Milton Friedman

Explore inspiring quotes by Milton Friedman, a remarkable figure whose words continue to inspire and motivate people around the world.

Total Quotes

Top Categories by Milton Friedman

Discover the themes and topics this author explores most

government

13 quotes

freedom

5 quotes

work

3 quotes

politics

3 quotes

power

2 quotes

finance

2 quotes

good

2 quotes

great

2 quotes

Featured Quotes by Milton Friedman

Some of the most memorable quotes from this author

"The greatest advances of civilization, whether in architecture or painting, in science and literature, in industry or agriculture, have never come from centralized government."

— Milton Friedmanarchitecture

"The only relevant test of the validity of a hypothesis is comparison of prediction with experience."

— Milton Friedmanexperience

"I am favor of cutting taxes under any circumstances and for any excuse, for any reason, whenever it's possible."

— Milton Friedmanfinance

"Inflation is taxation without legislation."

— Milton Friedmanfinance

"Every friend of freedom must be as revolted as I am by the prospect of turning the United States into an armed camp, by the vision of jails filled with casual drug users and of an army of enforcers empowered to invade the liberty of citizens on slight evidence."

— Milton Friedmanfreedom

"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 Friedmanfreedom

All Quotes by Milton Friedman

Browse all quotes from this author

"The greatest advances of civilization, whether in architecture or painting, in science and literature, in industry or agriculture, have never come from centralized government."

-Milton Friedman

architectureView Quote

"The only relevant test of the validity of a hypothesis is comparison of prediction with experience."

-Milton Friedman

experienceView Quote

"I am favor of cutting taxes under any circumstances and for any excuse, for any reason, whenever it's possible."

-Milton Friedman

financeView Quote

"Inflation is taxation without legislation."

-Milton Friedman

financeView Quote

"Every friend of freedom must be as revolted as I am by the prospect of turning the United States into an armed camp, by the vision of jails filled with casual drug users and of an army of enforcers empowered to invade the liberty of citizens on slight evidence."

-Milton Friedman

freedomView Quote

"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

freedomView Quote

"A major source of objection to a free economy is precisely that group thinks they ought to want. Underlying most arguments against the free market is a lack of belief in freedom itself."

-Milton Friedman

freedomView Quote

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

-Milton Friedman

freedomView Quote

"History suggests that capitalism is a necessary condition for political freedom. Clearly it is not a sufficient condition."

-Milton Friedman

freedomView Quote

"Concentrated power is not rendered harmless by the good intentions of those who create it."

-Milton Friedman

goodView Quote

"Only government can take perfectly good paper, cover it with perfectly good ink and make the combination worthless."

-Milton Friedman

goodView Quote

"So that the record of history is absolutely crystal clear. That there is no alternative way, so far discovered, of improving the lot of the ordinary people that can hold a candle to the productive activities that are unleashed by a free enterprise system."

-Milton Friedman

governmentView Quote

"The government solution to a problem is usually as bad as the problem."

-Milton Friedman

governmentView Quote

"Governments never learn. Only people learn."

-Milton Friedman

governmentView Quote

"If you put the federal government in charge of the Sahara Desert, in 5 years there'd be a shortage of sand."

-Milton Friedman

governmentView Quote

"Only government can take perfectly good paper, cover it with perfectly good ink and make the combination worthless."

-Milton Friedman

governmentView Quote

"Many people want the government to protect the consumer. A much more urgent problem is to protect the consumer from the government."

-Milton Friedman

governmentView Quote

"The Great Depression, like most other periods of severe unemployment, was produced by government mismanagement rather than by any inherent instability of the private economy."

-Milton Friedman

governmentView Quote

"The greatest advances of civilization, whether in architecture or painting, in science and literature, in industry or agriculture, have never come from centralized government."

-Milton Friedman

governmentView Quote

"The world runs on individuals pursuing their self interests. The great achievements of civilization have not come from government bureaus. Einstein didn't construct his theory under order from a, from a bureaucrat. Henry Ford didn't revolutionize the automobile industry that way."

-Milton Friedman

governmentView Quote

"Nothing is so permanent as a temporary government program."

-Milton Friedman

governmentView Quote

"Most of the energy of political work is devoted to correcting the effects of mismanagement of government."

-Milton Friedman

governmentView Quote

"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

governmentView Quote

"The most important ways in which I think the Internet will affect the big issue is that it will make it more difficult for government to collect taxes."

-Milton Friedman

governmentView Quote

"The Great Depression, like most other periods of severe unemployment, was produced by government mismanagement rather than by any inherent instability of the private economy."

-Milton Friedman

greatView Quote

"The world runs on individuals pursuing their self interests. The great achievements of civilization have not come from government bureaus. Einstein didn't construct his theory under order from a, from a bureaucrat. Henry Ford didn't revolutionize the automobile industry that way."

-Milton Friedman

greatView Quote

"So that the record of history is absolutely crystal clear. That there is no alternative way, so far discovered, of improving the lot of the ordinary people that can hold a candle to the productive activities that are unleashed by a free enterprise system."

-Milton Friedman

historyView Quote

"History suggests that capitalism is a necessary condition for political freedom. Clearly it is not a sufficient condition."

-Milton Friedman

historyView Quote

"Universities exist to transmit knowledge and understanding of ideas and values to students not to provide entertainment for spectators or employment for athletes."

-Milton Friedman

knowledgeView Quote

"If you put the federal government in charge of the Sahara Desert, in 5 years there'd be a shortage of sand."

-Milton Friedman

politicsView Quote

"Only government can take perfectly good paper, cover it with perfectly good ink and make the combination worthless."

