The Role of the Intellectuals

The role of the intellectual is a perennial question. Why do they act the way they do? Why are they hostile to the free market? Is the state really virtuous and the market really vicious? Mises thought the anti-capitalist mentality was rooted in envy. He also thought our entire culture was soaked in contempt for money-making.

Intellectuals were so willing to accept any negative story about big business that the myth that German big business financed the Nazis is still holds sway. The people who determine ideology in our country are people who know nothing about business.

From the 2001 History of Liberty seminar.