Daniel Stedman Jones
- Published in print:
- 2014
- Published Online:
- October 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780691161013
- eISBN:
- 9781400851836
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Princeton University Press
- DOI:
- 10.23943/princeton/9780691161013.003.0003
- Subject:
- History, American History: 20th Century
This chapter illustrates how Friedrich Hayek began to develop an intellectual and organizational strategy to protect and maintain “the free society” as World War II drew to an end. His strategy ...
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This chapter illustrates how Friedrich Hayek began to develop an intellectual and organizational strategy to protect and maintain “the free society” as World War II drew to an end. His strategy looked to the influence of the early twentieth-century American progressives and British Fabian socialists and argued that defenders of liberty would have to develop a similar organizational and intellectual strategy. The result of Hayek's efforts was that a sympathetic group of intellectuals from Paris, Austria, Switzerland, Germany, Manchester, the LSE, and Chicago came together under his leadership to form a kind of neoliberal international. The group called itself the Mont Pelerin Society after the venue of its first meeting, which was held in Vevey, Switzerland.Less
This chapter illustrates how Friedrich Hayek began to develop an intellectual and organizational strategy to protect and maintain “the free society” as World War II drew to an end. His strategy looked to the influence of the early twentieth-century American progressives and British Fabian socialists and argued that defenders of liberty would have to develop a similar organizational and intellectual strategy. The result of Hayek's efforts was that a sympathetic group of intellectuals from Paris, Austria, Switzerland, Germany, Manchester, the LSE, and Chicago came together under his leadership to form a kind of neoliberal international. The group called itself the Mont Pelerin Society after the venue of its first meeting, which was held in Vevey, Switzerland.
Roland Kley
- Published in print:
- 1994
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780198279167
- eISBN:
- 9780191684289
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198279167.001.0001
- Subject:
- Political Science, Political Theory
This book examines the work of one of the most controversial figures in recent social and political thought. Revered by some as the most important 20th century theorist of the free society, Friedrich ...
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This book examines the work of one of the most controversial figures in recent social and political thought. Revered by some as the most important 20th century theorist of the free society, Friedrich A. Hayek has been reviled by others as a mere reactionary. The book offers a clear exposition and balanced assessment that judges Hayek's theory on its own merits. This book argues that the key to understanding Hayek lies in an appreciation of the proper link between descriptive social science and normative political theory. It probes the idea of a spontaneous order and other notions central to Hayek's thought and concludes that they are unable to provide the ‘scientific’ foundation Hayek seeks for his liberalism. By drawing out the distinctive character of Hayek's thought, the book presents a picture of this important social and political theorist.Less
This book examines the work of one of the most controversial figures in recent social and political thought. Revered by some as the most important 20th century theorist of the free society, Friedrich A. Hayek has been reviled by others as a mere reactionary. The book offers a clear exposition and balanced assessment that judges Hayek's theory on its own merits. This book argues that the key to understanding Hayek lies in an appreciation of the proper link between descriptive social science and normative political theory. It probes the idea of a spontaneous order and other notions central to Hayek's thought and concludes that they are unable to provide the ‘scientific’ foundation Hayek seeks for his liberalism. By drawing out the distinctive character of Hayek's thought, the book presents a picture of this important social and political theorist.
Roland Kley
- Published in print:
- 1994
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780198279167
- eISBN:
- 9780191684289
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198279167.003.0001
- Subject:
- Political Science, Political Theory
This book examines the liberal political philosophy and social theory of Friedrich A. Hayek (1899–1991). According to Hayek, liberalism derives from the discovery of a self-generating or spontaneous ...
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This book examines the liberal political philosophy and social theory of Friedrich A. Hayek (1899–1991). According to Hayek, liberalism derives from the discovery of a self-generating or spontaneous order in social affairs, an order which makes it possible to utilise the knowledge and skill of all members of society to a much greater extent than would be possible in any order created by central direction. Hayek argues that there are basically only two rival political doctrines, liberalism and socialism. Hayek concedes that in one respect the ends of liberalism and socialism do diverge: only socialism, but not liberalism, aims at an ideal of distributive justice. Hayek's instrumental approach is unique in contemporary liberal political philosophy. Reading Hayek in an instrumentalist light brings into focus, above all, his social theory.Less
This book examines the liberal political philosophy and social theory of Friedrich A. Hayek (1899–1991). According to Hayek, liberalism derives from the discovery of a self-generating or spontaneous order in social affairs, an order which makes it possible to utilise the knowledge and skill of all members of society to a much greater extent than would be possible in any order created by central direction. Hayek argues that there are basically only two rival political doctrines, liberalism and socialism. Hayek concedes that in one respect the ends of liberalism and socialism do diverge: only socialism, but not liberalism, aims at an ideal of distributive justice. Hayek's instrumental approach is unique in contemporary liberal political philosophy. Reading Hayek in an instrumentalist light brings into focus, above all, his social theory.
