332 Conclusionof Trilogy
efficiencycroppedup. Thermalefficiencyrefersto the amountof thermalenergythe
entrepreneur’s operationsput intomotion,versusthe storedenergythatremainsun-
tapped,as the fuelis burned.Themoreenergygoesuntapped,the moreinputsgo to
wasteas the fuelis burned.By reducingthe wastebyproducts—puttingmoreenergyto
workper everyunitof inputs—the entrepreneurcommensuratelyreduceshis costswhile
maintainingor increasinghis productiveoutputandrevenue.WhenNewcomendiedin
1729,the thermalefficiencyof his steamenginewasno morethanhalf of one percent.By
1821,JamesWatt’s steamengineoperatedat the thermalefficiencyof 4 percent.^3 In terms
of percentagepoints,thatsoundssmall.But this meansthatfrom 1729 to 1821,the ther-
mal efficiencyof steamenginesincreasedeightfold.Thanksto Wattimprovingthe ther-
mal efficiencyof steamengines,it followedthatindustrialistscouldproducegreaterand
greatervaluefor customerswhileusingup ever-smallerand ever-fewerinputsof natural
resourcesfor everyunitof product.AndRudolfDieseland subsequentengineersfurther
improvedthe thermalefficiencyof engines.By Januaryof 1897,RudolfDiesel’s internal
combustionengineoperatedat a thermalefficiencyof 26.2 percent.^4 Thermalefficiencyin
1897 wasthereforeoversix-foldwhatit wasin 1821andoverfifty-foldwhatit wasin
1729.Insofaras freedomremains,the trendovertimeis for moreunitsof utility—value—
to be producedper the samequantityof materialinputted.
Yet,despitethe economicrealities,Rousseau’s misconceptionspersistas I typethese
words,bothin radicalactivistgroupsand,to a lesserbut still frighteningextent,main-
streampoliticiansin power.First,let us observethe misconceptionsalivewithradical
activistgroups.An anti-globalizationoutfitcallingitselfthe GreenAnarchyCollective
declares,“Priorto civilizationtheregenerallyexistedampleleisuretime,considerable
genderautonomyandequality,a non-destructiveapproachto the naturalworld,the
absenceof organizedviolence,... andstronghealthandrobusticity.Civilizationinaugu-
ratedwarfare,the subjugationof women,populationgrowth,drudgework,conceptsof
property,entrenchedhierarchies,and virtuallyeveryknowndisease,to namea few of its
devastatingderivatives.Civilizationbeginswithand relieson an enforcedrenunciationof
instinctualfreedom.”^5
The declamationof Rousseau’s thatI quotedtakesno inventoryof the facts.The same
appliesto the GreenAnarchymanifestoI quoted.Werethereneveran implicitformof
personalproperty,nobodywouldbe ableto nourishhimselfwiththe fruitsof the Earth.
In this particularrecountingof history,Rousseaudoublyfailsto considerthat earlytribal
societieshad in somecasesan implicitconceptionof privateownership.Thisis particular-
ly odd,consideringthatthe Huguenotphilosopherwouldhalf-heartedlyconcedethe
rightnessof homesteadingyearslater,onlythento reassertthateconomicandpolitical
collectivismmusttrumpindividualpropertyrights.Moreover,we spotthe errorin Rous-
seauandMarxandOsamabin Ladenblamingprivatepropertyrightsfor economic“in-
equality” andfor helpingthe richbecomericherandthe poorpoorer.Theamountof
freedomin the economydirectlycorrelateswiththe abilityof the poorto exercisetheir
ownprivatepropertyrightsso that theymayraisetheirownlivingstandards.
RousseausurmisedthatJohnLockewasbasicallycorrectthatprivatepropertyrights
couldnot existin the absenceof a SocialContract.Rousseaujudgedfromthis thatthe
SocialContractitselfwasthe sourceof rights,andthata properSocialContractcould
nullifytheserights.He alsoinferredthatthosewhofirstestablishedthe legalinstitutions
of landtitlehadauthoredthis originalSocialContractof whichLockehadwritten.But
whereasLockeconsidereda pro-propertySocialContractto be just,Rousseaudid not.
Hencethe Huguenotphilosophercalledfor the originalSocialContractthatLockeem-
bracedto be shreddedand replacedwitha newSocialContractthat forcedsocialcollecti-
vismandcensorshipon everyone.^6 Heedthe wordsof VictorKlemperer(1881–1960),a
JewishscholarandEnlightenmenthistorianwhoresidedin Germanyduringthe Nazis’