Liberalism: The Classical Tradition

I feel this was a great place to start on my Von Mises Journey. After reading Ron Paul and Henry Hazlitt, Liberalism was a perfect place to pick up true Austrian Economics. Liberalism is a quick read and broadly based on political theory. Von Mises refrains from adding too much technical jargon and stick to real substance that anyone from with classic liberal mindset can learn from.

Years ago, when I was in college and my instinctual attachment to libertarian principles was stronger than my philosophical and economic grounding in them, a friend gave me a copy of this book. On the flyleaf, he inscribed it to me with, he wrote, "best wishes for you and the future of classical liberalism." He could hardly have chosen a better book for helping ensure my own future as a classical liberal. As a "gateway drug," so to speak, for the works of Ludwig von Mises and the Austrian School generally, "Liberalism" is a wonderful way to go. In barely 200 pages, Mises (as translated by Ralph Raico) lays out all the central ideas and themes of liberalism properly understood, and helps the reader see how ideas of economics, politics, history, sociology, and philosophy all fit together in one unified, consistent world view. It's probably a testimony to my own interests that I find the section on liberal foreign policy the most interesting and inspiring -- as well as timely when re-read in 2008 -- although the parts on liberal economic policy, and liberalism and parliamentarism, are certainly just as important. Though "Liberalism" *can* be a quick read, it of course also repays close reading and careful study. I would certainly not recommend it be read to the exclusion of Mises' other works, but as a bracing intellectual refresher -- or, as my friend clearly saw, an introductory work to someone in need of an intellectual grounding in principles only incompletely understood -- it is very hard to beat.

It's a shame that the liberalism von Mises espouses must be pre-classed as "classical," since the word "liberal" has come to mean precisely the opposite of what von Mises and his predecessors in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries meant by the word. In today's lexicon, his liberalism is closer to libertarianism, although I caution readers not to dismiss this book if they dismiss the political movement.What von Mises intends to show in easy to read eloquent prose is that capitalism and democracy are natural complements to a free society. Betwixt the two, prosperity and freedom of choice have been maximized beyond all other systems, and the general well-being benefits all, even those on the lowest economic rung. This is not a comprehensive exegesis of economics that one will find in von Mises' "Human Action." Rather, it is a general survey of the dominant themes that are given their fuller voice in his more detailed analysis. Thus, this book is an excellent introduction to democratic economics in general and to capitalism in particular.What makes the book particularly engaging is its polemical tone. It is not a polemic, but it never loses sight of its opponents, and frequently takes socialism and critics of capitalism to task for their anxiety over the merits of being free. After a brief introduction that is thoroughly engaging, von Mises covers four broad themes: (1) The foundations of liberalism and its policies; (2) liberalism's economic policies; (3) implications of liberalism in foreign policy; and (4) how liberalism is manifested in the political process. It's in the last section that he deals with doctrinaire liberalism and why, short of necessary regulations, the market must be free if man is to be free. Von Mises is unapologetically extreme in his views, and those of us who have come to expect an interventionist economic system will see why a "well-regulated" market economy has shortcomings. Alas, however, von Mises does not address the circumstances surrounding deceit, fraud, and other malfeasance (which is the book's only shortcoming).The "liberal" of today will also learn a great deal about himself. Von Mises explores the reasons for socialism's popularity and staying power, despite its predeliction towards despotism, totalitarianism, and ineptitude. Socialism has no rational basis for existence, but it does have a very strong psychological dynamic that von Mises admits (and frankly doesn't discuss enough in this book).After reading this short volume, readers will likely want to investigate these ideas further. Von Mises was a prolific author, and tackles many issues in any number of his works. Certainly, "Socialism" and "Human Action" are two of his major works that may find interest. Furthermore, one of von Mises' pupils was Frederick Hayek, one of the preeminent thinkers of the twentieth century.If you want a concise, short, and eloquent introduction to classical liberalism, I can think of no better book to serve this function. E

Today, liberalism is a misnomer for an ideology advocating a interventionist welfare-warfare state. This ideology is known as socialism in Europe and the rest of the world and typically known as liberalism in America. For the better part of my life, I considered a classical liberal to be someone like say Ted Kennedy. Mises pointed me back to the pre-20th century classical liberalism... the liberalism of free-markets and individual liberty... the very same liberalism espoused by Thomas Jefferson, John Locke, and Frederic Bastiat. Classical Liberalism is among America's most venerable traditions, for it laid the foundation for everything revered by the conservatism and libertarianism of today. Mises vindicates free-markets and refutes socialism with his amazing verbal logic and innate sense of reasoning. However, I find Mises' brilliant work to be just as valuable as an economics text as it is a work of political history and theory. This book is a great volume for jumping into the brilliant writings of Ludwig von Mises... Getting this book and companion volumes such as Anti-Capitalistic Mentality and Bureaucracy are a good way to gear up for Mises' magnum opus - Human Action.

Ludwig Von Mises had created a sensation in 1922 when he demolished all the intellectual arguements for socialism that had been advanced in defense of collectivist in his book Socialism. In 1927 Mises published his rebuttal to critics who had accused him of attacking the flaws of socialism without offering an alternative. Mises valiantly defends the liberalism of Burke, Locke,and Menger. He proscribed policies that even now are considered revolutionary i.e an end to national borders, the free flow of goods and people across borders, the immediate end to the brutal colonialism then popular in Europe, and vast limitations on state authority. Mises believed that there are two basic forms of human organization, coercion and cooperation, and that collectivism (socialism, fascism, communism) is capable of only using the former method and not the latter. Only liberalism maximizes the freedom of the individual.