-Milton Friedman

politicsView Quote

"Hell hath no fury like a bureaucrat scorned."

-Milton Friedman

politicsView Quote

"Concentrated power is not rendered harmless by the good intentions of those who create it."

-Milton Friedman

powerView Quote

"The power to do good is also the power to do harm."

-Milton Friedman

powerView Quote

"The greatest advances of civilization, whether in architecture or painting, in science and literature, in industry or agriculture, have never come from centralized government."

-Milton Friedman

scienceView Quote

"We have a system that increasingly taxes work and subsidizes nonwork."

-Milton Friedman

societyView Quote

"Well first of all, tell me, is there some society you know of that doesn't run on greed? You think Russia doesn't run on greed? You think China doesn't run on greed? What is greed?"

-Milton Friedman

societyView Quote

"We have a system that increasingly taxes work and subsidizes nonwork."

-Milton Friedman

workView Quote

"Most of the energy of political work is devoted to correcting the effects of mismanagement of government."

-Milton Friedman

workView Quote

"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

workView Quote

Other Authors to Explore

Explore more inspiring authors

View All Authors

Milton Friedman

Top Categories by Milton Friedman

government

freedom

work

politics

power

finance

good

great

Featured Quotes by Milton Friedman

All Quotes by Milton Friedman

"The greatest advances of civilization, whether in architecture or painting, in science and literature, in industry or agriculture, have never come from centralized government."

"The only relevant test of the validity of a hypothesis is comparison of prediction with experience."

"I am favor of cutting taxes under any circumstances and for any excuse, for any reason, whenever it's possible."

"Inflation is taxation without legislation."

"Every friend of freedom must be as revolted as I am by the prospect of turning the United States into an armed camp, by the vision of jails filled with casual drug users and of an army of enforcers empowered to invade the liberty of citizens on slight evidence."

"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."

"A major source of objection to a free economy is precisely that group thinks they ought to want. Underlying most arguments against the free market is a lack of belief in freedom itself."

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

"History suggests that capitalism is a necessary condition for political freedom. Clearly it is not a sufficient condition."

"Concentrated power is not rendered harmless by the good intentions of those who create it."

"Only government can take perfectly good paper, cover it with perfectly good ink and make the combination worthless."

"So that the record of history is absolutely crystal clear. That there is no alternative way, so far discovered, of improving the lot of the ordinary people that can hold a candle to the productive activities that are unleashed by a free enterprise system."

"The government solution to a problem is usually as bad as the problem."

"Governments never learn. Only people learn."

"If you put the federal government in charge of the Sahara Desert, in 5 years there'd be a shortage of sand."

"Only government can take perfectly good paper, cover it with perfectly good ink and make the combination worthless."

"Many people want the government to protect the consumer. A much more urgent problem is to protect the consumer from the government."

"The Great Depression, like most other periods of severe unemployment, was produced by government mismanagement rather than by any inherent instability of the private economy."

"The greatest advances of civilization, whether in architecture or painting, in science and literature, in industry or agriculture, have never come from centralized government."

"The world runs on individuals pursuing their self interests. The great achievements of civilization have not come from government bureaus. Einstein didn't construct his theory under order from a, from a bureaucrat. Henry Ford didn't revolutionize the automobile industry that way."

"Nothing is so permanent as a temporary government program."

"Most of the energy of political work is devoted to correcting the effects of mismanagement of government."

"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."

"The most important ways in which I think the Internet will affect the big issue is that it will make it more difficult for government to collect taxes."

"The Great Depression, like most other periods of severe unemployment, was produced by government mismanagement rather than by any inherent instability of the private economy."

"The world runs on individuals pursuing their self interests. The great achievements of civilization have not come from government bureaus. Einstein didn't construct his theory under order from a, from a bureaucrat. Henry Ford didn't revolutionize the automobile industry that way."

"So that the record of history is absolutely crystal clear. That there is no alternative way, so far discovered, of improving the lot of the ordinary people that can hold a candle to the productive activities that are unleashed by a free enterprise system."

"History suggests that capitalism is a necessary condition for political freedom. Clearly it is not a sufficient condition."

"Universities exist to transmit knowledge and understanding of ideas and values to students not to provide entertainment for spectators or employment for athletes."

"If you put the federal government in charge of the Sahara Desert, in 5 years there'd be a shortage of sand."

"Only government can take perfectly good paper, cover it with perfectly good ink and make the combination worthless."

"Hell hath no fury like a bureaucrat scorned."

"Concentrated power is not rendered harmless by the good intentions of those who create it."

"The power to do good is also the power to do harm."

"The greatest advances of civilization, whether in architecture or painting, in science and literature, in industry or agriculture, have never come from centralized government."

"We have a system that increasingly taxes work and subsidizes nonwork."

"Well first of all, tell me, is there some society you know of that doesn't run on greed? You think Russia doesn't run on greed? You think China doesn't run on greed? What is greed?"

"We have a system that increasingly taxes work and subsidizes nonwork."

"Most of the energy of political work is devoted to correcting the effects of mismanagement of government."

"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."

Related Authors

Henry David Thoreau

Mitt Romney

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Friedrich Nietzsche

Mahatma Gandhi

George Bernard Shaw

Albert Einstein

Thomas Jefferson

Jerry Saltz

Plato

Aristotle

Barack Obama

Oscar Wilde

Benjamin Franklin

John F. Kennedy

Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Mark Twain

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Voltaire

Bertrand Russell

Other Authors to Explore

Bob Lemon

Lindsey Graham

Jennifer Sky

Dixie Carter

Chris Ware

Evan Parker