Milton Friedman on Politics, voting, and legislators
He may have values and beliefs of his own, but no man becomes President who has not developed the capacity to rise above principle.
The Open Mind
Interview, 1977, The Open Mind, hosted by Richard Heffner, Episode “A Nobel Laureate on the American Economy” (May 3, 1977)
Where this comes from
Checked against the sourceThe wording was checked against the work itself.
Topics
He also said
The heart of the liberal philosophy is a belief in the dignity of the individual, in his freedom to make the most of his capacities and opportunities according to his own lights, subject only to the proviso that he not interfere with the freedom of other individuals to do the same. This implies a belief in the equality of man in one sense; in their inequality in another.
Capitalism and FreedomBook, 1962, Ch. 12 The Alleviation of Poverty, 2002 edition, p. 195Not yet checkedOn the other hand, if I say, regardless of the consequences, it is morally wrong for a government official to force me to rent a piece of property to you for less than the price at which I would voluntarily rent it, at that point, I am now speaking as a man with values and philosophy. That is to say, you have both principle and expediency involved. The economist talks to the expediency. The philosopher, the ethicist, the human being, talks to the principle.
The Open MindInterview, 1977, The Open Mind, hosted by Richard Heffner, Episode “A Nobel Laureate on the American Economy” (May 3, 1977)Checked against the sourceWatch itThe power to do good is also the power to do harm; those who control the power today may not tomorrow; and, more important, what one man regards as good, another may regard as harm.
Capitalism and FreedomBook, 1962, Introduction, p. 3Not yet checked
Think this quote is wrong, misattributed, or missing context?Report it and it gets fixed, not argued with.