Jamie Peck
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- January 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780199580576
- eISBN:
- 9780191595240
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199580576.001.0001
- Subject:
- Business and Management, Political Economy
Amongst intellectuals and activists, neoliberalism has become a potent signifier for the kind of free-market thinking that has dominated politics for the past three decades. Forever associated with ...
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Amongst intellectuals and activists, neoliberalism has become a potent signifier for the kind of free-market thinking that has dominated politics for the past three decades. Forever associated with the conviction politics of Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher, the free-market project has since become synonymous with the ‘Washington Consensus’ on international development policy and the phenomenon of corporate globalization, where it has come to mean privatization, deregulation, and the opening up of new markets. But beyond its utility as a protest slogan as a shorthand signifier for the political-economic Zeitgeist, what do we know about where neoliberalism came from and how it spread? Who are the neoliberals, and why do they studiously avoid the label? This book presents a radical critique of the free-market project, from its origins in the first half of the 20th century through to its near-death experience in the recent global economic crisis, from the utopian dreams of Friedrich von Hayek, through the dogmatic theories of Milton Friedman and the Chicago School, to the hope and hubris of Obamanomics. The book traces how neoliberalism went from crank science to common sense in the period between the Great Depression and the age of Obama. It is an exploration of the antisocial life of the free-market project, examined in its cradles of invention and in its zones of extension and contestation. In the process, the book elaborates (and puts to work) an understanding of neoliberalism as an adaptive, unevenly developed regulatory project.Less
Amongst intellectuals and activists, neoliberalism has become a potent signifier for the kind of free-market thinking that has dominated politics for the past three decades. Forever associated with the conviction politics of Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher, the free-market project has since become synonymous with the ‘Washington Consensus’ on international development policy and the phenomenon of corporate globalization, where it has come to mean privatization, deregulation, and the opening up of new markets. But beyond its utility as a protest slogan as a shorthand signifier for the political-economic Zeitgeist, what do we know about where neoliberalism came from and how it spread? Who are the neoliberals, and why do they studiously avoid the label? This book presents a radical critique of the free-market project, from its origins in the first half of the 20th century through to its near-death experience in the recent global economic crisis, from the utopian dreams of Friedrich von Hayek, through the dogmatic theories of Milton Friedman and the Chicago School, to the hope and hubris of Obamanomics. The book traces how neoliberalism went from crank science to common sense in the period between the Great Depression and the age of Obama. It is an exploration of the antisocial life of the free-market project, examined in its cradles of invention and in its zones of extension and contestation. In the process, the book elaborates (and puts to work) an understanding of neoliberalism as an adaptive, unevenly developed regulatory project.
Roland Kley
- Published in print:
- 1994
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780198279167
- eISBN:
- 9780191684289
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198279167.003.0009
- Subject:
- Political Science, Political Theory
Friedrich A. Hayek thinks liberalism is the right political doctrine because, unlike socialism and other collectivist creeds, it is committed to institutions that take account of the social world as ...
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Friedrich A. Hayek thinks liberalism is the right political doctrine because, unlike socialism and other collectivist creeds, it is committed to institutions that take account of the social world as it is. He even deems the liberal market society the only feasible alternative because it alone admits of those self-coordinating mechanisms, such as the market, on which modern society vitally depends. Similarly, he portrays the institutions of the liberal market society as the work of a singular evolutionary development in the course of which they have proved their value and wisdom. So it is concerns of viability that are decisive when, in his political philosophy, Hayek endeavours to justify the institutions of the liberal market society. This chapter examines Hayek's instrumental justification of the liberal market society, as well as his traditionalist and proceduralist arguments. The chapter concludes by analysing how the various liberal (and conservative) arguments of a moral philosophical nature, which Hayek also seems to advance, relate to his instrumental perspective.Less
Friedrich A. Hayek thinks liberalism is the right political doctrine because, unlike socialism and other collectivist creeds, it is committed to institutions that take account of the social world as it is. He even deems the liberal market society the only feasible alternative because it alone admits of those self-coordinating mechanisms, such as the market, on which modern society vitally depends. Similarly, he portrays the institutions of the liberal market society as the work of a singular evolutionary development in the course of which they have proved their value and wisdom. So it is concerns of viability that are decisive when, in his political philosophy, Hayek endeavours to justify the institutions of the liberal market society. This chapter examines Hayek's instrumental justification of the liberal market society, as well as his traditionalist and proceduralist arguments. The chapter concludes by analysing how the various liberal (and conservative) arguments of a moral philosophical nature, which Hayek also seems to advance, relate to his instrumental perspective.
