“That the social life of human beings is subject to definite limitations; that it is governed by a set of laws that are comparable with those of Nature; these are notions that are unknown to the etatist. For the etatist, everything is a question of Macht - power, force, might. And his conception of Macht is crudely materialistic.”

Austrian economist and social theorist of the early-to-mid 20th century, Ludwig von Mises is best known for his rigorous defense of classical liberalism and free-market economics. His work in praxeology—an a priori method of social science—shaped modern libertarian thought, while his critiques of socialism and central planning remain foundational in economic theory.