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First published 1949

Human Action

Human Action by Ludwig von Mises is available as a free PDF and EPUB download at freecapitalists.org.

Author
Ludwig von Mises
First published
1949
Format
PDF and EPUB
Pages
952
ISBN
9781610161459
License
Published here by permission.

Austrian theory & method

This spectacular edition of the great work has all the makings of a game changer.

The masterpiece first appeared in German in 1940 and then disappeared, only to reappear in English in 1949. It was a sensation, the largest and most scientific defense of human freedom ever published.

And now, in 2010, the seemingly impossible has happened: Human Action, the magnum opus of the ages, is in a pocketbook edition.

History might record that this edition is the one that changed the world. Mises's fantastic and timeless treatise has never been in a more portable, accessible, and giftable edition.

Just imagine: giving or receiving this gem, this treasure, as a stocking stuffer!

This is not an abridged edition. It is the full treatise from front to back, the mind-blowing explanation of the economics of freedom, right in the palm of your hand.

The text is reduced to 80% of the original printing, so that it is still very readable and clean. Essentially nothing is lost in this edition, and much is gained.

In this format, a book that once seemed intimidating is opened up to the reader as never before. Truly, this could change everything. As is well known, Mises's book is the best defense of capitalism ever written. It covers basic economics through the most advanced material. Reading this book is the best way you could ever dream up to learn economics. Every attempt to study economics should include a thorough examination of this book.

Also here, free

Study Guide to Human Action: A Treatise on Economics, a free study guide by Robert P. Murphy working through this book chapter by chapter.

Questions

About this book and this copy

Is Human Action free to download?
Yes. The complete 952-page PDF and EPUB downloads directly from this page (53.1 MB). There is no signup, no account and no paywall.
How long is Human Action?
952 pages, 62 chapters, and about 395,035 words in the edition this archive serves.
Is Human Action in the public domain?
No. This edition is published here by permission and the work itself reserves all rights. It is free to read and download from this archive, but it is not public domain and not Creative Commons.
Who wrote Human Action?
Ludwig von Mises (1881–1973) was the acknowledged leader of the Austrian School of economics and a prolific author on economic theory, epistemology, and political philosophy. This archive holds 53 of von Mises's works.

What's in it

62 chapters · 395,035 words · free to read here

  1. Dedication
  2. Introduction to the Scholar's Edition
  3. Foreword
  4. Acknowledgments
  5. INTRODUCTION 1. Economics and Praxeology
  6. Chapter I. Acting Man
  7. Chapter II. The Epistemological Problems of the Sciences of Human Action
  8. Chapter III. Economics and the Revolt Against Reason
  9. Chapter IV. A First Analysis of the Category of Action
  10. Chapter V. Time
  11. Chapter VI. Uncertainty
  12. Chapter VII. Action Within the World
  13. Chapter VIII. Human Society
  14. Chapter IX. The Role of Ideas
  15. Chapter X. Exchange Within Society
  16. Part Three Economic Calculation XI. VALUATION WITHOUT CALCULATION 1. The Gradation of the Means
  17. Chapter XIV. The Scope and Method of Catallactics
  18. Chapter XV. The Market
  19. Chapter XVI. Prices
  20. Chapter XVII. Indirect Exchange
  21. Chapter XVIII. Action in the Passing of Time
  22. Chapter XIX. The Rate of Interest
  23. Chapter XX. Interest, Credit Expansion, and the Trade Cycle
  24. Chapter XXI. Work and Wages
  25. Chapter XXII. The Nonhuman Original Factors of Production
  26. Chapter XXIII. The Data of the Market
  27. Chapter XXIV. Harmony and Conflict of Interests
  28. Part Five Social Cooperation Without a Market XXV. THE IMAGINARY CONSTRUCTION OF A SOCIALIST SOCIETY 1. The Historical Origin of the Socialist Idea
  29. Chapter XXVII. The Government and the Market
  30. Chapter XXVIII. Interference by Taxation
  31. Chapter XXIX. Restriction of Production
  32. Chapter XXX. Interference with the Structure of Prices
  33. Chapter XXXI. Currency and Credit Manipulation
  34. Chapter XXXII. Confiscation and Redistribution
  35. Chapter XXXIII. Syndicalism and Corporativism
  36. Chapter XXXIV. The Economics of War
  37. Chapter XXXV. The Welfare Principle Versus the Market Principle
  38. Chapter XXXVI. The Crisis of Interventionism
  39. Chapter XXXVII. The Nondescript Character of Economics
  40. Chapter XXXVIII. The Place of Economics in Learning
  41. Chapter XXXIX. Economics and the Essential Problems of Human Existence
  42. Index
  43. A
  44. B
  45. C
  46. D
  47. E
  48. F
  49. G
  50. H
  51. I
  52. L
  53. M
  54. N
  55. P
  56. R
  57. S
  58. T
  59. U
  60. V

All 62 chapters

Portrait of Ludwig von Mises

About the author

Ludwig von Mises 1881–1973

Ludwig von Mises (1881–1973) was the acknowledged leader of the Austrian School of economics and a prolific author on economic theory, epistemology, and political philosophy. Read more about Ludwig von Mises.

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