Liberalism: The Classical Tradition / Edition 1

by Ludwig von Mises, Bettina Bien Greaves

Overview

This book presents the theoretical and practical arguments for liberalism in the classical tradition as defined by Mises as “the liberal doctrine of the harmony of the rightly understood interests of all members of a free society founded on the principle of private ownership of the means of production.” The foundation of liberalism, Mises says, rests on an understanding and appreciation of private property, social cooperation, the freedom idea, ethics and morality, democracy, and the legitimate role of government. Also in this book, Mises contrasts liberalism with other conceivable systems of social organization such as socialism, communism, and fascism.

Ludwig von Mises (1881–1973) was the leading spokesman of the Austrian School of economics throughout most of the twentieth century.

Bettina Bien Greaves is a former resident scholar and trustee of the Foundation for Economic Education and was a senior staff member at FEE from 1951 to 1999.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780865975866
Publisher:	Liberty Fund, Incorporated
Publication date:	10/24/2005
Series:	Liberty Fund Library of the Works of Ludwig von Mises
Pages:	203
Sales rank:	1,127,979
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.50(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

Table of Contents

Preface, 1985 ix
Preface to the English-Language Edition xiii

Introduction xvii
1 Liberalism xvii
2 Material Welfare xix
3 Rationalism xx
4 The Aim of Liberalism xxii
5 Liberalism and Capitalism xxv
6 The Psychological Roots of Antiliberalism xxvii

CHAPTER 1 The Foundations of Liberal Policy 1
1 Property 1
2 Freedom 3
3 Peace 5
4 Equality 9
5 The Inequality of Wealth and Income 12
6 Private Property and Ethics 14
7 State and Government 15
8 Democracy 19
9 Critique of the Doctrine of Force 22
10 The Argument of Fascism 25
11 The Limits of Governmental Activity 30
12 Tolerance 33
13 The State and Antisocial Conduct 34

CHAPTER 2 Liberal Economic Policy 37
1 The Organization of the Economy 37
2 Private Property and Its Critics 40
3 Private Property and the Government 43
4 The Impracticability of Socialism 46
5 Interventionism 50
6 Capitalism: The Only Possible System of Social
Organization 59
7 Cartels, Monopolies, and Liberalism 63
8 Bureaucratization 67

CHAPTER 3 Liberal Foreign Policy 76
1 The Boundaries of the State 76
2 The Right of Self-Determination 78
3 The Political Foundations of Peace 81
4 Nationalism 87
5 Imperialism 90
6 Colonial Policy 93
7 Free Trade 98
8 Freedom of Movement 103
9 The United States of Europe 108
10 The League of Nations 112
11 Russia 115

CHAPTER 4 Liberalism and the Political Parties 119
1 The “Doctrinairism” of the Liberals 119
2 Political Parties 121
3 The Crisis of Parliamentarism and the Idea of a Diet
Representing Special Groups 132
4 Liberalism and the Parties of Special Interests 136
5 Party Propaganda and Party Organization 140
6 Liberalism as the “Party of Capital” 143

CHAPTER 5 The Future of Liberalism 147

APPENDIX 153
1 On the Literature of Liberalism 153
2 On the Term “Liberalism” 157

Index 161