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Quote by Friedrich August von Hayek

“The Germans would appear as the disturbers of peace, as they already do to some people, merely because they were the first to take the path along which all the others were ultimately to follow.”

Quote by Friedrich August von Hayek

Author

Friedrich August von Hayek

Friedrich August von Hayek, born on May 8, 1899, in Austria, and died on March 23, 1992, in the United Kingdom, was one of the most distinguished economists of the 20th century. He is renowned for his profound insights into the free market economy and his critical views on socialism. more

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“The problems raised by a conscious direction of economic affairs on a national scale inevitably assume even greater dimensions when the same is attempted internationally. The conflict between planning and freedom cannot but become more serious as the similarity of standards and values among those submitted to a unitary plan diminishes.”

Problem Values Greater Plans Economic Serious Conflict Standards Conscious Assuming Raised Affair Scales Planning Dimensions Diminish Similarity Standards And Values

Author:Friedrich August von Hayek

“To undertake the direction of the economic life of people with widely divergent ideals and values is to assume responsibilities which commit one to the use of force; it is to assume a position where the best intentions cannot prevent one from being forced to act in a way which to some of those affected must appear highly immoral. This is true even if we assume the dominant power to be as idealistic and unselfish as we can possibly conceive. But how small is the likelihood that it will be unselfish, and how great are the temptations!”

“It is no accident that on the whole there was more beauty and decency to be found in the life of the small peoples, and that among the large ones there was more happiness and content in proportion as they had avoided the deadly blight of centralization.”

Whole Found Accidents Proportion Decency Avoided Blight Centralization

Author:Friedrich August von Hayek

“Least of all shall we preserve democracy or foster its growth if all the power and most of the important decisions rest with an organization far too big for the common man to survey or comprehend.”

Ifs Men Important Bigs Growth Decision Common Democracy Organization Preserves Surveys Common Man Important Decisions

Author:Friedrich August von Hayek

“The true measure of a career is to be able to be content, even proud, that you succeeded through your own endeavors without leaving a trail of casualties in your wake.”

Able Happiness Careers Proud Self Improvement Leaving Endeavor Business Success Trails Dishonesty Casualties

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“Nowhere has democracy ever worked well without a great measure of local self-government, providing a school of political training for the people at large as much as for their future leaders.”

People Wells Self Government School Political Leader Democracy Training Locals Providing Self-government Future Leaders

Author:Friedrich August von Hayek

“As is true with respect to other great evils, the measures by which war might be made altogether impossible for the future may well be worse than even war itself.”

Wells May Made War Might Evil Impossible Respecting Others

Author:Friedrich August von Hayek

“If we can reduce the risk of friction likely to lead to war, this is probably all we can reasonably hope to achieve.”

Ifs War Risk Achieve Friction

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“The Socratic maxim that the recognition of our ignorance is the beginning of wisdom has profound significance for our understanding of society. Most of the advantages of social life, especially in the more advanced forms that we call "civilization" rest on the fact that the individual benefits from more knowledge than he is aware of. It might be said that civilization begins when the individual in the pursuit of his ends can make use of more knowledge than he has himself acquired and when he can transcend the boundaries of his ignorance by profiting from knowledge he does not himself possess.”

“At a time when most movements that are thought to be progressive advocate further encroachments on individual liberty, those who cherish freedom are likely to expend their energies in opposition. In this they find themselves much of the time on the same side as those who habitually resist change.”

Individual Energy Sides Liberty Movement Opposition Cherish Progressive Individual Liberty Encroachment

Author:Friedrich August von Hayek