2012 Reprint of 1962 Edition. Exact facsimile of the original edition, not reproduced with Optical Recognition Software. "The Free and Prosperous Commonwealth" is an influential book by Austrian School economist and libertarian thinker Ludwig von Mises, containing economic analysis and a strong critique of socialism. Starting from the principle of private property, Mises shows how the other classical liberal freedoms follow from property rights and argues that liberalism free of government intervention is required to promote peace, social harmony and the general welfare.