World History

The technique of the historicists’ indictment of capitalism is simple indeed.

The leading Baconian in political economy, who was also, fittingly, a pioneer in statistics and in the alleged science of "political arithmetic," was the fascinating opportunist and adventurer Sir William Petty (1623–1687).

Modern economics traces all human actions back to the value judgments of individuals.

Recorded at the Mises Circle in Colorado Springs, Colorado; 18 September 2010. Sponsored by Pikes Peak Economics Club.

Mises was the premier Austrian economist of his generation, whose legacy reveals him to be the greatest economist of the 20th century. Almost singlehandedly, he kept the embers of free-market economics burning during the interwar years.

The status and reputation of Sir Francis Bacon (1561–1626) is one of the great puzzles in the history of social thought. What had he actually accomplished to warrant all the accolades? Essentially, he was the metaempiricist, the head coach and cheerleader of fact grubbing, exhorting <i>other</i> people to gather all the facts.

In their eagerness to eliminate from history any reference to individuals and individual events, collectivist authors resorted to a chimerical cons

In their eagerness to eliminate from history any reference to individuals and individual events, collectivist authors resorted to a chimerical construction, the group mind or social mind.

Rothbard explains that it is not enough to read an author's work. You have to understand his intentions, which means that you have to understand who he's talking to, who his friends are, who his enemies are, and who he's reacting against.

Thomas Mun set forth what would become the standard mercantilist line.