George, Henry (1839–1897)

At one time, the third most famous American (after Thomas Edison and Mark Twain), George was an influential practical philosopher, social critic, and reform proponent of the “single tax” during the progressive error. Despite George's limited education, he was praised for his logic and originality by many prominent intellectuals ranging from Leo Tolstoy to John Dewey.

In his book Progress and Poverty (first published in 1879), George asserted that the ownership of property created poverty by only enriching the owner at the expense of the community. In essence, George believed that land and its wealth belong to all. In this he was akin to the 18th-century physiocrats and their impôt unique, as well as philosophers such as James Mill, John Stuart Mill, and David Ricardo.

As a ...