Silvio Gesell

Silvio Gesell (17.3.1862 - 11.3.1930)

His main work on economic matters is entitled ‘Die Natürliche Wirtschaftsordnung’ [1] (Rudolf Zitzmann Verlag, ISBN 3-87937-090-7) available for DM 29,-- from "Der Dritte Weg", Feldstrasse 46, D-20357 Hamburg. This work - The Natural Economic Order - is also available in English translations on the web [2]. The book is also available in Spanish language [3].

John Maynard Keynes adopted some of the ideas of Gesell, saying at one point: "I believe that the future will learn more from the spirit of Gesell than it will learn from that of Marx".

And here a very apt quote from Harper’s Magazine: (which I found in German and re-translated into English)

"If Karl Marx can be called the prophet of socialism, Silvio Gesell can be seen as the prophet of a free private economy. But oddly enough, few businessmen have ever heard of Gesell; he has been consistently neglected by orthodox economic theorists and not one nation has put his teachings into practice. Of course there are reasons for this; but nevertheless the day may come when we realise this to have been one of the greatest ironies of world history.

Most people believe in freedom in theory and many have given their lives for it. But in practice, most people seem to seek freedom only for themselves, for their group or class, but still desiring power and control over others, even to the extent of accepting the danger of social unrest, revolution or war. Silvio Gesell wanted freedom for all and like others in the past whose call was directed to mankind as a whole, he found devoted followers in all countries, but no party that fought for his ideas. It is time such a party was founded."