Friedrich A. von Hayek is the first person to be presented in our series of lectures on liberal thinkers. This is a short handout along with the presenation (see above).

1. Friedrich A. von Hayek
Friedrich August von Hayek (1899–1992) had a major impact on liberal
thought, economic sciences as well as on the political stage of the Cold War.
The Austrian-British citizen influenced different so-called schools in Econom-
ics. In The Road to Serfdom he claims that government intervention like
piecemeal reforms inevitably lead to the kind ultimate domestic disaster that
paves the way for totalitarian regimes. The Nobel laureate was one of the great
polymaths of 20th century and contributed to jurisprudence neuroscience and
history of ideas – in other terms an outspoken global citizen, free marketer and
liberal philosopher.
1 Life 3 Impact
Being born (Vienna, 8 May 1899) and Hayek’s role in the 20th century was com-
raised in a noble family with connections pared to Adam Smith’s influence of the
to academics, Friedrich August von Hayek 18th. Having researched, published and
served in World War I: The decisive influ- taught all his lifetime his word influenced
ence was really World War I. It’s bound to philosophers, like Karl Popper, and politi-
draw your attention to the problems of cians, e.g. Ludwig Erhard, Margaret
political organization, he judged later in Thatcher and Ronal Reagan.
his life. In economics his direct impact on the
Vowing to work as a liberal for a better Austrian School, the Keynesians and the
world the son of a doctor earned doctor- Chicago school is
ates from the University of Vienna in law clearly traceable.
and economics. Before joining the London Furthermore, his
School of Economics in 1931 he founded studies in phi-
together with Ludwig von Mises the AUS- losophy and even
TRIAN INSTITUTE FOR BUSINESS CYCLE RESEARCH. neurobiology are
In 1950 he continued research and teach- widely recog-
ing in Chicago and moved 1962 to the In 1974 Hayek received the nized.
University of Freiburg (Germany) until his Nobel Prize for his theory of
-ok- Sept. 2009
retirement (1968). money.
He died in the circle of his family 23 Further Reading
March 1992 in Freiburg. CALDWELL, Bruce [Ed.]: The Collected Works of
F.A. von Hayek (19 Vol.) Chicago/London,
1997
2 Work http://mises.org/about/3234
Probably, his most known book is The his biography
Road to Serfdom (1944) in which he is http://www.iea.org.uk/files/upld-
objecting government intervention into publication43pdf?.pdf
market economy. Followed by The Consti- Road to Serfdom in Reader’s Digest format
tution of Liberty (1960) and Law, Legisla- http://revver.com/video/10904/hayeks-the-
tion, and Liberty (1978) together with The road-to-serfdom-in-five-minutes
Fatal Conceit: The Errors of Socialsm his book into a little sketch film
(1989) he always was an Anti-Socialist, http://mises.org/articles.aspx?AuthorId=126
Anti-Protectionist and pure Liberal. his papers
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