scholarly journals Spontaneous Order Versus Central Planning: A comparison of MICHAEL POLANYI & F.A. VON HAYEK

2021 ◽  
pp. 173-215
Author(s):  
Patrick Reimers

This paper evaluates and compares the main philosophic and economic thoughts of the two great liberal minds Michael Polanyi and Friedrich A. von Hayek in regards to the concept of a ‘spontaneous order’. In several of their books and papers, both Michal Polanyi (1941, 1948, 1951) and F.A. von Hayek (1944, 1945, 1964, 1973) strongly emphasised on the impossibility of socialism and the superiority of a free market versus public interventionism. Both highlighted their conviction that central planning cannot be more efficient than a spontaneous order, since knowledge is dispersed (Hayek) and tacit (Polanyi). Although both shared very similar concerns in regards to economic matters, they did not always come to the same conclusions. Thus, also the differences between Polanyi’s and Hayek’s concepts will be discussed, such as Polanyi’s emphasis on defending subsystems as the basic units of society, and his focus on maximizing “public freedom”. Both came to different conclusions in regards to the institutional character of science, and even concluded somewhat differently on the character of knowledge. Most importantly, they developed different concepts on political economy and the ideal role of the State. Moreover, this paper will consider the impact of M. Polanyi on the concept of polycentricity and on the ideas of Elinor Ostrom, while also referring to the different understanding of the role of the State in the ideas of F.A. Hayek compared to other Austrian School economists, such as Murray N. Rothbard. In addition, the paper pretends to historically analyse the emergence of the term ‘spontaneous order’, showing that it is not the product of one mind’s design, but the consequence of the thoughts of several great minds, such as Carl Menger, Ludwig von Mises, F.A. von Hayek, Michael Polanyi, Walter Eucken, and Wilhelm Röpke. Keywords: liberalism, libertarianism, capitalism, Austrian school of economics, interventionism, collectivism, spontaneous order, dynamic efficiency, free market economy, polycentricity, catallactics, extended order, tacit knowledge, dispersed knowledge, F.A. Hayek, Michael Polanyi JEL Classification: A12, B10, B13, B25, H10, H40, K11, P10, P14, P16, P26, P48, P51 Resumen: Este artículo evalúa y compara los principales pensamientos económicos y filosóficos de las dos grandes mentes liberales Michael Polanyi y Friedrich A. von Hayek con respecto al concepto del orden espontáneo. En sus obras principales, tanto Michael Polanyi (1941, 1948, 1951) como F.A. von Hayek (1944, 1945, 1964, 1973) destacaron fuertemente la imposibilidad del socialismo y la superioridad de un mercado libre versus el intervencionismo público. Ambos estaban convencidos de que la planificación central no puede ser más eficiente que un orden espontáneo, ya que el conocimiento es disperso (Hayek) y tácito (Polanyi). Aunque ambos compartían preocupaciones muy similares con respecto a los asuntos económicos, no siempre llegaron a las mismas conclusiones. Por lo tanto, también se discutirán las diferencias entre los conceptos de Polanyi y Hayek, como el énfasis de Polanyi en defender los sub-sistemas como unidades básicas de la sociedad y su enfoque en maximizar la “libertad pública”. Ambos llegaron a conclusiones diferentes con respecto al carácter institucional de la ciencia y al carácter del conocimiento. Además, este artículo considerará sus diferentes conceptos sobre economía política y el papel ideal del Estado, y analiza el impacto de M. Polanyi en el concepto de policentrismo y en las ideas de Elinor Ostrom. Por otra parte, el artículo pretende analizar históricamente la aparición del término “orden espontáneo”, mostrando que no es producto del diseño de una sola mente, sino la consecuencia de los pensamientos de varias grandes mentes, como Carl Menger, Ludwig von Mises, FA von Hayek, Michael Polanyi, Walter Eucken y Wilhelm Röpke. Palabras clave: liberalismo, libertarismo, capitalismo, escuela austriaca de economía, intervencionismo, colectivismo, orden espontáneo, eficiencia dinámica, economía de libre mercado, policentrismo, orden extendido, conocimiento tácito, conocimiento disperso, F.A. Hayek, Michael Polanyi Clasificación JEL: A12, B10, B13, B25, H10, H40, K11, P10, P14, P16, P26, P48, P51

