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The Constitution of Liberty: The Definitive Edition (The Collected Works of F. A. Hayek) Paperback – April 1, 2011

by F. A. Hayek (Author),‎ Ronald Hamowy (Editor)

87 customer reviews

Book 17 of 17 in the Collected Works of F. A. Hayek Series

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From the $700 billion bailout of the banking industry to president Barack Obama’s $787 billion stimulus package to the highly controversial passage of federal health-care reform, conservatives and concerned citizens alike have grown increasingly fearful of big government. Enter Nobel Prize–winning economist and political theorist F. A. Hayek, whose passionate warning against empowering states with greater economic control, The Road to Serfdom, became an overnight sensation last summer when it was endorsed by Glenn Beck. The book has since sold over 150,000 copies.

The latest entry in the University of Chicago Press’s series of newly edited editions of Hayek’s works, The Constitution of Liberty is, like Serfdom, just as relevant to our present moment. The book is considered Hayek’s classic statement on the ideals of freedom and liberty, ideals that he believes have guided—and must continue to guide—the growth of Western civilization. Here Hayek defends the principles of a free society, casting a skeptical eye on the growth of the welfare state and examining the challenges to freedom posed by an ever expanding government—as well as its corrosive effect on the creation, preservation, and utilization of knowledge. In opposition to those who call for the state to play a greater role in society, Hayek puts forward a nuanced argument for prudence. Guided by this quality, he elegantly demonstrates that a free market system in a democratic polity—under the rule of law and with strong constitutional protections of individual rights—represents the best chance for the continuing existence of liberty.

Striking a balance between skepticism and hope, Hayek’s profound insights are timelier and more welcome than ever before. This definitive edition of The Constitution of Liberty will give a new generation the opportunity to learn from his enduring wisdom.

The Constitution of Liberty: The Definitive Edition (The Collected Works of F. A. Hayek)

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Editorial Reviews

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"In an age when many on the right are worried that the Obama administration's reform of health care is leading us toward socialism, Hayek's warnings from the mid-twentieth century about society's slide toward despotism, and his principled defense of a minimal state, have found strong political resonance. . . . The notes [to this edition] make clear the extraordinary breadth and depth of Hayek’s erudition and his ability to wander far beyond economics into history, philosophy, biology, and other fields."

(Francis Fukuyama New York Times Book Review)

About the Author

F. A. Hayek (1899–1992), recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1991 and cowinner of the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economics in 1974, was a pioneer in monetary theory and a leading proponent of classical liberalism in the twentieth century. Ronald Hamowy is professor of history emeritus at the University of Alberta. He is the editor of The Encyclopedia of Libertarianism, among other books.

Series: The Collected Works of F. A. Hayek (Book 17)
Paperback: 688 pages
Publisher: University Of Chicago Press; The Collected Works edition edition (April 1, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0226315398
ISBN-13: 978-0226315393
Product Dimensions: 6 x 1.5 x 9 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 87 customer reviews
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #124,591 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #82 in Books > Politics & Social Sciences > Politics & Government > Public Affairs & Policy > Social Policy
- #92 in Books > Politics & Social Sciences > Politics & Government > Specific Topics > Political Freedom
- #143 in Books > Business & Money > Economics > Economic Policy & Development

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Liberty Revisited

ByPeter Francis Fenwickon April 14, 2012

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

First published in 1960, a revised edition of Hayek's greatest work, The Constitution of Liberty, was republished in 2011, making this erudite defense of the principles of a free society available to a new generation of readers.

All the attempts of the last hundred years to ameliorate the free market with social justice have led to poverty and tyranny. We know about the horrors of communism in Russia and Eastern Europe; we know about the horrors of the totalitarian regimes in the Middle East; we can see the contrasts between North and South Korea; we saw US government interference in the financial markets cause a global financial crisis in 2008; and we can see what welfare spending has done in Greece. It is time to have a serious look at what Hayek has to say.

"A free society offers the individual much more than he would be able to do if only he were free.
If he is subject only to the same laws as all his fellow citizens,
if he is immune from arbitrary confinement,
and free to choose his own work,
and if he is free to own and acquire property,
no other men or group of men can coerce him to do their bidding."

The economic consequences of such freedom is that men are free to innovate, to cooperate with each other, to build on the knowledge and ideas of those that have gone before, to test ideas and to choose the ones that work. Such things lead to an exponential growth in prosperity.

"But the ultimate aim of freedom is the enlargement of those capacities in which man surpasses his ancestors and to which each generation must endeavour to add its share - its share in the growth of knowledge and the gradual advance of moral and ethical beliefs, where no superior must be allowed to enforce one set of views of what is right or good and where only further experience can decide what should prevail. It is wherever man reaches beyond his present self, where the new emerges and assessment lies in the future, that liberty ultimately shows its value."

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Lots of deep insights

ByAmazon Customeron December 8, 2015

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

I downloaded the Kindle version. No typos and very readable.
The content is amazing. If you have any libertarian instincts , this will sharpen your thoughts tremendously. I found myself highlighting almost every paragraph.

The references / annotations are very easy to follow in the Kindle edition, and they have lots of useful quotations .

Even though it is from the 1960's, it is still very relevant to today's affairs. As an example, I found the discussion of Liberalism versus Democracy in chapter 7 very thought provoking , and immediately brought to mind the recent failure to export liberal democracy to the Middle East .

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Thick Read

ByAmazon Customeron March 23, 2017

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

I enjoyed this book because the ideas are new to me. But Hayak's writing is ponderous. He uses 10 words when a few might do. Even so, there is a lot to learn here

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Liberty, in light of its opponents

ByRyan Freedon May 26, 2011

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

It is said that, when Margaret Thatcher was asked what principles her cabinet should model itself upon, she presented a copy of this book as an answer. And that pretty much sums up `Constitution of Liberty,' which could serve as the definitive argument for a free society in modern times. The `modern times' part is essential because this book is not just a philosophical exercise, but rather a fully practical guide for making the case for liberty in the face of increasingly hostile opponents.

Hayek begins with a semantic survey of the concept, then quickly explores the issues concerning liberty. It is important to note that his arguments for liberty are framed largely in response to the popular antagonism of liberty. This is reasonable since he wrote at the height of welfare statism. But, as such, his take on liberty, freedom and responsibility, merit, etc., is flush with negative affiliation. This is why his primary argument for liberty is mainly just an argument against planning, the primary focus of statists of the time.

And if there is a criticism of this book, it would rest in the negative approach, which often goes too far and ends up countering his case to some degree. For instance, to refute planning, Hayek argues that it is impossible for anyone to know all that is necessary to organize a complex society like that of modern Western nations. In making this claim, however, he stresses man's innate ignorance and incapacity for planning of any kind. The problem with this is that man is not completely ignorant and has the capacity for planning to some degree. If he were totally incapable of planning, he would not be able to run his own life, which could be an argument in favor of meddling statists. So, in order to refute statism, Hayek inadvertently promotes it.

Hayek does counter this with disclaimers later on, saying that we're all planners after all, and expressing sincere admiration for human intellect and innovation. Of course, this only diminishes his central argument, and gives opponents an inconsistency to pounce on.

In the end, the inconsistency is a minor blot on an otherwise enlightening and engaging treatise. `Constitution of Liberty' should be a welcomed edition for anyone interested in the great debate of our age.

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I am an atheist but the old saying "The road to Hell is paved with good intentions" is exactly what socialism is

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