Henry George
began with the ethical premise that all people have an equal
right to the use of the earth. From that he concluded that
exclusive private ownership of land (natural resources) creates
unwarranted special privileges. Furthermore, he observed that
holding land out of production drives down real wages and
the returns to capital equipment. This process is further
exacerbated by taxes on production and income that 1)
increase unemployment, 2) discourage productive
investment, and 3) encourage unproductive
land speculation and rent-seeking. To counteract this self-destructive
system, George advocated shifting taxes from labor and capital
onto the value of land and natural resources.
more
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Progress
and Poverty (1879)
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This
classic bestseller in political economy launched a worldwide
movement for the abolition of privilege and poverty -- by
eliminating the root cause, land monopoly. Ever since the
publication of Progress and Poverty, advocates of
liberty and justice have responded to its clarion call: "To
abolish all taxation save that upon land values. Today,
as policy-makers around the world consider ways to fairly
and efficiently allocate access to Earth's precious resources,
Progress and Poverty takes on new and increasing
relevance. |
Study
Guide |
Henry George's
Progress And Poverty
Notes By Mason Gaffney
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"The progress of civilization requires
that more and more intelligence be devoted to social affairs,
and this not the intelligence of the few, but that of the
many. We cannot safely leave politics to politicians, or political
economy to college professsors. The people themselves must
think, because the people alone can act." (Social
Problems, Chapter I, "The Increasing Importance
of Social Questions".) Many readers consider this collection
of twenty-two essays to be the best introduction to the ideas
of Henry George. |
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You can easily copy and paste passages from
the online works of Henry George to your own website. |
|
Visit our Online Bookstore for these and
other works of Henry George. |
Causes
of Business Depression |
Henry George's contribution to the New York
periodical, Once a Week, March 6, 1894 |
Land
and Taxation |
A conversation between David Dudley Field
and Henry George, first published in the "North American
Review", July, 1885. |
The
Land for the People |
An address delivered on July 11, 1889, in
Toomebridge, County Derry, Ireland |
Ode
to Liberty |
Henry George's celebrated Fourth of July
Oration delivered in San Francisco, 1877. |
A Perplexed Philosopher |
A word version of the text can be found
here.
|
Progress
and Poverty (condensed) |
Key passages from George's classic that present
the essentials of his thesis. Selected and edited by James
L. Busey (1968). |
Scotland
and Scotsmen |
An Address Delivered on February 18, 1884
in the City Hall, Glasgow, Scotland. "There is no natural
reason for poverty." |
The
Single Tax: What It Is and Why We Urge It |
An article published in The Christian
Advocate in 1890 and thereafter reprinted in various
magazines in the United Stated and England. |
"Thy
Kingdom Come" |
A sermon delivered on Sunday, April 28, 1889,
in the City Hall, Glasgow, Scotland. |
