Liberty and Property.pdf - The Ludwig von Mises Institute

Liberty and Property 49also upon the incomparable efficiency ofits productive effort. It is this efficiency thatmakes it possible for capitalistic businessto support a rapidly increasing populationat a continually improving standard of living.The resulting progressive prosperity ofthe masses creates a social environment inwhich the exceptionally gifted individualsare free to give to their fellow-citizens all theyare able to give. The social system of privateproperty and limited government is the onlysystem that tends to debarbarize all thosewho have the innate capacity to acquire personalculture.It is a gratuitous pastime to belittle thematerial achievements of capitalism byobserving that there are things that are moreessential for mankind than bigger and speediermotorcars, and homes equipped withcentral heating, air conditioning, refrigerators,washing machines, and television sets.There certainly are such higher and noblerpursuits. But they are higher and noblerprecisely because they cannot be aspired