Wednesday, October 19, 2016

The Importance of Austrian School Economics

Richard Ebeling emails:

Dear Bob,

I participated in the October 19, 2016 “Libertarian Angle,” podcast sponsored by the Future of Freedom Foundation, with the Foundation’s president, Jacob G. Hornberger, on the topic: “The Importance of Austrian Economics.”

This week’s podcast focuses on the relevance of Austrian Economics for understanding economic policy issues and for appreciating the workings of the market economy, in general, as emphasized in my recent eBook, “Austrian Economics and Public Policy: Restoring Freedom and Prosperity,” published in late August 2016 by the Future of Freedom Foundation.

For the Austrian Economists, one of the most essential attributes and characteristics of man is his creative and innovative intentionality, which is the source of all the transformative improvements in the human condition that supplies the standards of living that we so too frequently take for granted.

The heart of the Austrian analysis of the market order is that it is the only social system that recognizes and secures the individual’s rights to his life, liberty, and property, and requires all human relationships to be based on voluntary exchange.

The importance of this, as Austrian economists such as Ludwig von Mises and Friedrich A. Hayek have highlighted, is that is provides the institutional setting that facilitates the emergence of a market-based price system for economic calculation of profit and loss for the consumer-oriented guidance of production, and leaves individuals at liberty to use their own unique and distinctive knowledge in their own corner of the division of labor, so all may benefit from what some know that others do not.

The fundamental flaws in all forms of socialism, interventionism and welfare statism is that they not only deny individuals the liberty to live their own lives as they choose, but undermine the free social order that enables people to effectively and successfully interact and coordinate their diverse actions and activities for the material and cultural betterment of all.

Best,

Richard


1 comment:

  1. Got the book and can't wait to read it. Why no Rothbard on the cover and I hope his insights are included, especially when the Title is Austrian Economics and Public Policy. This may be premature criticism being that I haven't read it yet but I just wanted to note:

    "The fundamental flaws in all forms of socialism, interventionism and welfare statism is that they not only deny individuals the liberty to live their own lives as they choose, but undermine the free social order that enables people to effectively and successfully interact and coordinate their diverse actions and activities for the material and cultural betterment of all."

    Rothbard was integral to shedding light on the ethical justification of the above statement. Being that all policy perscriptions are inherently ethical claims I hope that this book hits on these important insights. Without an ethical basis to object to the denial of liberty and the 'undermining of the social order' we are forced to ask, "Why is that a bad thing?"

    I'm sure Ebeling does justice in the book. His work is usually extraordinary.

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