Harry Blutstein
- Published in print:
- 2015
- Published Online:
- May 2016
- ISBN:
- 9781784992897
- eISBN:
- 9781526104311
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Manchester University Press
- DOI:
- 10.7228/manchester/9781784992897.003.0005
- Subject:
- Political Science, Democratization
At the same time as Keynes was celebrating success at Bretton Woods, neoliberal economist Friedrich Hayek started to publicly campaign against the liberal economic order, in what he called the ‘war ...
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At the same time as Keynes was celebrating success at Bretton Woods, neoliberal economist Friedrich Hayek started to publicly campaign against the liberal economic order, in what he called the ‘war of ideas.’ He fired the first shots in this war with the publication of The Road to Serfdom, and then established the Mont Pèlerin Society, where he hoped to rally fighters for his war. He turned out to be a poor field general and it looked like the war might be over before it started. Hayek, however, did inspire a young fighter pilot, Antony Fisher, who did have fire in his belly and was keen to face grapeshot in the war of ideas. In 1956, Fisher established the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA). This think tank, together with others modelled on the IEA, helped spread pro-market ideas. The high point of their campaign came when Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan were elected, establishing neoliberalism as the new economic orthodoxy. In 1980, Hayek advised Fisher that he needed to seed the world with neoliberal think tanks. The result was the Atlas Economic Research Foundation, which networks over 400 think tanks worldwide and they have helped spread the war of ideas.Less
At the same time as Keynes was celebrating success at Bretton Woods, neoliberal economist Friedrich Hayek started to publicly campaign against the liberal economic order, in what he called the ‘war of ideas.’ He fired the first shots in this war with the publication of The Road to Serfdom, and then established the Mont Pèlerin Society, where he hoped to rally fighters for his war. He turned out to be a poor field general and it looked like the war might be over before it started. Hayek, however, did inspire a young fighter pilot, Antony Fisher, who did have fire in his belly and was keen to face grapeshot in the war of ideas. In 1956, Fisher established the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA). This think tank, together with others modelled on the IEA, helped spread pro-market ideas. The high point of their campaign came when Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan were elected, establishing neoliberalism as the new economic orthodoxy. In 1980, Hayek advised Fisher that he needed to seed the world with neoliberal think tanks. The result was the Atlas Economic Research Foundation, which networks over 400 think tanks worldwide and they have helped spread the war of ideas.
Daniel Stedman Jones
- Published in print:
- 2014
- Published Online:
- October 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780691161013
- eISBN:
- 9781400851836
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Princeton University Press
- DOI:
- 10.23943/princeton/9780691161013.003.0004
- Subject:
- History, American History: 20th Century
This chapter talks about how a distinct neoliberal worldview was built on the foundations of the critique of New Deal liberalism and social democracy synthesized in the writings of Ludwig von Mises, ...
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This chapter talks about how a distinct neoliberal worldview was built on the foundations of the critique of New Deal liberalism and social democracy synthesized in the writings of Ludwig von Mises, Friedrich Hayek, and Karl Popper. The adrenaline generated by the neoliberal movement and its ideas in the Conservative and Republican parties radically changed the political and economic life of both the United States and Great Britain. The chapter also shows how neoliberal ideas developed a sharper focus and an icy coherence. Neither Milton Friedman's intelligent loquaciousness nor Ronald Reagan's warm sentiments could disguise a philosophy that was built on a cold and abstract individualism, yet the vision was still very much a utopian one, centered on a fantasy of the perfect free market.Less
This chapter talks about how a distinct neoliberal worldview was built on the foundations of the critique of New Deal liberalism and social democracy synthesized in the writings of Ludwig von Mises, Friedrich Hayek, and Karl Popper. The adrenaline generated by the neoliberal movement and its ideas in the Conservative and Republican parties radically changed the political and economic life of both the United States and Great Britain. The chapter also shows how neoliberal ideas developed a sharper focus and an icy coherence. Neither Milton Friedman's intelligent loquaciousness nor Ronald Reagan's warm sentiments could disguise a philosophy that was built on a cold and abstract individualism, yet the vision was still very much a utopian one, centered on a fantasy of the perfect free market.
