterminationTasksExpectedSocialismMysteriousBehaveAgencyCharacteristicsCollectivesSelf DeterminationCollectivismDecree
Author:Ludwig von Mises
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“All that Lenin learned about business from the tales of his comrades who occasionally sat in business offices was that it required a lot of scribbling, recording, and ciphering. Thus, he declares that accounting and control are the chief things necessary for the organizing and correct functioning of society. . . . Here we have the philosophy of the filing clerk in its full glory.”

PhilosophyOfficeGloryAtheistTalesChiefsSatAccountingComradeClerksFiling
Author:Ludwig von Mises
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