F. A. Hayek: Economics, Political Economy and Social Philosophy

Great Thinkers in Economics

by Peter J. Boettke

This book explores the life and work of Austrian-British economist, political economist, and social philosopher, Friedrich Hayek. Set within a context of the recent financial crisis, alongside the renewed interest in Hayek and the Hayek-Keynes debate, the book introduces the main themes of Hayek's thought. These include the division of knowledge, the importance of rules, the problems with planning and economic management, and the role of constitutional constraints in enabling the emergence of unplanned order in the market by limiting the perverse incentives and distortions in information often associated with political discretion. Key to understanding Hayek's development as a thinker is his emphasis on the knowledge problem that economic decision makers face and how alternative institutional arrangements either hinder or assist them in overcoming that epistemic dilemma. Hayek saw order emerging from individual action and responsibility under the appropriate institutional order that itself emerges from actors discovering new and better ways to coordinate their behavior. This book will be of interest to all those keen to gain a deeper understanding of this great 20th century thinker in economics.

Genres: Economics, Biography, Philosophy

323 pages, Paperback

Published October 12, 2018

About the author

Peter Joseph Boettke is an American economist of the Austrian School. He is currently a University Professor of Economics and Philosophy at George Mason University; the BB&T Professor for the Study of Capitalism, Vice President for Research, and Director of the F.A. Hayek Program for Advanced Study in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics at the Mercatus Center at GMU.

Reviews

[Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart]

Hayek, greatest economist in the world
All other economists are only little girls
Hayek, number one advocate of liberalism
All other economists have inferior liberalism

Hayek, home of Austrian Business Cycle
It says when the state fucks around, the market will go bust
Controlled low interest rate a marvel to behold
It creates 100% of human economic crisis

Hayek, Hayek, you very sigma
From road to serfdom to constitution of liberty
Hayek friend of all except John Keynes
He very nosey person, with bone in his brain

Hayek, theories best in world
We invented epistemic turn and rule of law
Hayek's teachings, greatest in the region
Except of course for Mises's

Hayek, Hayek, you very sigma
From road to serfdom to constitution of liberty
Come grasp compendium of our Friedrich
From macroeconomics to social philosophy!