…translation by the late Ralph Raiko is from the 1985 (3rd) edition, page 64. Ludwig von MisesThe Great Book of 1927, Liberalism:
A common practice for the critic is to imagine how wonderful everything would be if he had his way. In his dreams, he lifts himself or someone whose will is rightly aligned with him to the position of absolute master of the world, eliminating all his opponents. Anyone who preaches the rights of the strong considers himself strong. He who supports the institution of slavery never stops to think that he himself may be a slave. A person who restricts freedom of conscience asks about others, not himself. A person who favors an oligarchic style of government always includes himself in an oligarchy, and a person who delights in the thought of tyranny or tyranny may give himself the role of a bright tyrant or tyrant in his daydreams. Or at least, expecting him to be an emissary or tyrant against the tyrant himself. Just as no one wants to see himself as the weak, oppressed, oppressed, disadvantaged, disenfranchised subject; Therefore, under socialism, no one wants himself more than a director-general or an advisor to the director-general.
DBX: Yes.
One of the hallmarks of true liberalism is to empower the government to determine the distribution of wealth in any way possible—that is, to allow the government to influence the distribution of wealth beyond what is necessary to protect each individual’s property and contract rights, and perhaps also to provide a few real public goods, such as national defense—to certain individuals the right to pursue their own ends. And it’s giving power while at the same time denying other individuals the right and ability to follow. theirs Special ends.
Liberalism fears not only that such power will be abused. Of course it will. Liberals understand that such power inevitably corrupts those who hold it. And liberals recognize that such power is unjust. Humans capable of using such power can artificially hinder the achievement of other concrete ends by artificially increasing their chances of achieving their particular concrete ends.
A liberal never believes that the ends he or she chooses are best for him or herself. But the liberal is convinced that he or she is in no position to choose wisely the interests of others.
A liberal is truly humble, a behavior often mistaken for indifference or mental dullness. However, Liberal’s refusal to intervene in Jones’s case does not mean that Liberal is indifferent to Jones’ welfare. Nor is liberal meddling in other people’s affairs a sign that he can’t dream up a fancy theory about how to do something wonderful. Rather, the signs of the liberal’s reluctance to interfere in other people’s affairs—the liberal’s maturity and civilized respect for other people’s autonomy—in addition to his understanding that such interference is highly likely to make his or her interference not only worse, but worse. It’s gone, but so are other people.
One more point: A liberal does not want to corrupt his own character by assuming that he is so superior to others that he has the right to impose his or her opinions and preferences on others.
