View source for Friedrich von Hayek

<!-- you can have any number of categories here -->
[[Category:People|Hayek]]
[[Category:Libertarians|Hayek]]
[[Category:Austrian Economics]]
{{DES | des = Nobel prizewinning (economics) student of [[Ludwig von Mises]], and a major propagandist for libertarianism. | show=}}
<!-- insert wiki page text here -->

Friedrich von Hayek created a large and self-contradictory volume of writings over a long lifetime in several fields.  Widely regarded as brilliant, nevertheless some of them were dreadfully wrong.  For example, [[The Road To Serfdom]], was as badly wrong as "Dow 36,000".  His Business Cycle Theory is considered outright wrong, except by zealots.

Interpreting Hayek's work is comparable to interpreting the Bible: no interpreter can fully reconcile everything without resorting to the most ludicrous apologetics.  Like the Bible, support for almost any position can be found.  For example, Hayek included quite a number of non-libertarian statements and support for social welfare.  Cynics would think those were made to mollify liberals, provide plausible deniability, or provide breathing room for the requirements of propaganda.  And they come embedded in enough unclear verbiage that any particular implementation of them could be criticized for not meeting Hayek's requirements.

Given that Hayek was a propagandist, it would be difficult to take his works at face value, even if face value could be determined.  But if you look at Hayek's actual jobs and how he devoted his energies, they were always in service to the rich and powerful, starting with the Vienna Landlords Association.  Hayek never held an academic position that wasn't funded by the wealthy.

[[Greg Ransom]] seems to be the chief internet proponent of Hayek fundamentalism, and is usually quick to reply to any criticism of Hayek with weak arguments.
<!-- DPL has problems with categories that have a single quote in them.  Use these explicit workarounds. -->
<!-- otherwise, we would use {{Links}} and {{Quotes}}  -->
{{List|Friedrich von Hayek|links=true}}
{{Quotations|Friedrich von Hayek|quotes=true}}