Hayek sobre Hayek: Un diálogo autobiográfico

by Friedrich A. Hayek, Unión Editorial (Editor), Lein Wenan (Foreword)

A través de una serie de esbozos biográficos no publicados con anterioridad y de una amplia selección de entrevistas realizadas por Stephen Kresge y Leif Wenan, Hayek sobre Hayek proporciona la primera cronología detallada de su vida y educación, su desarrollo intelectual y la recepción académica y pública de sus ideas. Sus discusiones se extienden desde la metodología económica y la cuestión de la fe religiosa hasta la atmósfera de Viena tras la I Guerra Mundial y al carácter británico. Se recoge también el texto íntegro de un debate radiofónico celebrado en 1945 entre Hayek y algunos defensores norteamericanos de la planificación central, notable porque anticipa el debate actual sobre el control de la economía por el Estado. Viena, Londres, Chicago y Friburgo son otros tantos hitos en esta intensa y apasionante biografía, narrada en las propias palabras de un pensador revolucionario en una época revolucionaria.

Genres: Economics, Biography, Autobiography, History, Business, Philosophy, Nonfiction

180 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1994

About the author

Friedrich August von Hayek CH was an Austrian and British economist and philosopher known for his defense of classical liberalism and free-market capitalism against socialist and collectivist thought. He is considered by some to be one of the most important economists and political philosophers of the twentieth century. Hayek's account of how changing prices communicate signals which enable individuals to coordinate their plans is widely regarded as an important achievement in economics. Hayek also wrote on the topics of jurisprudence, neuroscience and the history of ideas.

Hayek is one of the most influential members of the Austrian School of economics, and in 1974 shared the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economics with Gunnar Myrdal "for their pioneering work in the theory of money and economic fluctuations and for their penetrating analysis of the interdependence of economic, social and institutional phenomena." He also received the U.S. Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1991 from president George H. W. Bush.

Hayek lived in Austria, Great Britain, the United States and Germany, and became a British subject in 1938.

Reviews

[Don Lim · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brief book on Hayek, which includes questions from an interview and a transcript of a debate, that goes over highlights of his life. Hayek reveals himself to be humble and relatable, telling the beginning of his academic journey and budding fame as coincidence and luck. Moreover, he considers himself slow in economic thinking, despite what many of his readers know of his wide breadth of writing and achievements in economics, because he observes his fellow contemporaries able to perform economic conclusions without going through the laborious task of thinking and rethinking through economic axioms, as he does.

Like most academics, Hayek would have led a boring life, if not for the period he lived in which was unfortunately a time of turmoil. He talks about many of his colleagues and friends like Lionel Robbins, Ludwig von Mises, John Maynard Keynes, John Hicks, and many others. It is most interesting to read his experiences in Vienna, London, and Chicago during this time period.

Though there is not much economics in this book itself, Hayek does talk about what he believed was some of his more important works, such as The Sensory Order (though not economics related) and his paper titled "The Paradox of Saving." In short, this book is recommended for those who wish to know more of the time period and how Hayek viewed his colleagues and rivals (particularly Keynes)--this includes some interesting and funny stories about Mises and Hicks.

[Avil Ramírez Mayorga · Rating 4 out of 5]

A través de una serie de entrevistas este pequeño libro nos permite adentrarnos en la vida del gran Friedrich Hayek, uno de los máximos representantes del liberalismo clásico y de los principales economistas del siglo xx. Las entrevistas permiten al lector generar un perfil del austriaco desde un punto de vista académico. Hubiera sido muy enriquecedor si las entrevistas hubieran profundizado en otros rumbos, tales como el impacto de la sociedad Mon Pelerin o la influencia que tuvo en personajes tales como Sir Antony Fisher (cuya fundación sirvió para proyectar eventualmente a M. Thatcher).

[Otto Lehto · Rating 4 out of 5]

Weaving together interviews, archival material, autobiographical notes, and editorializing, "Hayek on Hayek" is the closest thing we have for a proper Hayek autobiography. And since Hayek was often too verbose and a terrible self-editor, I have an inkling it was better to be edited by someone else.

The result is a very concise biography. And although sometimes one wishes Hayek would be still alive to answer one or two missing pieces of the puzzles, the result is a readable biography with some very interesting material, recommendable for anyone interested in the development of Hayek's thought.

Especially worth a look because of its unique access to Hayek's autobiographical notes, and discussions on Hayek's work on psychology and sensation (which aspects of his work have, unfortunately - although understandably for an Austrian economist - been practically forgotten today).

Great for a scholar, good for the rest.

[Christian Cabrera C · Rating 5 out of 5]

Libro obligatorio

Es un resumen del pensamiento de Hayek, en términos muy simples. Además es entretenido por muchas curiosidades que Hayek cuenta.