The Road to Serfdom by F.A. Hayak

So, I don't know if you know this about me but I've been trying to read alot and learn about history and politics and what not. I've heard for quite a while now alot about The Road to Serfdom and so I finally got around to reading it. I highly recommend it, especially if you want to understand what true/classical Liberalism was really all about. The word has been so tainted, misunderstood and abused that society at large as little to no understanding of it. Liberal has that same root as liberty. Hayak does a great job of explaining his position and the importance of Liberalism in Democracy. I have a lot of respect for Classical Liberalism.

Hayak wrote the book as WWII was ending. There is quite a bit in there about how Nazi Germany came about, and how much of the same philosophy that led to Nazism had been already spreading around Europe. Sadly much of that trend has continued though with less horrific results.

He being Liberal and I being Conservative there are some things that I didn't exactly agree with :) But, it was really valuable to read that real Liberal perspective and there was a whole heck of a lot that I did agree with. Here are some quotes that I found to be spot on. On the importance of having freedom to succeed and to fail, "Either both the choice and the risk rest with the individual or he is relieved of both." On Humility, "Individualism is thus and attitude of humility before the social process and of tolerance to other opinions and is the exact opposite of that intellectual hubris which is at the root of the demand for comprehensive direction of the social process." On morals and freedom, "What our generation is in danger of forgetting is not only that morals are of necessity a phenomenon of individual conduct but also that they can exist only in the sphere in which the individual is free to decide for himself and is called upon voluntarily to sacrifice personal advantage to the observance of a moral rule."

Excellent read.