In 1955, two years before his writing famous “I, Pencil,” Leonard E. Read wrote an essay on golf and curling that illustrates the importance of keeping exchange at the forefront of economic thought.
FEE’s founder was an avid golfer and curler. His point in the essay, however, is not solely about sports but also about the importance of uninhibited exchange. Human beings are social creatures; we rely on each other. The wealth we create is a result of exchange. Yes, individual performances matter, but it is through the division of labor, specialization, and exchange that we have amassed the wealth we have. We need to be free because we depend on our creative energies (individual performance) and the interaction and cooperation of those energies (team play) for all the benefits of living in society.
To read Leonard Read’s essay click here.
