Social Evolution: Buchanan and Hayek

David Reisman

Chapter 5 in James Buchanan, 2015, pp 65-73 from Palgrave Macmillan

Abstract: Abstract Marx was an evolutionist who believed that unguided unfolding would lead inevitably to collective betterment. So was Hayek, who argued in effect that ‘basic institutional change will somehow spontaneously evolve in the direction of structural efficiency’ (CW X, 166n). Such thinking, in Buchanan’s words, has done ‘great damage’: ‘Hayek is so distrustful of man’s explicit attempts at reforming institutions that he accepts uncritically the evolutionary alternative. We may share much of Hayek’s skepticism about social and institutional reform, however, without elevating the evolutionary process to an ideal role. Reform may, indeed, be difficult, but this is no argument that its alternative is ideal’ (LL, 194n).

Keywords: Invisible Hand; Great Society; Constitutional Political Economy; Natural Selec; Visible Hand (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2015
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:pal:gtechp:978-1-137-42718-2_5

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DOI: 10.1057/9781137427182_5

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