The Cambridge Companion to Hayek

F.A. Hayek (1899-1992) was among the most important economists and political philosophers of the twentieth century. He is widely regarded as the principal intellectual force behind the triumph of global capitalism, an ‘anti-Marx’ who did more than any other recent thinker to elucidate the theoretical foundations of the free market economy. His account of the role played by market prices in transmitting economic knowledge constituted a devastating critique of the socialist ideal of central economic planning, and his famous book The Road to Serfdom was a prophetic statement of the dangers which socialism posed to a free and open society. He also made significant contributions to fields as diverse as the philosophy of law, the theory of complex systems, and cognitive science. The essays in this volume, by an international team of contributors, provide a critical introduction to all aspects of Hayek\'s thought.

• Provides brief and accessible introductions to complex and difficult ideas • A useful aid in sorting through the burgeoning literature on Hayek • Includes a guide to further reading

Contents

Introduction Edward Feser; 1. Hayek and the Austrian tradition Bruce Caldwell; 2. Hayek on money and the business cycle Roger E. Backhouse; 3. Hayek and market socialism Peter J. Boettke; 4. Hayek and Marx Meghnad Desai; 5. Hayek versus Keynes: the road to reconciliation Robert Skidelsky; 6. Hayek on knowledge, economics, and society Andrew Gamble; 7. Hayek and Popper: ‘The Road to Serfdom’ and ‘The Open Society’ Anthony O’Hear; 8. Hayek’s politics Jeremy Shearmur; 9. Hayek the philosopher of law Aeon J. Skoble; 10. Hayek and liberalism Chandran Kukathas; 11. Hayek and conservatism Roger Scruton; 12. Hayek on the evolution of society and mind Gerald F. Gaus; 13. Hayek on justice and the order of actions Eric Mack; 14. Hayek the cognitive scientist and philosopher of mind Edward Feser.