Friedman opposed civil rights legislation because he trusted markets to solve segregation

Evidence

Friedman’s perspective on civil rights was complex. His correspondence from the early 1950s demonstrated a genuine concern with civil rights and a preference for politicians who emphasized the issue. By the time he wrote Capitalism and Freedom, however, he had developed a strong opposition to civil rights legislation. He categorized the problem of segregated schools as one more example of why governmentadministered education was an unwise idea, arguing that much of the social confl ict over desegregation was caused by the absence of institutional alternatives. In Friedman’s view, a world with competing private institutions would be likely to integrate much faster than one with a governmentrun monopoly. His views on schooling aligned with his argument that market costs would provide the most effective impetus to resolve the social problems that racism imposed. “The man who objects to buying from or working alongside a Negro, for example, thereby limits his range of choice,” he explained. “He will generally have to pay a higher price for what he buys or receive a lower return for his work. Or, put the other way, those of us who regard color of skin or religion as irrelevant can buy some things more cheaply as a result.” He believed that the market, over time and aided by continued public discussion, would eventually lead people to act as the advocates of civil rights legislation wished. — Angus Burgin, The Great Persuasion, 509

Categorization

• XREF: Connects to the capitalism-and-racial-discrimination literature (Gary Becker’s economics of discrimination) and contemporary debates framing markets vs. state on racial justice. — connects to: Friedman endorsed Goldwater’s states’-rights framing of civil rights — Angus Burgin, The Great Persuasion: Reinventing Free…, 508; Friedman opposed sanctions because ideal markets ignore race and nationality — Quinn Slobodian, Globalists: The End of Empire and the…, 584
• QUESTION: How did Friedman’s early-1950s pro-civil-rights correspondence and his later opposition relate to the MPS’s engagement with the civil rights movement?

Broader Connections

• Friedman opposed sanctions because ideal markets ignore race and nationality #expands (0.85) — Quinn Slobodian, Globalists, 584