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Leonard Read Biography

Leonard Edward Read (September 26, 1898 – May 14, 1983) was the founder of the Foundation for Economic Education (FEE), which was one of the first modern libertarian institutions of its kind in the United States. He wrote 29 books and numerous essays, including the well-known "I, Pencil" (1958).

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Leonard Read Quotes

Were it necessary to bring a majority into a comprehension of the libertarian philosophy, the cause of liberty would be utterly hopeless. Every significant movement in history has been led by one or just a few individuals with a small minority of energetic supporters.

Libertarian Party, Liberty, Necessary, Philosophy, Significant, Supporters

True, the free market ignores the poor precisely as it does not recognize the wealthy - it is 'no respecter of persons'

Doe, Free, Free Market, Market, Poor, Respecter

Such terms as communism, socialism, Fabianism, the welfare state, Nazism, fascism, state interventionism, egalitarianism, the planned economy, the New Deal, the Fair Deal, the New Frontier are simply different labels for much the same thing.

Different, Egalitarianism, Interventionism, Labels, Planned, Same

The right way is the greatest gratifier of human wishes ever come upon - when allowed to operate. It is as morally sound as the Golden Rule. It is the way of willing exchange, of common consent, of self-responsibility, of open opportunity. It respects the right of each to the product of his labor. It limits the police force to keeping the peace. It is the way of the free market, private property, limited government. On its banner is emblazoned Individual Liberty.

Government, Greatest, Human, Opportunity, Private, Responsibility

Under both the welfare state and communism, the responsibility for the welfare, security, and prosperity of the people is presumed to rest with the central government.

Government, People, Responsibility, State, Under

There is no greater dishonesty than man effecting his own private gains at the expense of others.

Dishonesty, Effecting, Expense, Gains, Man, Men

There could be no greater error than to conclude that statism caused prosperity.

Conclude, Error, Errors, Greater, Prosperity

. . . the greatest political problem facing the world today is. . . how to curb the oppressive power of government, how to keep it within reasonable bounds.

Government, Keep, Political, Today, World

Politicians, bureaucrats, editors, new commentators, 'economists' teachers,' and other word artists who denounce private enterprise and praise socialism are their own worst enemies. . . these attackers are unwittingly destroying the sources of their own livelihood. They kill the geese that lay the golden eggs - and don't know it!

Artist, Attackers, Editors, Enemies, Sources, Teacher

I would have government defend the life and property of all citizens equally; protect all willing exchange; suppress and penalize all fraud, all misrepresentation, all violence, all predatory practices; invoke a common justice under law; and keep the records incidental to these functions. Even this is a bigger assignment than governments, generally, have proven capable of. Let governments do these things and do them well. Leave all else to men in free and creative effort.

Citizens, Effort, Law, Let, Letting Go, Men

Whenever government assumed responsibility for the security, welfare, and prosperity of citizens, the costs of government rise beyond the point where it is politically expedient to cover them by direct tax levies.

Citizens, Cover, Government, Prosperity, Responsibility, Security

The libertarian can have no truck with 'left' or 'right' because he regrets any form of authoritarianism - the use of police force to control the creative life of man.

Control, Creative, Libertarian, Man, Men, Regret

I can remember the time when, if we wanted a house or housing, we relied on private enterprise. In fact, Americans built more square feet of housing per person than any other country on the face of the earth. Despite that remarkable accomplishment, more and more people are coming to believe that the only way we can have adequate housing is to use government to take the earnings from some and give these earnings, in the form of housing, to others.

Believe, Country, Enterprise, Face, Feet

Assume that a surgeon has discovered how to do brain surgery, that he can do only one a month, that 1,000 persons a year need such an operation if they are to survive. How is the surgeon's scarce resource to be allocated? Charge whatever price is necessary to adjust supply and demand, say $50,000! 'For shame,' some will cry. 'Your market system will save only wealthy people. ' For the moment, yes. But soon there will be hundreds of surgeons who will acquire the same skill; and, as in the case of the once scarce and expensive 'miracle drugs,' the price then will be within reach of all.

Necessary, People, Price, Skills, Survive, Years

Is it not obvious that the more complex an economy, the more certainly will governmental control of productive effort exert a retarding influence?

Complex, Economy, Effort, Influence, Productive

We need only take our heads out of the sand to see clearly that interventionism not only has failed to provide the promised something-for-nothing, but has led to all sorts of undesirable consequences. Indeed, many are just beginning to realize that we are moving towards disaster even though we have been on a wrong heading for decades.

Failed, Gold, Moving, Needs, Realize, See

If the bureaucracy is not checked, it will tend to build, in the name of peace, a defense against every conceivable contingency - so much 'security' that 'the secured' are without resources - helpless and hopeless.

Build, Bureaucracy, Defense, Hopeless, Names, Peace

It [the free market] is an organizational way of doing things, featuring openness, which enables millions of people to cooperate and compete without demanding a preliminary clearance of pedigree, nationality, color, race, religion, or wealth. It demands only that each person abide by voluntary principles, that is, by fair play. The free market means willing exchange; it is impersonal justice in the economic sphere and excludes coercion, plunder, theft, protectionism, and other anti-free market ways by which goods and services change hands.

Mean, Openness, People, Play, Race

What, actually, is the difference between communism and fascism? Both are forms of statism, authoritarianism. The only difference between Stalin's communism and Mussolini's fascism is an insignificant detail in organizational structure.

Communism, Details, Differences, Fascism, Individualism, Insignificant

The advancement of freedom is not a matter of who wields political power over creative actions; rather, it depends upon the disassembling of such power.

Creative, Depends, Freedom, Liberty, Political

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