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The Noblest Triumph: Property and Prosperity Through the Ages
In The Noblest Triumph, Tom Bethell looks at the history of property rights and shows that the key role played by the institution of private property has been misunderstood by Western elites for more than a century. Beginning with the ancient Greeks and arriving at the present day, Bethell looks at basic ideas about property found in the writings of Plato, Adam Smith, Blackstone, Bentham, Marx, Mill, and others. He shows that the institution of property is inextricably tied to traditional conceptions of justice and liberty, and he argues that prosperity and civilization can only arise where private property is securely held by the people. The Noblest Triumph is an indispensable book for anyone interested in this fundamental aspect of civilization and the progress of humankind through the ages.
384 pages, Paperback
First published December 1, 1998
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About the author
Tom Bethell
16 books13 followersTom Bethell is a senior editor at the American Spectator. He has contributed to many publications, including the New York Times magazine, Atlantic Monthly, Harper’s, Crisis, and National Review. He writes often on science. Tom Wolfe has called Bethell “one of our most brilliant essayists.”
Bethell was born and raised in England and graduated from Oxford University in 1962 with a degree in philosophy, physiology, and psychology. He lives in Washington, D.C.
Bethell was born and raised in England and graduated from Oxford University in 1962 with a degree in philosophy, physiology, and psychology. He lives in Washington, D.C.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
September 21, 2017
Mister Bethell researched his book, well, and his research deserves five stars. People, like me, who want facts, and answers to historical questions, like what causes America's prosperity, should read this book.
I gave the book three stars, because the author writes mostly in the passive voice, and uses many large words, which made reading difficult for me. I read several chapters, before my brain tired of translating the author's words into simple words that I could understand, and remember, easily. I keep the book on my kitchen table, because I hope, someday, to finish reading it.
I gave the book three stars, because the author writes mostly in the passive voice, and uses many large words, which made reading difficult for me. I read several chapters, before my brain tired of translating the author's words into simple words that I could understand, and remember, easily. I keep the book on my kitchen table, because I hope, someday, to finish reading it.
March 17, 2023
Essential text for all those seeking to understand the sources of economic growth.
May 15, 2017
This book provides a wealth of information about property ownership through the ages. It makes some great points about stewardship and legal protections, although it overreaches a bit when it tries to make the case for a 100% free market.
March 7, 2013
Long hiatus from when I first started and yet somehow it only enriched the experience when I finally did return.
Initially, as goes history, it seemed to follow an almost boring repetitive theme: People who have no rights to their property or even to their person (AKA slaves) have no incentive to be productive. On a similar note, another topic were discussions such as land use rights with a "use it or lose it" theme. Much like government bureaucrats making sure their department's budget does not get slashed, they consume all that is allocated to them despite higher potential uses for those resources. (IE California farmers during a drought who did not need the water versus cities that did.)
Book also noticeably discusses a little talked about explanation for the Middle East's development versus the West over the past couple centuries where they have poor property rights and rulers who are free to confiscate land at will and prefer to keep alert to dangers posed by the populace.
The other intriguing topic (might say well ahead of the curve for the time) was discussing intellectual property where market forces are pushing toward unfettered free market capitalism even as authors/rights holders try to be more aggressive. (To think this book was first published well before Napster became a household name.) Not mentioned, but as is discussed in other books is how companies such as Microsoft can claim to be "victims" of "piracy" and yet companies in China and elsewhere that first begin on illegal copies of their software become addicted to it versus had they been stuck either paying for it or finding some alternative where they may very well have opted for the latter. So once the companies mature and push for greater legitimacy (or figure the risk of fines outweighs the benefit), they then become the loyal customers. Personally I think there will still be a demand for physical copies much like public libraries never seemed to diminish demand.
Overall this book does seem like almost a treatise in its specifics and yet also quite nicely tells the story of how when you remove the incentives to behave prudently, you should expect the results. (Especially government agencies that also face election risk and lack as much foresight as people pretend they have and similarly universities who tenure and refuse to fire people for the sake of harmony unless the folks they deny tenure to or quickly show the door to have opposing political views or some other rather petty difference.)
