Hostname: page-component-7dd5485656-g8tfn Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2025-11-02T06:57:46.280Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

SPONTANEOUS GROWTH, USE OF REASON, AND CONSTITUTIONAL DESIGN: IS F. A. HAYEK’S SOCIAL THOUGHT CONSISTENT?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 June 2018

Régis Servant
Régis Servant*
Affiliation:
PHARE (servantregis@gmail.com).
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Many commentators have pointed out the presence of a tension, even a contradiction or inconsistency, between two theses advanced by Friedrich Hayek: that the growth of institutions ought to be spontaneous rather than consciously designed, and that the conscious design of a constitution is necessary, so as to secure a desirable social order. Our paper shows via textual analysis that, far from being irreconcilable, these two theses, on the contrary, complement each other.

Information

Type
Articles
Information
Journal of the History of Economic Thought , Volume 40 , Issue 3 , September 2018 , pp. 353 - 376
Copyright
Copyright © The History of Economics Society 2018 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Article purchase

Temporarily unavailable

Footnotes

We would like to thank the editors and three anonymous referees for their helpful comments on previous versions of this article. Any errors or omissions are our own.

References

REFERENCES

Allen, Richard. 1998. “Hayek and Liberty under Law.” In Allen, Richard, Beyond Liberalism: The Political Thought of F. A. Hayek & Michael Polanyi. New Brunswick, NJ: Transaction, pp. 47–66.Google Scholar
Arnold, Roger. 1980. “Hayek and Institutional Evolution.” The Journal of Libertarian Studies 4 (4): 341–352.Google Scholar
Barry, Norman. 1984. “Hayek on Liberty.” In Gray, John and Pelczynski, Zbigniew, eds., Conceptions of Liberty in Political Philosophy. London: Athlone Press, pp. 263–288.Google Scholar
Barry, Norman. 2008. “Rule of Law.” In Hamowy, Ronald, Kuznicki, Jason, and Steelman, Aaron, eds., Encyclopedia of Libertarianism. Los Angeles, London, New Delhi, Singapore: Sage Publications, pp. 445–447.Google Scholar
Baumgarth, William. 1978. “Hayek and Political Order: The Rule of Law.” Journal of Libertarian Studies 2 (1): 11–28.Google Scholar
Beaulier, Scott, and Boettke, Peter. 2000. “Of Norms, Rules and Markets: A Comment on Samuels.” Journal des Economistes et des Études Humaines 10: 547–552.Google Scholar
Berggren, Niclas. 2009. “Choosing One’s Own Informal Institutions: On Hayek’s Critique of Keynes’s Immoralism.” Constitutional Political Economy 20 (2): 139–159.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Beveridge, William. 1942. Social Insurance and Allied Services. London: H.M. Stationery Office.Google Scholar
Boettke, Peter, and Candela, Rosolino. 2014. “Hayek, Leoni, and Law as the Fifth Factor of Production.” Atlantic Economic Journal 42 (2): 123–131.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Brittan, Samuel. 1980. “Hayek, the New Right and the Crisis of Social Democracy.” Encounter 54: 31–46.Google Scholar
Buchanan, James. 1977. “Law and the Invisible Hand.” In Buchanan, James, Freedom in Constitutional Contract: Perspectives of a Political Economist. College Station and London: Texas A&M University Press, pp. 25–39.Google Scholar
Buchanan, James. [1982] 1985. “Cultural Evolution and Institutional Reform.” In Buchanan, James, Liberty, Market, and the State: Political Economy in the 1980s. New York: New York University Press, pp. 75–86.Google Scholar
Buchanan, James. 1988. “Hayek and the Forces of History.” Humane Studies Review 6: 3–4.Google Scholar
Buchanan, James. 2008. “Same Players, Different Game: How Better Rules Make Better Politics.” Constitutional Political Economy 19: 171–179.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Caldwell, Bruce. 2002. “Hayek and Cultural Evolution.” In Mäki, Uskali, ed., Fact and Fiction in Economics: Models, Realism and Social Construction. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, pp. 285–303.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Caldwell, Bruce. 2004. Hayek’s Challenge: An Intellectual Biography of F. A. Hayek. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press.Google Scholar