David Miller
- Published in print:
- 1990
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780198278641
- eISBN:
- 9780191599903
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0198278640.003.0003
- Subject:
- Political Science, Political Theory
Libertarians such as Nozick and Hayek define justice in procedural terms. Nozick takes for granted the liberal idea of property, but in fact this is historically contingent and other conceptions of ...
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Libertarians such as Nozick and Hayek define justice in procedural terms. Nozick takes for granted the liberal idea of property, but in fact this is historically contingent and other conceptions of property are equally valid. He also relies on Locke's theory of property acquisition, but Locke's account is best understood as grounded in desert, which does not yield a proprietary theory of justice. Hume's view of justice and property avoids the problems of Locke's, but has conservative implications. Hayek defines justice in terms of rule following, but fails to explain satisfactorily what should guide the choice of rules. Finally, the idea of social justice is defended against several libertarian objections.Less
Libertarians such as Nozick and Hayek define justice in procedural terms. Nozick takes for granted the liberal idea of property, but in fact this is historically contingent and other conceptions of property are equally valid. He also relies on Locke's theory of property acquisition, but Locke's account is best understood as grounded in desert, which does not yield a proprietary theory of justice. Hume's view of justice and property avoids the problems of Locke's, but has conservative implications. Hayek defines justice in terms of rule following, but fails to explain satisfactorily what should guide the choice of rules. Finally, the idea of social justice is defended against several libertarian objections.
Roland Kley
- Published in print:
- 1994
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780198279167
- eISBN:
- 9780191684289
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198279167.003.0008
- Subject:
- Political Science, Political Theory
Friedrich A. Hayek shrouds market rules in still greater obscurity when he makes the further claim that they possess a social wisdom of which human reason is incapable. This claim lies at the heart ...
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Friedrich A. Hayek shrouds market rules in still greater obscurity when he makes the further claim that they possess a social wisdom of which human reason is incapable. This claim lies at the heart of his theory of cultural evolution. The self-coordination in the market and the institutional and social background conditions required for this process to operate do not pose intractable explanatory problems. It is not particularly difficult to understand how, in the market, cooperation works. What Hayek calls ‘rules’ are constraining and enabling conditions under which people are free to pursue their interests in the way they deem best and to engage in exchange with whomever they want. This chapter examines Hayek's traditionalism by focusing on his theory of cultural evolution. It then analyses the ambiguous scope of Hayekian evolution, his functionalism, and his adaptationism. The chapter concludes with an overall assessment of his evolutionary theory and a discussion of his instrumentalist conception of the rules of individual conduct.Less
Friedrich A. Hayek shrouds market rules in still greater obscurity when he makes the further claim that they possess a social wisdom of which human reason is incapable. This claim lies at the heart of his theory of cultural evolution. The self-coordination in the market and the institutional and social background conditions required for this process to operate do not pose intractable explanatory problems. It is not particularly difficult to understand how, in the market, cooperation works. What Hayek calls ‘rules’ are constraining and enabling conditions under which people are free to pursue their interests in the way they deem best and to engage in exchange with whomever they want. This chapter examines Hayek's traditionalism by focusing on his theory of cultural evolution. It then analyses the ambiguous scope of Hayekian evolution, his functionalism, and his adaptationism. The chapter concludes with an overall assessment of his evolutionary theory and a discussion of his instrumentalist conception of the rules of individual conduct.
David Miller
- Published in print:
- 1990
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780198278641
- eISBN:
- 9780191599903
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0198278640.003.0002
- Subject:
- Political Science, Political Theory
Libertarians defend a narrow version of negative freedom. Hayek defines freedom as the absence of coercion, but this position is shown to be untenable. A more common view is that laws and other such ...
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Libertarians defend a narrow version of negative freedom. Hayek defines freedom as the absence of coercion, but this position is shown to be untenable. A more common view is that laws and other such deliberately imposed obstacles restrict freedom, but a lack of economic opportunities, for instance, does not. Against this, it is argued that any obstacle for which human beings can be held morally responsible should count as a constraint on freedom. Furthermore, contrary to Steiner, a constraint does not have to prevent an action, it can merely make it ineligible.Less
Libertarians defend a narrow version of negative freedom. Hayek defines freedom as the absence of coercion, but this position is shown to be untenable. A more common view is that laws and other such deliberately imposed obstacles restrict freedom, but a lack of economic opportunities, for instance, does not. Against this, it is argued that any obstacle for which human beings can be held morally responsible should count as a constraint on freedom. Furthermore, contrary to Steiner, a constraint does not have to prevent an action, it can merely make it ineligible.