Initially, as goes history, it seemed to follow an almost boring repetitive theme: People who have no rights to their property or even to their person (AKA slaves) have no incentive to be productive. On a similar note, another topic were discussions such as land use rights with a "use it or lose it" theme. Much like government bureaucrats making sure their department's budget does not get slashed, they consume all that is allocated to them despite higher potential uses for those resources. (IE California farmers during a drought who did not need the water versus cities that did.)
Book also noticeably discusses a little talked about explanation for the Middle East's development versus the West over the past couple centuries where they have poor property rights and rulers who are free to confiscate land at will and prefer to keep alert to dangers posed by the populace.
The other intriguing topic (might say well ahead of the curve for the time) was discussing intellectual property where market forces are pushing toward unfettered free market capitalism even as authors/rights holders try to be more aggressive. (To think this book was first published well before Napster became a household name.) Not mentioned, but as is discussed in other books is how companies such as Microsoft can claim to be "victims" of "piracy" and yet companies in China and elsewhere that first begin on illegal copies of their software become addicted to it versus had they been stuck either paying for it or finding some alternative where they may very well have opted for the latter. So once the companies mature and push for greater legitimacy (or figure the risk of fines outweighs the benefit), they then become the loyal customers. Personally I think there will still be a demand for physical copies much like public libraries never seemed to diminish demand.
Overall this book does seem like almost a treatise in its specifics and yet also quite nicely tells the story of how when you remove the incentives to behave prudently, you should expect the results. (Especially government agencies that also face election risk and lack as much foresight as people pretend they have and similarly universities who tenure and refuse to fire people for the sake of harmony unless the folks they deny tenure to or quickly show the door to have opposing political views or some other rather petty difference.)
August 9, 2009
Tom Bethel's Book, The Noblest Triumph, is an accessible accounting of the central role of property in the American conception of liberty. What this book did for me was enable me to see the distinction in the American polity between individual liberty as enjoyment rights to a piece of individually owned property, one's own land for example, that exists in tension with America's other conception of liberty, that of economic liberty, which confers rights to capital that emphasize future use rather than present enjoyment of the parcel in contention.
This helped me come to this discovery:
Individual property owners under the threat of eminent domain proceedings, posess an unstable access to enjoyment liberties to their land or Property, meaning that property law evolved in America by building into it a future tense. Property law has a future tense.
A good book, a re-readable volume that is also a reference book for research
This helped me come to this discovery:
Individual property owners under the threat of eminent domain proceedings, posess an unstable access to enjoyment liberties to their land or Property, meaning that property law evolved in America by building into it a future tense. Property law has a future tense.
A good book, a re-readable volume that is also a reference book for research
March 10, 2014
Another very property-focused book, The Noblest Triumph looks at history through the lens of private property. Bethell tries to explain human catastrophes from the Irish potato famine to the political and economic stagnation of the Islamic world as results of an insecure private property regime. One of my favorite examples was the desertification of Northern Africa (which had been a verdant and fertile land in Roman times under a secure private property regime). Bethell also conducts a devastating analysis of the failures of communal living experiments - particularly the New Harmony settlement in the USA.
My favorite quote from the whole book was: "Give a man a little square of the desert and in 10 years he'll turn it into a garden. Give a man a garden on a 10 year lease and he'll turn it into a desert.
My favorite quote from the whole book was: "Give a man a little square of the desert and in 10 years he'll turn it into a garden. Give a man a garden on a 10 year lease and he'll turn it into a desert.
May 7, 2009
A historical examination of the central role that the institution of property rights plays in securing peace and prosperity. Well written. Logically presented. Anyone who defends socialism, social democracy, or any form of welfare state must be able to counter the evidence and arguments presented in this book.
July 16, 2007
Excellent history about Property !
The Declaration of Independence was originally written to say, "... life, liberty and property" but "property" was later unfortunately changed to "the pursuit of happiness" -- we should have kept "property".
"Property" is the foundation of civilization.
The Declaration of Independence was originally written to say, "... life, liberty and property" but "property" was later unfortunately changed to "the pursuit of happiness" -- we should have kept "property".
"Property" is the foundation of civilization.
Want to read
August 18, 2009"extraordinary" -- Hernando DeSoto, The Mystery of Capital
Read
September 23, 2010The Noblest Triumph: Property and Prosperity Through the Ages by Tom Bethell (1999)
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews