Civilization

What distinguishes civilized man from a barbarian must be acquired by every individual anew.

Theory and History, p. 293

What distinguishes man from animals is the insight into the advantages that can be derived from cooperation under the division of labor. Man curbs his innate instinct of aggression in order to cooperate with other human beings. The more he wants to improve his material well-being, the more he must expand the system of the division of labor.

Human Action, p. 827; p. 831

Modern civilization is a product of the philosophy of laissez faire. It cannot be preserved under the ideology of government omnipotence.

Human Action, p. 828; p. 832

Civilization is a product of leisure and the peace of mind that only the division of labour can make possible.

Socialism, p. 271

For society is nothing but collaboration.

Socialism, p. 281

Civilization is a work of peaceful co-operation.

Socialism, p. 291

Man is born an asocial and antisocial being. The newborn child is a savage. Egoism is his nature. Only the experience of life and the teachings of his parents, his brothers, sisters, playmates, and later of other people force him to acknowledge the advantages of social cooperation and accordingly to change his behavior. The savage thus turns toward civilization and citizenship.

Omnipotent Government, p. 241

The foundation of any and every civilization, including our own, is private ownership of the means of production. Whoever wishes to criticize modern civilization, therefore, begins with private property.

Liberalism, p. 63

Modern civilization will not perish unless it does so by its own act of self-destruction. No external enemy can destroy it the way the Spaniards once destroyed the civilization of the Aztecs, for no one on earth can match his strength against the standard-bearers of modern civilization. Only inner enemies can threaten it. It can come to an end only if the ideas of liberalism are supplanted by an antiliberal ideology hostile to social cooperation.

Liberalism, pp. 188–89