2021 ◽  
pp. 13-81
Author(s):  
Carlos Villaescusa García

Ibn Khaldun’s contributions to the development of economic thought in his great work al-Muqaddima have received almost no attention in Western academia. This paper studies the similarities between the thought of Ibn Khaldun and that of the leading authors of the liberal Austrian School, including Ludwig von Mises and Friedrich August von Hayek, and The School of Salamanca. Special attention is given to Professor Jesús Huerta de Soto’s work on the theory of the impossibility of socialism. This paper also examines how statist coercion and interventionism in areas such as trade, taxation and individual rights promote injustice and will lead to the eventual demise of civilization. The work of Ibn Khaldun captured the essence of a spontaneous order and of the evolution of institutions, and refuted the theory of the divine origin of kings well before the Age of Enlightenment. Lastly, this paper touches on important economic issues of interest to Austrian liberals such as the division of labor and specialization, cooperation, the role of markets, the price system, savings as a rationale for prosperity, the relation of wealth to population, the Laffer curve, the quantity theory of money, the subjective nature of value, and the correct interpretation of history. Key words: Liberalism, interventionism, coercion, Salamanca School, Austrian School. JEL Classification: B53. Resumen: Las contribuciones de Ibn Jaldún al desarrollo del pensamiento económico incluidas en su gran obra al-Muqaddima han pasado casi desaper - cibidos en el ámbito académico occidental. En este trabajo se examinan las similitudes entre el pensamiento de Ibn Jaldún y el de los principales autores del austro-liberalismo, como Ludwig von Mises y Friedrich August von Hayek, y con el de la Escuela de Salamanca. Prestando especial atención a Jesús Huerta de Soto y su teoría de la imposibilidad del socialismo desde el punto de vista de la coacción: los efectos negativos de la interferencia del Estado en el co-mercio, los impuestos y contra los derechos individuales que derivan en la in-justicia que causa la ruina de la civilización. Mostramos cómo Ibn Jaldún capta la esencia de un orden espontáneo y evolutivo de las instituciones, refuta la teoría del origen divino de los reyes anticipándose a la ilustración ya desde la Edad Media. Y en definitiva, aspectos económicos importantes comunes con las corrientes austro-liberales como son: la división del trabajo o especialización, la cooperación, el papel de los mercados, el sistema de precios, el ahorro como condición para la prosperidad, la riqueza de las naciones por razones de mayor o menor población, el concepto de la curva de Laffer, una intuición de la teoría cuantitativa del dinero, compresión de la naturaleza subjetiva del valor, o la interpretación correcta de la historia. Palabras clave: Liberalismo, intervencionismo, coacción, Escuela Salamanca, Escuela Austriaca. Clasificación JEL: B53.


Author(s):  
Adam Martin

This chapter offers a synthetic account of the key methodological ideas espoused by prominent Austrian economists. It focuses on the contributions of Carl Menger, Ludwig von Mises, Friedrich Hayek, Ludwig Lachmann, and Donald Lavoie, arguing that epistemological concerns fail to encapsulate their overlapping but distinctive and complementary methodological arguments. Their methodological positions are better explained as flowing from a shared and distinctive social ontology that underlies Austrian economic theory. Austrian social ontology is distinct because of its commitment to three key concepts: radical subjectivism, sheer ignorance, and spontaneous order. The chapter then presents a stylized schema of social processes that embodies these key concepts and shows that the schema both accommodates distinctively Austrian theories and allows for a synthesis of the key methodological contributions of all the Austrian economists discussed earlier.


2016 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 847-866 ◽  
Author(s):  
EDUARD BRAUN ◽  
PETER LEWIN ◽  
NICOLÁS CACHANOSKY

AbstractLudwig von Mises seems to be something of an outlier within the Austrian school when it comes to capital – though his position is clearly foreshadowed in a neglected article by Carl Menger (1888). In this paper, we examine Mises's view on capital and suggest that it constitutes a bridge between Austrian and institutional economics. As an outflow of Mises's approach, an incipient financial approach may be discerned, an approach to capital that integrates concepts from financial theory into a broader view of capital that contains both institutional and Austrian elements.