Roland Kley
- Published in print:
- 1994
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780198279167
- eISBN:
- 9780191684289
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198279167.003.0002
- Subject:
- Political Science, Political Theory
For Friedrich A. Hayek, the idea of a spontaneous order is not only liberalism's ‘central concept’ and therefore vital to its defence but, at the same time, also the notion on which all social theory ...
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For Friedrich A. Hayek, the idea of a spontaneous order is not only liberalism's ‘central concept’ and therefore vital to its defence but, at the same time, also the notion on which all social theory converges. Hayek argues that the whole task of social theory consists in little else but an effort to reconstruct the various spontaneous orders existing in the social world. However, the idea of a spontaneous order does not receive a sufficiently systematic treatment in Hayek's writings. This shows in the secondary literature, where the views about its substance, its scope, and its significance as an analytical concept differ widely. According to Hayek, all associations, institutions, and other social formations can be classified either as spontaneous orders or as organisations. For Hayek, order in social life is identical with the pattern of interactions arising from a market in operation. This chapter examines what Hayek really intends spontaneous order to mean and discusses his theory of complex phenomena.Less
For Friedrich A. Hayek, the idea of a spontaneous order is not only liberalism's ‘central concept’ and therefore vital to its defence but, at the same time, also the notion on which all social theory converges. Hayek argues that the whole task of social theory consists in little else but an effort to reconstruct the various spontaneous orders existing in the social world. However, the idea of a spontaneous order does not receive a sufficiently systematic treatment in Hayek's writings. This shows in the secondary literature, where the views about its substance, its scope, and its significance as an analytical concept differ widely. According to Hayek, all associations, institutions, and other social formations can be classified either as spontaneous orders or as organisations. For Hayek, order in social life is identical with the pattern of interactions arising from a market in operation. This chapter examines what Hayek really intends spontaneous order to mean and discusses his theory of complex phenomena.
Roland Kley
- Published in print:
- 1994
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780198279167
- eISBN:
- 9780191684289
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198279167.003.0003
- Subject:
- Political Science, Political Theory
According to Friedrich A. Hayek, the web of exchange relations forming in the market is the outcome of a two-part mechanism. Spontaneous economic order develops when the members observe certain rules ...
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According to Friedrich A. Hayek, the web of exchange relations forming in the market is the outcome of a two-part mechanism. Spontaneous economic order develops when the members observe certain rules and adjust to their local situation. Whenever Hayek talks about the mechanism conducive to spontaneous order, he gives individual adjustment much less prominence than rule-following, the other element of that mechanism. The idea that spontaneous economic order is, partly, the result of the members adapting to the specific circumstances of their individual situation is the by-product of, and is usually only mentioned in connection with, a claim to which Hayek consistently attaches much greater significance. This chapter explores the sense in which individual adjustment may be said to contribute to the emergence of a spontaneous economic order. Hayek's views on the epistemic role of the market are also discussed.Less
According to Friedrich A. Hayek, the web of exchange relations forming in the market is the outcome of a two-part mechanism. Spontaneous economic order develops when the members observe certain rules and adjust to their local situation. Whenever Hayek talks about the mechanism conducive to spontaneous order, he gives individual adjustment much less prominence than rule-following, the other element of that mechanism. The idea that spontaneous economic order is, partly, the result of the members adapting to the specific circumstances of their individual situation is the by-product of, and is usually only mentioned in connection with, a claim to which Hayek consistently attaches much greater significance. This chapter explores the sense in which individual adjustment may be said to contribute to the emergence of a spontaneous economic order. Hayek's views on the epistemic role of the market are also discussed.
Roland Kley
- Published in print:
- 1994
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780198279167
- eISBN:
- 9780191684289
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198279167.003.0004
- Subject:
- Political Science, Political Theory
Friedrich A. Hayek argues that order in the market is the result of individuals observing certain rules and adjusting to their specific situation. The significance he accords to rules can hardly be ...
