Milton Friedman Quotes about Freedom

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A society that puts equality before freedom will get neither. A society that puts freedom before equality will get a high degree of both.

A society that puts equality before freedom will get neither. A society that puts freedom before equality will get a high degree of both.

Milton Friedman

Freedom, Equality, Degrees

Underlying most arguments against the free market is a lack of belief in freedom itself.

Milton Friedman

Freedom, Liberty, Libertarian

Milton Friedman, Rose D. Friedman (2002). “Capitalism and Freedom: Fortieth Anniversary Edition”, p.15, University of Chicago Press

The most important single central fact about a free market is that no exchange takes place unless both parties benefit.

Milton Friedman

Freedom, Business, Party

Political freedom means the absence of coercion of a man by his fellow men.

Milton Friedman

Freedom, Mean, Men

Milton Friedman (2009). “Capitalism and Freedom: Fortieth Anniversary Edition”, p.15, University of Chicago Press

Political freedom means the absence of coercion of a man by his fellow men. The fundamental threat to freedom is power to coerce, be it in the hands of a monarch, a dictator, an oligarchy, or a momentary majority. The preservation of freedom requires the elimination of such concentration of power to the fullest possible extent and the dispersal and distribution of whatever power cannot be eliminated — a system of checks and balances.

Milton Friedman

Freedom, Mean, Men

Milton Friedman (2009). “Capitalism and Freedom: Fortieth Anniversary Edition”, p.15, University of Chicago Press

Making prohibition work is like making water run uphill; it's against nature.

Milton Friedman

Running, Freedom, Water

Economic freedom is ... an indispensable means toward the achievement of political freedom.

Milton Friedman

Freedom, Mean, Independent

Capitalism and Freedom ch. 1 (1962)

The black market was a way of getting around government controls. It was a way of enabling the free market to work. It was a way of opening up, enabling people.

Milton Friedman

Freedom, Government, Opening Up

The only way that has ever been discovered to have a lot of people cooperate together voluntarily is through the free market. And that's why it's so essential to preserving individual freedom.

Milton Friedman

Freedom, People, Together

I start ... from a belief in individual freedom and that derives fundamentally from a belief in the limitations of our knowledge, from a belief ... that nobody can be sure that what he believes is right, is really right ... I'm an imperfect human being who cannot be certain of anything, so what position ... involved the least intolerance on my part? ... The most attractive position ... is putting individual freedom first.

Milton Friedman

Freedom, Believe, Firsts

Interview with Tibor Machan, Joe Cobb, Ralph Raico, reason.com. December 1974.