Colombatto, Enrico. 2014. “Hayek and Economic Policy (The Austrian Road to the Third Way).” In Garrison, Roger and Barry, Norman, eds., Elgar Companion to Hayekian Economics. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar, pp. 343–363.Google Scholar
Couture, Jocelyne. 2000. “La loi de la Liberté.” Revue de Philosophie Économique 1 (2): 67–85.Google Scholar
Crowe, Jonathan. 2014. “Radicalising Hayekian Constitutionalism.” University of Queensland Law Journal 33 (2): 379–389.Google Scholar
Dietze, Gottfried. 1979. “The Necessity of State Law.” In Cunningham, Robert, ed., Liberty and the Rule of Law. College Station: Texas A&M University Press, pp. 74–85.Google Scholar
DiZerega, Gus. 1989. “Democracy as a Spontaneous Order.” Critical Review 3 (2): 206–239.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
DiZerega, Gus. 1991. “Elites and Democratic Theory: Insights from the Self-Organizing Model.” The Review of Politics 53 (2): 340–372.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
DiZerega, Gus. 1995. “Democracies and Peace: The Self-Organizing Foundation for the Democratic Peace.” The Review of Politics 57 (2): 279–308.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dupuy, Jean-Pierre. 1992. “F. Hayek ou la Justice Noyée dans la Complexité Sociale.” In Dupuy, Jean-Pierre, ed., Le Sacrifice et l’Envie : Le Libéralisme aux Prises avec la Justice Sociale. Paris: Calmann-Lévy, pp. 241–291.Google Scholar
Ebenstein, Alan. 2001. “Liberty and Law.” In Ebenstein, Alan, Friedrich Hayek: A Biography. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, pp. 223–226.Google Scholar
Farrant, Andrew, and McPhail, Edward. 2009. “Hayek, Samuelson, and the Logic of the Mixed Economy?” Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization 69: 5–16.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Farrant, Andrew, and McPhail, Edward. 2014. “Can a Dictator Turn a Constitution into a Can-opener? F. A. Hayek and the Alchemy of Transitional Dictatorship in Chile.” Review of Political Economy 26 (3): 331–348.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fogarty, Michael. 1961. “Social Welfare.” In Seldon, Arthur, ed., Agenda for a Free Society: Essays on Hayek’s The Constitution of Liberty. London: Published for the Institute of Economic Affairs by Hutchinson, pp. 119–137.Google Scholar
Forsyth, Murray. 1988. “Hayek’s Bizarre Liberalism: A Critique.” Political Studies 36: 235–250.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gamble, Andrew. 1996. “Conservatism and Liberalism.” In Gamble, Andrew, Hayek: The Iron Cage of Liberty. Cambridge: Polity Press, pp. 187–190.Google Scholar
Gissurarson, Hannes. 1987. “Three Liberal Criticisms of Traditionalism.” In Gissurarson, Hannes, Hayek’s Conservative Liberalism. New York: Garland, pp. 126–132.Google Scholar
Gray, John. 1980. “F. A. Hayek on Liberty and Tradition.” The Journal of Libertarian Studies 4 (2): 119–137.Google Scholar
Gray, John. 1981. “Hayek on Liberty, Rights, and Justice.” Ethics 92: 73–84.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hamowy, Ronald. 1961. “Hayek’s Concept of Freedom: A Critique.” New Individualist Review 1 (1): 28–32.Google Scholar
Hamowy, Ronald. 1978. “Law and the Liberal Society: F. A. Hayek’s Constitution of Liberty.” Journal of Libertarian Studies 2 (4): 287–297.Google Scholar
Hamowy, Ronald. 1996. “Book reviews: F. A. Hayek, Hayek on Hayek: An Autobiographical Dialogue.” Philosophy of the Social Sciences 26 (3): 417–421.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hansen, Alvin. 1945. “The New Crusade against Planning.” The New Republic 112 (1): 9–12.Google Scholar
Harrod, Roy. 1952. “Professor F. A. Von Hayek on Individualism.” In Harrod, Roy, Economic Essays. London: Macmillan and Co., pp. 293–301.Google Scholar
Hayek, Friedrich. 1935. “The Present State of the Debate.” In Hayek, Friedrich, ed., Collectivist Economic Planning. London: Routledge, pp. 201–243.Google Scholar
Hayek, Friedrich. 1939. Freedom and the Economic System. Public policy pamphlet no. 29, edited by Gideonse, Harry. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hayek, Friedrich. 1941. “Planning, Science, and Freedom.” Nature 143: 580–584.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hayek, Friedrich. 1942. “Scientism and the Study of Society.” Economica 9 (35): 267–291.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hayek, Friedrich. 1944. “Scientism and the Study of Society (Part III).” Economica 11 (41): 27–39.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hayek, Friedrich. 1945. “The Use of Knowledge in Society.” The American Economic Review 35 (4): 519–530.Google Scholar