2019 ◽  
Vol 45 (3) ◽  
pp. 31-44
Author(s):  
Martin Beddeleem ◽  

Between the late 1930s and the 1950s, Michael Polanyi came in close contact with a diverse cast of intellectuals seeking a renewal of the liberal doctrine. The elaboration of this “neoliberalism” happened through a transnational collaboration between economists, philosophers, and social theorists, united in their rejection of central planning. Defining a common agenda for this “early neoliberalism” offered an opportunity to discard the old laissez-faire doctrine and restore a supervisory role of the state. Ultimately, post-war dissensions regarding the direction of these efforts led Polanyi away from the neoliberal core.


Author(s):  
Christopher Westley ◽  
William L. Anderson ◽  
Scott A. Kjar

The Austrian school of economics is generally considered an antiwar school. The Austrian view is not derived from a religious or class-based ideological viewpoints, but instead derives entirely from the school's fundamental economic tenets. This article examines the writings of Ludwig von Mises and Friedrich von Hayek as they relate to war and the causes of war. (A predecessor article on Carl Menger, Eugen von Böhm-Bawerk, and Friedrich von Wieser, the founders of the Austrian School, appeared in vol. 5, no. 1 of this journal.)


Wacana Publik ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (02) ◽  
Author(s):  
Syamsul Ma'arif

After had being carried out nationalization and hostility against west countries, the New Order regime made important decision to change Indonesia economic direction from etatism system to free market economy. A set of policies were taken in order private sector could play major role in economic. However, when another economic sectors were reformed substantially, effords to reform the State Owned Enterprises had failed. The State Owned Enterprise, in fact, remained to play dominant role like early years of guided democracy era. Role of the State Owned Enterprises was more and more powerfull). The main problem of reforms finally lied on reality that vested interest of bureaucrats (civil or military) was so large that could’nt been overcome. 


Urban Studies ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 004209802110282
Author(s):  
Callum Ward

This article offers insight into the role of the state in land financialisation through a reading of urban hegemony. This offers the basis for a conjunctural analysis of the politics of planning within a context in which authoritarian neoliberalism is ascendant across Europe. I explore this through the case of Antwerp as it underwent a hegemonic shift in which the nationalist neoliberal party the New Flemish Alliance (Nieuw-Vlaamse Alliantie; N-VA) ended 70 years of Socialist Party rule and deregulated the city’s technocratic planning system. However, this unbridling of the free market has led to the creation of high-margin investment products rather than suitable housing for the middle classes, raising concerns about the city’s gentrification strategy. The consequent, politicisation of the city’s planning system led to controversy over clientelism which threatened to undermine the N-VA’s wider hegemonic project. In response, the city has sought to roll out a more formalised system of negotiated developer obligations, so embedding transactional, market-oriented informal governance networks at the centre of the planning system. This article highlights how the literature on land financialisation may incorporate conjunctural analysis, in the process situating recent trends towards the use of land value capture mechanisms within the contradictions and statecraft of contemporary neoliberal urbanism.


Author(s):  
Konrad S. Graf

Nesta obra, o autor desenvolve um estudo econômico e histórico da origem do Bitcoin e de seu valor enquanto moeda. Em sua argumentação, o autor explora a relação entre a moeda digital Bitcoin e a Economia Austríaca, discutindo, em particular, o Teorema da Regressão de Ludwig von Mises e sua conexão com a evolução do mercado monetário, bem como a abordagem evolutiva seminal de Carl Menger.


2011 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 69-91 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jacobus Delwaide

Massive government-financed rescue operations for banking and insurance industries in the United States and in Europe, seeking to contain the financial crisis that culminated in 2008, amounted to ‘the biggest, broadest and fastest government response in history.’1This ‘great stabilisation,’ asThe Economistcalled it, resulting in ‘quasi’ or ‘shadow nationalization,’2cast doubt on the notion, fashionable at the height of the neoliberal wave, that the state was essentially on its way out, as many of its tasks and responsibilities were oozing steadily and irreversibly toward the market. The state and, by the same token, the political seemed back – with a vengeance, triggering solemn announcements of ‘the return of the state’ and ‘the end of the ideology of public powerlessness.’3Observers concurred. ‘Free-market capitalism, globalization, and deregulation’ had been ‘rising across the globe for 30 years,’ yet that era now had ended: ‘Global economic and financial integration are reversing. The role of the state, together with financial and trade protectionism, is ascending.’4Triggering a perceived ‘paradigm shift towards a more European, a more social state,’ even in the United States and in China, the crisis was seen to herald a move ‘back towards a mixed economy.’5The question, meanwhile, remained: had the state indeed withdrawn as much during the neoliberal era as is often assumed?


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