This is the final collection of essays by the 20th century’s premier economic journalist. Hazlitt originally intended this to be a larger project, but his death in 1993 prevented him from finishing all of the planned chapters. What he did complete is presented here as a series of essays all dealing with the question posed by the title. Of particular interest here are a number of chapters on historical figures such as J. S. Mill and Herbert Spencer, as well as a critical analysis of Robert Nozick’s Anarchy, State, and Utopia and Hazlitt’s own suggestions for how libertarians should move forward.
Also from the FEE Library
Critique of Interventionism by Ludwig Von Mises
These essays by Ludwig Von Mises explain the problems that arise when the state vies for more and more control over the economy. Mises goes on to explain the deleterious effects of state intervention by discussing its impact on wages, prices, unemployment, and inflation.
Fiat Money Inflation In France by Andrew Dickson White
Though over 100 years old, this short monograph remains one of the most vivid descriptions of the damage that government control over money can do, as White describes the late 18th century inflation that the French government inflicted on its people. Making use of good economic theory and a thorough command of the history, White’s [...]
Lenin Was Right by Henry Hazlitt
In this essay Henry Hazlitt wanted to show the hidden costs of monetary interventions into the market system and how they are particularly destructive.
The Freedom Philosophy by Leonard E. Read
The 14 essays in this collection, many of which appeared in The Freeman, constitute an effective overview of various aspects of the classical liberal worldview. It includes two of Leonard Read’s most famous essays, “The Essence of Americanism” and “I, Pencil.” The remaining essays cover four areas of “the freedom philosophy:” economics, politics, morality, and [...]
The Foundation of Historic Irvington by Barbara Dodsworth
This pamphlet is a short history of the town of Irvington, New York and the FEE property.
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