Hayek, Friedrich. 1946. Individualism: True and False. Dublin: Hodges, Figgis & Co. Ltd./Oxford: B.H. Blackwell Ltd.Google Scholar
Hayek, Friedrich. 1951. “Comte and Hegel.” Measure (Chicago) 2: 324–341.Google Scholar
Hayek, Friedrich. 1955. “The Political Ideal of the Rule of Law.” Cairo: National Bank of Egypt, Fiftieth anniversary commemorative lectures.Google Scholar
Hayek, Friedrich. 1956. “Freedom and the Rule of Law.” Third program, BBC radio. First of two talks by Hayek, F. A., The Listener, December 13, 1956: 689–690.Google Scholar
Hayek, Friedrich. [1957] 1967. “What Is Social?—What Does It Mean?” In Hayek, Friedrich, Studies in Philosophy, Politics and Economics. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, pp. 237–247.Google Scholar
Hayek, Friedrich. 1958. “Freedom, Reason, and Tradition.” Ethics 68 (4): 229–245.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hayek, Friedrich. 1959. “The Free Market Economy: The Most Efficient Way of Solving Economic Problems.” Human Events 16 (50): 1–4.Google Scholar
Hayek, Friedrich. 1960. The Constitution of Liberty. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press/London: Routledge & Kegan Paul.Google Scholar
Hayek, Friedrich. 1961. “Freedom and Coercion: Some Comments and Mr. Hamowy’s Criticism.” New Individualist Review 1 (2): 28–32.Google Scholar
Hayek, Friedrich. 1963. “The Legal and Political Philosophy of David Hume.” Il Politico 28 (4): 691–704.Google Scholar
Hayek, Friedrich. 1964. “Kinds of Order in Society.” New Individualist Review 3 (2): 457–466.Google Scholar
Hayek, Friedrich. 1965. “Kinds of Rationalism.” The Economic Studies Quarterly 15 (2): 1–12.Google Scholar
Hayek, Friedrich. 1966. “Lecture on a Master Mind: Dr. Bernard Mandeville.” Proceedings of the British Academy 52: 125–141.Google Scholar
Hayek, Friedrich. 1967. “Notes on the Evolution of Systems of Rules of Conduct.” In Hayek, Friedrich, Studies in Philosophy, Politics and Economics. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, pp. 66–81.Google Scholar
Hayek, Friedrich. 1968. “Speech on the 70th Birthday of Leonard Reed.” In What’s Past Is Prologue: A Commemorative Evening to the Foundation for Economic Education on the Occasion of Leonard Read’s Seventieth Birthday. New York: Foundation for Economic Education, pp. 37–43.Google Scholar
Hayek, Friedrich. [1970] 1978. “The Errors of Constructivism.” In Hayek, Friedrich, New Studies in Philosophy, Politics, Economics and the History of Ideas. London: Routledge and Kegan Paul, pp. 3–22.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hayek, Friedrich. 1973. Law, Legislation and Liberty. Volume 1: Rules and Order. London: Routledge and Kegan Paul.Google Scholar
Hayek, Friedrich. 1976. Law, Legislation and Liberty. Volume 2: The Mirage of Social Justice. London: Routledge and Kegan Paul.Google Scholar
Hayek, Friedrich. 1977. “‘Planning’ our Way to Serfdom.” Reason, March: 26–30.Google Scholar
Hayek, Friedrich. 1978. A Conversation with Friedrich A. von Hayek: Science and Socialism. Washington: American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research.Google Scholar
Hayek, Friedrich. 1979. Law, Legislation and Liberty. Volume 3: The Political Order of a Free People. London: Routledge and Kegan Paul.Google Scholar
Hayek, Friedrich. 1983. Nobel Prize-Winning Economist: Friedrich A. von Hayek. The Oral History Program and the Pacific Academy of Advanced Studies. Los Angeles: University of California.Google Scholar
Hayek, Friedrich. 1986. “Market Standards for Money.” Economic Affairs 6 (4): 8–10.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hayek, Friedrich. 1987. “Individual and Collective Aims.” In Mendus, Susan and Edwards, David, eds., On Toleration. Oxford: Clarendon Press, pp. 35–47.Google Scholar
Hayek, Friedrich. 1988. The Fatal Conceit. London and New York: Routledge.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hodgson, Geoffrey. 1999. “Some Remarks on Utopia.” In Hodgson, Geoffrey, Economics and Utopia: Why the Learning Economy Is Not the End of History. London and New York: Routledge, pp. 4–9.Google Scholar
