Mises on Hegel
Modern civilization is a product of the philosophy of laissez faire. It cannot be preserved under the ideology of government omnipotence. Statolatry owes much to the doctrines of Hegel. However, one may pass over many of Hegel’s inexcusable faults, for Hegel also coined the phrase “the futility of victory.” To defeat the aggressors is not enough to make peace durable. The main thing is to discard the ideology that generates war. (Human Action, 832)
For the common man a victory of the state he subsists under rings hollow: it brings him no material advantage, only loss. The producers do not benefit from the obliteration of their suppliers and customers; the consumers do not benefit from the less advanced division of labor and the diminution of the quantity and quality of the goods available.
Posted: March 24th, 2009 under Philosophy, Political.