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Friedrich A. Hayek argues that order in the market is the result of individuals observing certain rules and adjusting to their specific situation. The significance he accords to rules can hardly be overrated. Often, he does not mention individual adjustment at all, implying that the observance of rules suffices to bring about economic order. This chapter discusses the role and nature of such rules, including the so-called rules of just conduct that lead to spontaneous economic order. The second section expounds a contrast Hayek draws between rule-guided conduct and purposive action and explores his view of market rules as a device for coping with the unknowable consequences of individual economic action. The third section asks how the idea of a spontaneous economic order accommodates the state. Hayek's discussion of economic order being the result of rule-following (and adjustment) portrays markets as entirely self-sufficient and self-regulating systems.Less
Friedrich A. Hayek argues that order in the market is the result of individuals observing certain rules and adjusting to their specific situation. The significance he accords to rules can hardly be overrated. Often, he does not mention individual adjustment at all, implying that the observance of rules suffices to bring about economic order. This chapter discusses the role and nature of such rules, including the so-called rules of just conduct that lead to spontaneous economic order. The second section expounds a contrast Hayek draws between rule-guided conduct and purposive action and explores his view of market rules as a device for coping with the unknowable consequences of individual economic action. The third section asks how the idea of a spontaneous economic order accommodates the state. Hayek's discussion of economic order being the result of rule-following (and adjustment) portrays markets as entirely self-sufficient and self-regulating systems.
Roland Kley
- Published in print:
- 1994
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780198279167
- eISBN:
- 9780191684289
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198279167.003.0007
- Subject:
- Political Science, Political Theory
This chapter examines Friedrich A. Hayek's thesis that some of the rules of just conduct, which form the institutional basis of spontaneous economic order, are followed unconsciously. Hayek thinks ...
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This chapter examines Friedrich A. Hayek's thesis that some of the rules of just conduct, which form the institutional basis of spontaneous economic order, are followed unconsciously. Hayek thinks that wide areas of human activity are guided by behavioural rules. He says individuals are able to orient themselves in the world, exercise skills, and interact with others they observe rules. Yet it would in his view be a misunderstanding to believe that thought, perception, skills, and social interaction are all the result of the deliberate application of known rules. Human conduct, he claims, is also based on unconscious, or tacit, rule-following. Hayek defines tacit rule-following as conduct guided by rules which the acting person need not explicitly know, be able to specify, describe discursively, or verbalise. The claim, then, appears to be that often people are not aware of, and are not in a position expressly to state, the rules which actually direct their behaviour.Less
This chapter examines Friedrich A. Hayek's thesis that some of the rules of just conduct, which form the institutional basis of spontaneous economic order, are followed unconsciously. Hayek thinks that wide areas of human activity are guided by behavioural rules. He says individuals are able to orient themselves in the world, exercise skills, and interact with others they observe rules. Yet it would in his view be a misunderstanding to believe that thought, perception, skills, and social interaction are all the result of the deliberate application of known rules. Human conduct, he claims, is also based on unconscious, or tacit, rule-following. Hayek defines tacit rule-following as conduct guided by rules which the acting person need not explicitly know, be able to specify, describe discursively, or verbalise. The claim, then, appears to be that often people are not aware of, and are not in a position expressly to state, the rules which actually direct their behaviour.
Bruce Caldwell
- Published in print:
- 2003
- Published Online:
- February 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780226091914
- eISBN:
- 9780226091921
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- University of Chicago Press
- DOI:
- 10.7208/chicago/9780226091921.001.0001
- Subject:
- Economics and Finance, Economic History
Friedrich A. Hayek is regarded as one of the preeminent economic theorists of the twentieth century, as much for his work outside of economics as for his work within it. During a career spanning ...