Ioannides, Stavros. 1992. “The Depoliticization of the Economy.” In Ioannides, Stavros, The Market, Competition and Democracy: A Critique of Neo-Austrian Economics. Aldershot: Elgar, pp. 137–151.Google Scholar
Keynes, John Maynard. [1944] 1980. “Letter to Hayek, June 28.” In Moggridge, Donald, ed., The Collected Writings of John Maynard Keynes. Volume 27: Activities 1940–1946. Shaping the Post-War World: Employment and Commodities. London: Macmillan, pp. 385–388.Google Scholar
Kirzner, Israel. 1987. “Spontaneous Order and the Case for the Free Market.” In Ideas on Liberty: Essays in Honor of Paul L. Poirot. Comp. by Anderson, Robert G. and Hoffman, Beth. Irvington on Hudson: The Foundation for Economic Education, pp. 45–50.Google Scholar
Kirzner, Israel. 1990. “Knowledge Problems and Their Solutions: Some Relevant Distinctions.” Cultural Dynamics 3 (1): 32–48.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kukathas, Chandran. 1989. “Hayek’s Project and Its Assessment.” In Kukathas, Chandran, Hayek and Modern Liberalism. Oxford: Clarendon Press, pp. 206–215.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Légé, Philippe. 2009. “Le Mirage du Libéralisme Hayékien.” Revue Française de Socio-Économie 3: 77–95.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Molo, Giovanni. 1997. “Justice and Spontaneity.” Swiss Political Science Review 3 (2): 1–81.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Moroni, Stefano. 2014. “Two Different Theories of Two Distinct Spontaneous Phenomena: Orders of Actions and Evolution of Institutions in Hayek.” Cosmos + Taxis 1 (2): 9–23.Google Scholar
Muller, Jerry. 2007. “The Limits of Spontaneous Order: Skeptical Reflections on a Hayekian Theme.” In Hunt, Louis and McNamara, Peter, eds., Liberalism, Conservatism, and Hayek’s Idea of Spontaneous Order. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, pp. 197–209.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
North, Douglas. 2005. “The Scaffolds Humans Erect.” In North, Douglas, Understanding the Process of Economic Change. Princeton: Princeton University Press, pp. 48–64.Google Scholar
Paul, Ellen. 1988. “Liberalism, Unintended Orders and Evolutionism.” Political Studies 36: 251–272.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Petroni, Angelo. 1995. “What Is Right with Hayek’s Ethical Theory.” Revue Européenne des Sciences Sociales 33 (100): 89–126.Google Scholar
Petsoulas, Christina. 2001. “Evolution of Rules of Just Conduct.” In Petsoulas, Christina, Hayek’s Liberalism and Its Origins: His Idea of Spontaneous Order and the Scottish Enlightenment. London and New York: Routledge, pp. 63–72.Google Scholar
Raeder, Linda. 2009. “Hayek on the Role of Reason in Human Affairs.” Political Science Reviewer 38 (1): 125–158.Google Scholar
Rawls, John. 1971. A Theory of Justice. Cambridge: Belknap Press of Harvard University Press.Google Scholar
Raz, Joseph. 1979. “The Rule of Law and Its Virtue.” In Cunningham, Robert, ed., Liberty and the Rule of Law. College Station: Texas A&M University Press, pp. 3–21.Google Scholar
Rees, John. 1963. “Hayek on Liberty.” Philosophy 38 (146): 346–360.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Robbins, Lionel. 1961. “Hayek on Liberty.” Economica 28 (109): 66–81.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rothbard, Murray. 1980. “F. A. Hayek and the Concept of Coercion.” Ordo (Jahrbuch fur die Ordnung von Wirtschaft und Gesellschaft) 31: 43–50.Google Scholar
Rowland, Barbara. 1987. “Hayek’s Critique of Constructivist Rationalism.” In Rowland, Barbara, Ordered Liberty and the Constitutional Framework: The Political Thought of Friedrich A. Hayek. New York: Greenwood Press, pp. 16–21.Google Scholar
Rutherford, Malcolm. 1996. “Distinguishing Evolution and Design.” In Rutherford, Malcolm, Institutions in Economics: The Old and the New Institutionalism. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, pp. 87–90.Google Scholar
