Toward an Austro‐Libertarian Sociology

Alexis Sémanne

American Journal of Economics and Sociology, 2025, vol. 84, issue 5, 781-796

Abstract: Interventionism has become a defining feature of modern societies, shaping individual behavior, economic activity, and social norms through state regulations, subsidies, and collectivist ideologies. Despite its profound impact, sociology has largely failed to critically examine the dynamics of interventionism from a praxeological standpoint in recent sociological debates, leaving a significant gap in understanding how individuals and communities adapt to coercive environments. This article proposes a new framework for sociological inquiry rooted in libertarian and Austrian principles, drawing on the works of Ludwig von Mises, Friedrich Hayek, Murray Rothbard, and others. Building on the Austrian tradition's emphasis on human action and spontaneous order, this framework—termed Austro‐Libertarian Sociology, Modern Austrian Sociology, Sociology of Spontaneous Social Orders or Sociology of Natural Order—focuses on how voluntary cooperation and decentralized systems emerge despite state‐imposed constraints. The method is structured around five domains: the sociology of human action, free‐market capitalism, property rights, freedom of contract, and natural competition. Furthermore, 12 innovative concepts, including State Dependency Syndrome, Adaptive Agency, and Spontaneous Resistance Networks, are introduced to analyze the societal consequences of interventionism and the resilience of natural social orders. The article also calls for the modernization of Austrian sociology by incorporating empirical tools to enhance its relevance in public debates. By critiquing contemporary sociology's collectivist biases and proposing a renewed discipline, this work aims to establish a sociological subfield capable of addressing the interplay between state intervention and societal adaptation, fostering a deeper understanding of decentralized, voluntary cooperation in an increasingly regulated world.

Date: 2025
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