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Friedrich A. Hayek is regarded as one of the preeminent economic theorists of the twentieth century, as much for his work outside of economics as for his work within it. During a career spanning several decades, he made contributions in fields as diverse as psychology, political philosophy, the history of ideas, and the methodology of the social sciences. This book offers us an intellectual biography of this pivotal social theorist. The book begins by providing the necessary background for understanding Hayek's thought, tracing the emergence, in fin-de-siècle Vienna, of the Austrian school of economics—a distinctive analysis forged in the midst of contending schools of thought. The second part of the book follows the path by which Hayek, beginning from the standard Austrian assumptions, gradually developed his unique perspective on not only economics but a broad range of social phenomena. The third part offers both an assessment of Hayek's arguments and, in an epilogue, an estimation of how Hayek's insights can help us to clarify and reexamine changes in the field of economics during the twentieth century. As Hayek's ideas matured, he became increasingly critical of developments within mainstream economics: his works grew increasingly contrarian and evolved in striking—and sometimes seemingly contradictory—ways. The book's analysis situates Hayek in a broader intellectual context, unpacking the often difficult turns in his thinking, and showing how his economic ideas came to inform his ideas on the other social sciences.Less
Friedrich A. Hayek is regarded as one of the preeminent economic theorists of the twentieth century, as much for his work outside of economics as for his work within it. During a career spanning several decades, he made contributions in fields as diverse as psychology, political philosophy, the history of ideas, and the methodology of the social sciences. This book offers us an intellectual biography of this pivotal social theorist. The book begins by providing the necessary background for understanding Hayek's thought, tracing the emergence, in fin-de-siècle Vienna, of the Austrian school of economics—a distinctive analysis forged in the midst of contending schools of thought. The second part of the book follows the path by which Hayek, beginning from the standard Austrian assumptions, gradually developed his unique perspective on not only economics but a broad range of social phenomena. The third part offers both an assessment of Hayek's arguments and, in an epilogue, an estimation of how Hayek's insights can help us to clarify and reexamine changes in the field of economics during the twentieth century. As Hayek's ideas matured, he became increasingly critical of developments within mainstream economics: his works grew increasingly contrarian and evolved in striking—and sometimes seemingly contradictory—ways. The book's analysis situates Hayek in a broader intellectual context, unpacking the often difficult turns in his thinking, and showing how his economic ideas came to inform his ideas on the other social sciences.
Bruce Caldwell (ed.)
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- February 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780226321097
- eISBN:
- 9780226321127
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of Chicago Press
- DOI:
- 10.7208/chicago/9780226321127.003.0001
- Subject:
- Economics and Finance, History of Economic Thought
This chapter outlines the Austrian economist Friedrich A. Hayek's experience and ideas behind his big research project, a wide-ranging historical investigation that would incorporate intellectual ...
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This chapter outlines the Austrian economist Friedrich A. Hayek's experience and ideas behind his big research project, a wide-ranging historical investigation that would incorporate intellectual history, methodology, and an analysis of social problems, all aimed at shedding light on the consequences of socialism. It examines not only Hayek's progress but also how his plan for the project was beginning to change. Hayek had begun his book just as Europe was going to war. Western civilisation itself was at stake, and given that the British government would not allow him to participate directly, writing a treatise on how the world had come to such an awful state was to be his war effort, the best he could do “for the future of mankind.” Hayek's work entails a series of case studies on problems of methodology, especially the relationship between the method of natural science and social problems, leading to the fundamental scientific principles of economic policy and ultimately to the consequences of socialism. The series forms the basis of a systematic intellectual historical investigation of the fundamental principles of the social development of the last hundred years.Less
This chapter outlines the Austrian economist Friedrich A. Hayek's experience and ideas behind his big research project, a wide-ranging historical investigation that would incorporate intellectual history, methodology, and an analysis of social problems, all aimed at shedding light on the consequences of socialism. It examines not only Hayek's progress but also how his plan for the project was beginning to change. Hayek had begun his book just as Europe was going to war. Western civilisation itself was at stake, and given that the British government would not allow him to participate directly, writing a treatise on how the world had come to such an awful state was to be his war effort, the best he could do “for the future of mankind.” Hayek's work entails a series of case studies on problems of methodology, especially the relationship between the method of natural science and social problems, leading to the fundamental scientific principles of economic policy and ultimately to the consequences of socialism. The series forms the basis of a systematic intellectual historical investigation of the fundamental principles of the social development of the last hundred years.
Roland Kley
- Published in print:
- 1994
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780198279167
- eISBN:
- 9780191684289
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198279167.003.0005
- Subject:
- Political Science, Political Theory
This chapter considers Friedrich A. Hayek's claim about the inherently beneficial character of spontaneous economic order. Hayek does not confine himself to an explanatory perspective, merely giving ...