Samuels, Warren. 1999. “Hayek from the Perspective of an Institutionalist Historian of Economic Thought: An Interpretive Essay.” Journal des Économistes et des Études Humaines 9 (2/3): 279–290.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Samuels, Warren. 2011. Erasing the Invisible Hand: Essays on an Elusive and Misused Concept in Economics. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Shearmur, Jeremy. 1986. “The Austrian Connection: Hayek’s Liberalism and the Thought of Carl Menger.” In Grassl, Wolfgang and Smith, Barry, eds., Austrian Economics: Historical and Philosophical Background. New York: New York University Press, pp. 210–224.Google Scholar
Shearmur, Jeremy. 1996. Hayek and After: Hayekian Liberalism as a Research Program. London: Routledge.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Steele, Gerald. 2002. “Book Reviews: Hayek’s Liberalism and Its Origins: His Idea of Spontaneous Order and the Scottish Enlightenment. Christinia Petsoulas.” The Quarterly Journal of Austrian Economics 5 (1): 93–95.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Stringham, Edward, and Zywicki, Todd. 2011. “Hayekian Anarchism.” Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization 78 (3): 290–301.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sunstein, Cass. 1995. “Problems with Rules.” California Law Review 83 (4): 953–1026.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tomlinson, Jim. 1990. “Democracy.” In Tomlinson, Jim, Hayek and the Market. London and Winchester: Pluto Press, pp. 25–31.Google Scholar
Tomlinson, Jim. 1995. “Hayek.” In George, Vic and Page, Robert, eds., Modern Thinkers on Welfare. London: Prentice Hall/Harvester Wheatsheaf, pp. 17–30.Google Scholar
Touchie, John. 2005. “Justice and Hayek’s Theory of Mind.” In Touchie, John, Hayek and Human Rights: Foundations for a Minimalist Approach to Law. Cheltenham, UK/Northampton, USA: Edward Elgar, pp. 127–130.Google Scholar
Van den Hauwe, Ludwig. 1998. “Evolution and the Production of Rules—Some Preliminary Remarks.” European Journal of Law and Economics 5 (1): 81–117.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Vanberg, Viktor. 1983. “Libertarian Evolutionism and Contractarian Constitutionalism.” In Pejovich, Svetozar, ed., Philosophical and Economic Foundations of Capitalism. Lexington and Toronto: LexingtonBooks, pp. 71–87.Google Scholar
Vanberg, Viktor. 1994. “Hayek’s Legacy and the Future of Liberal Thought: Rational Liberalism versus Evolutionary Agnosticism.” Cato Journal 14 (2): 179–199.Google Scholar
Vanberg, Viktor. 1996. “Hayek’s Theory of Rules and the Modern State.” In Ratnapala, Suri and Moens, Gabriël A., eds., Jurisprudence of Liberty. Sydney: LexisNexis Australia, pp. 47–66.Google Scholar
Vaughn, Karen. 1984. “The Constitution of Liberty from an Evolutionary Perspective.” In Hayek’s “Serfdom” Revisited: Essays by Economists, Philosophers and Political Scientists on “The Road to Serfdom” After 40 Years. London: The Institute for Economic Affairs, pp. 118–142.Google Scholar
Vaughn, Karen. 1994. “Hayek and the Reconsideration of Spontaneous Orders.” In Vaughn, Karen, Austrian Economics in America: The Migration of a Tradition. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, pp. 120–127.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Watkins, John. 1961. “Philosophy.” In Seldon, Arthur, ed., Agenda for a Free Society: Essays on Hayek’s The Constitution of Liberty. London: Published for the Institute of Economic Affairs by Hutchinson, pp. 31–49.Google Scholar
Weaver, Gary. 1990. “Liberalism, Conservatism and Spontaneous Social Orders.” In Hudson, Yeager and Peden, Creighton, eds., Revolution, Violence and Equality: Studies in Social Philosophy. Book 10. Lewiston/New York: Edwin Mellen, pp. 411–424.Google Scholar
Westmoreland, Robert. 1998. “Hayek: The Rule of Law or the Law of Rules?” Law and Philosophy 17 (1): 77–109.Google Scholar
Whitman, Douglas. 1998. “Hayek Contra Pangloss on Evolutionary Systems.” Constitutional Political Economy 9 (1): 45–66.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Whitman, Douglas. 2003. “Hayek contra Pangloss: A Rejoinder.” Constitutional Political Economy 14 (4): 335–338.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Yeager, Leland. 1985. “Utility, Rights, and Contract: Some Reflections on Hayek’s Work.” In Leube, Kurt and Zlabinger, Albert, eds., The Political Economy of Freedom: Essays in Honor of F. A. Hayek. München: Philosophia Verlag, pp. 61–80.Google Scholar
Yeager, Leland. 1989. “Reason and Cultural Evolution.” Critical Review 3 (2): 324–335.CrossRefGoogle Scholar