Liberalism, Not Capital or Exploitation, Made Us Rich

Since the 1800s, a “Great Enrichment” has occurred, dramatically raising human standards of living and life expectancy across the globe. Some would attribute this happy development to the spread of free market capitalism, while others would point to our exploitation of the world’s natural resources. But such reductive conclusions are misguided. The true force behind these strides has been the human creativity unleashed by the spreading of liberty and individual dignity. This rising equality has unleashed our human creativity, resulting in one betterment after another.