The idea that political freedom can be preserved in the absence of economic freedom, and vice versa, is an illusion. Political freedom is the corollary of economic freedom.
Each epoch has found in the Gospels what it sought to find there, and has overlooked what it wished to overlook.
Interpretation
What this quote means
People interpret the Gospels based on their own desires and perspectives, often ignoring conflicting messages.
In this quote, Ludwig Von Mises suggests that different historical periods or cultures have approached the Gospels with pre-existing beliefs and objectives. As a result, they have extracted meanings that align with their own needs and aspirations while conveniently ignoring elements that challenge or contradict their views. This highlights the tendency of individuals and societies to conform narratives to their own contexts rather than engaging with diverse interpretations.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion on the influence of religion in society during a community gathering.
More from Ludwig Von Mises
All quotes βWars of aggression are popular nowadays with those nations convinced that only victory and conquest could improve their material well-being.
Only stilted pedants can conceive the idea that there are absolute norms to tell what is beautiful and what is not. They try to derive from the works of the past a code of rules with which, as they fancy, the writers and artists of the future should comply. But the genius does not cooperate with the pundit.
The most serious dangers for American freedom and the American way of life do not come from without.
The public firm can nowhere maintain itself in free competition with the private firm; it is possible today only where it has a monopoly that excludes competition. Even that alone is evidence of its lesser economic productivity.
Whoever prefers life to death, happiness to suffering, well-being to misery must defend without compromise private ownership in the means of production.
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The philosophy I love is very selective. It is really just the bit that is involved in a search for wisdom, and this means a short roll call of names; Socrates, Marcus Aurelius, Seneca, Epicurus, Montaigne, Schopenhauer, Nietzsche.
Our faith is an astounding thing-astounding that I should believe him to be the Son of God who is suspended on the cross, whom I have never seen, with whom I have never become acquainted.
To say that there is patriarchy in Arab culture is not denying women agency.
There are, it has been said, two types of people in the world. There are those who, when presented with a glass that is exactly half full, say: this glass is half full. And then there are those who say: this glass is half empty. The world belongs, however, to those who can look at the glass and say: What's up with this glass? Excuse me? Excuse me? This is my glass? I don't think so. My glass was full! And it was a bigger glass! Who's been pinching my beer?
This is a steady, ceaseless process, impossible to contain as long as the economy driven by the endless accumulation of capital. The system may prolong its life by slowing down some of the activities which are wearing it out, but death always looms somewhere on the horizon.
Though both are bound in the spiral dance, I would rather be a cyborg than a goddess.