The Constitution of Liberty

by Friedrich A. Hayek (Author)

59 ratings

ISBN-13: 978-0226320847

ISBN-10: 0226320847

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"One of the great political works of our time, . . . the twentieth-century successor to John Stuart Mill's essay, 'On Liberty.'"—Henry Hazlitt, Newsweek

"A reflective, often biting, commentary on the nature of our society and its dominant thought by one who is passionately opposed to the coercion of human beings by the arbitrary will of others, who puts liberty above welfare and is sanguine that greater welfare will thereby ensue."—Sidney Hook, New York Times Book Review

In this classic work Hayek restates the ideals of freedom that he believes have guided, and must continue to guide, the growth of Western civilization. Hayek's book, first published in 1960, urges us to clarify our beliefs in today's struggle of political ideologies.

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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

F. A. Hayek (1899-1992), recipient of the Medal of Freedom in 1991 and co-winner 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. He taught at the University of London, the University of Chicago, and the University of Freiburg.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ The University of Chicago Press (October 15, 1978)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 580 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0226320847
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0226320847
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.68 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 1.25 x 9 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #1,100,344 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #204 in Civil Rights
- #862 in Political History (Books)
- #1,066 in Government Social Policy

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Lets Go Brandon

Should be considered part of the Western canon

Reviewed in the United States on October 29, 2010

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I hadn't read this book since I was in my early 20's until I bought another copy recently. It's amazing how many things I think I thought up myself actually come from Hayek.

Hayek's approach to defending liberty, individual rights and limited government is not like that of many doctrinaire libertarians. He doesn't start from a moral value that freedom is good and then look for reasons to support it. Instead, he examines how freedom works, who likes it and who doesn't, and why. He looks in detail at what happens when it's infringed, how it's won and lost, and provides all kinds of interesting thought experiments and examples to persuade you.

Although Hayek is often known primarily as an economist, he doesn't limit himself to economic arguments. He looks with great subtlety at the sociological and psychological aspects of human freedom, at how various institutions interact and balance each other.

If you're already a person who leans libertarian, you'll find your understanding of why you feel the way you do immeasurably enriched. You'll have a considerably more sophisticated rationale for what you feel so strongly after reading this book.

If you're a person who thinks those libertarians are ideological nuts, read Hayek to read one who isn't. Unlike libertarian firebrands like Rand and Rothbard, Hayek engages readers on their own ground, leading you to unexpected conclusions and insights without demanding you start by admitting he's fundamentally right.

This book's scope is much wider than his more popular "The Road to Serfdom." It's also a lot longer. But if you're going to read only one Hayek book, take the dive with this one.

8 people found this helpful

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Ryan Freed

Liberty, in light of its opponents

Reviewed in the United States on May 26, 2011

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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.

2 people found this helpful

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James Tolbert

Must read to learn about Libertarian Views

Reviewed in the United States on July 9, 2015

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A very interesting read on the writings of FA Hayek. This man was a founding father of the movement we now call Libertarianism. This is a really good book to understand his perspective. You might be surprised with some of his thoughts -- like his disdain for people who ignore science and instead stick to outdated ideas. In the book, he speaks against people who believe in creationism even with the mounting scientific support for evolution - yet this could equally be applied to people speaking against climate change science while all of the National Academies and scientific organizations have publications trying to explain that climate change is supported by all lines of science and also supported by actual observations.

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Chris

Love Hayek

Reviewed in the United States on April 4, 2013

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I love Hayek, his writings on liberty are fantastic and I recommend all of his books to anyone interested in the topic.

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JTobin

Five Stars

Reviewed in the United States on September 1, 2014

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Mr. Francois Marcognet

Philosophie politique de Hayek.

Reviewed in France on August 23, 2010

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Oeuvre magistrale de Hayek publiée aux Etats-Unis en 1960, il n'existait pas jusque là d'exposé complet de la vision libérale de la politique. Il fallait donc reprendre l'analyse des fondements du libéralisme pour proposer une construction cohérente répondant à cette exigence de philosophie politique, ce qu'il a voulu entreprendre.
D'emblée nous retrouvons la théorie de la connaissance de l'auteur pour affirmer sa philosophie de la liberté avec des aspects politiques, juridiques, culturels, économiques et sociaux. Selon lui la civilisation qui est la notre, résulte à la fois d'un progrès des connaissances et d'un type d'organisation économique et sociale fondé sur le droit du "nomos" et le marché.
Il traite ainsi une triple problématique: pourquoi voulons-nous la liberté et qu'apporte-t-elle à la civilisation, la nature des institutions dans les pays occidentaux destinées à assurer la liberté individuelle,et les applications à des problèmes économiques et sociaux. (A compléter par son projet de constitution dans le tome III de "Droit, législation et liberté".
Hayek avait ainsi précisé sa pensée et apporté un outil intellectuel majeur aux défenseurs du libéralisme. Cette contribution faisait suite à son ouvrage de 1944: "La route de la servitude", sa contribution à l'effort de guerre, a été suivie par son grand travail: "Droit, législation et liberté", et finalement par son dernier livre "La présomption fatale".
Personne n'osait penser à l'époque à la chute du mur de Berlin et à la fin du communisme en U.R.S.S.
La constitution de la liberté de Hayek reste un très grand livre pour tous ceux qui s'intéressent à la pensée libérale.

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Amazon カスタマー

自由についての考え方の参考

Reviewed in Japan on January 4, 2020

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政治的経済的思想的自由（ただし正しい方向）がなければ世界全体や人々にとってよき進歩につながらないと感じました

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