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This chapter considers Friedrich A. Hayek's claim about the inherently beneficial character of spontaneous economic order. Hayek does not confine himself to an explanatory perspective, merely giving an account of how in the market society individual adjustment and rule-following bring about and sustain economic order. He also regards such order as uniquely advantageous. Hayek appears to offer two arguments intended to lend force to this claim. The first, more hinted at than spelled out, is the argument from the mutually advantageous nature of uncoerced exchange, while the second pertains to the argument from the market's efficiency. Hayek's argument is that the spontaneous order of the market society, consisting in innumerable voluntary exchange relations, is beneficial for everyone participating in it because it embodies in generalised form the principle that uncoerced exchange is mutually advantageous.Less
This chapter considers Friedrich A. Hayek's claim about the inherently beneficial character of spontaneous economic order. Hayek does not confine himself to an explanatory perspective, merely giving an account of how in the market society individual adjustment and rule-following bring about and sustain economic order. He also regards such order as uniquely advantageous. Hayek appears to offer two arguments intended to lend force to this claim. The first, more hinted at than spelled out, is the argument from the mutually advantageous nature of uncoerced exchange, while the second pertains to the argument from the market's efficiency. Hayek's argument is that the spontaneous order of the market society, consisting in innumerable voluntary exchange relations, is beneficial for everyone participating in it because it embodies in generalised form the principle that uncoerced exchange is mutually advantageous.
Roland Kley
- Published in print:
- 1994
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780198279167
- eISBN:
- 9780191684289
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198279167.003.0006
- Subject:
- Political Science, Political Theory
Friedrich A. Hayek defines social theory as the systematic study of spontaneous orders, maintaining that an individual may often be a member not only of the comprehensive spontaneous order of society ...
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Friedrich A. Hayek defines social theory as the systematic study of spontaneous orders, maintaining that an individual may often be a member not only of the comprehensive spontaneous order of society but also ‘of numerous other spontaneous sub-orders’. This chapter explores what further applications the idea of a spontaneous order may have in the social world. It considers the distinction between order as a network of interactions among numerous parties and order as an established system of rules or norms. It also offers various semantic and other reflections exploring the concepts of social order and spontaneity to be found at the root of the idea of a spontaneous social order. Five claims are discussed that represent the substance of the notion of a spontaneous economic order, and how far they may be applicable to a wider range of phenomena loosely qualifying as spontaneous social orders.Less
Friedrich A. Hayek defines social theory as the systematic study of spontaneous orders, maintaining that an individual may often be a member not only of the comprehensive spontaneous order of society but also ‘of numerous other spontaneous sub-orders’. This chapter explores what further applications the idea of a spontaneous order may have in the social world. It considers the distinction between order as a network of interactions among numerous parties and order as an established system of rules or norms. It also offers various semantic and other reflections exploring the concepts of social order and spontaneity to be found at the root of the idea of a spontaneous social order. Five claims are discussed that represent the substance of the notion of a spontaneous economic order, and how far they may be applicable to a wider range of phenomena loosely qualifying as spontaneous social orders.
Bruce Caldwell
- Published in print:
- 2003
- Published Online:
- February 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780226091914
- eISBN:
- 9780226091921
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of Chicago Press
- DOI:
- 10.7208/chicago/9780226091921.003.0007
- Subject:
- Economics and Finance, Economic History
This chapter describes Friedrich August von Hayek's family and early history; his student days; Friedrich von Wieser's influence on Hayek; and the relationship between Hayek and Ludwig von Mises.
This chapter describes Friedrich August von Hayek's family and early history; his student days; Friedrich von Wieser's influence on Hayek; and the relationship between Hayek and Ludwig von Mises.
Bradley J. Birzer
- Published in print:
- 2015
- Published Online:
- May 2016
- ISBN:
- 9780813166186
- eISBN:
- 9780813166643
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University Press of Kentucky
- DOI:
- 10.5810/kentucky/9780813166186.003.0004
- Subject:
- Political Science, American Politics
After the success of The Conservative Mind, Kirk sought to promote something for the present and the future. Conservatism, he worried, offered an excellent critique of the past, but it possessed ...
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After the success of The Conservative Mind, Kirk sought to promote something for the present and the future. Conservatism, he worried, offered an excellent critique of the past, but it possessed inherent limitations when it did more than criticism. The only real alternative, he thought, was a form of Christian humanism, an embrace of centuries of tradition that promoted the ethics of Socrates and the prudence of Burke. With his close friend Peter Stanlis, Kirk did all he could to revive humanist and Burkean thought. He also tellingly challenged the liberal and utilitarian traditions.Less
After the success of The Conservative Mind, Kirk sought to promote something for the present and the future. Conservatism, he worried, offered an excellent critique of the past, but it possessed inherent limitations when it did more than criticism. The only real alternative, he thought, was a form of Christian humanism, an embrace of centuries of tradition that promoted the ethics of Socrates and the prudence of Burke. With his close friend Peter Stanlis, Kirk did all he could to revive humanist and Burkean thought. He also tellingly challenged the liberal and utilitarian traditions.
