Systems, Structural Properties and Levels of Organisation: The Influence of Ludwig Von Bertalanffy on the Work of F.A. Hayek

Paul Lewis

A chapter in Research in the History of Economic Thought and Methodology, 2016, vol. 34A, pp 125-159 from Emerald Group Publishing Limited

Abstract: The purpose of this chapter is to examine the influence exerted on the thought of F.A. Hayek by the work of the biologist and founder of system theory, Ludwig von Bertalanffy. The author’s methodology includes textual analysis and archival work. It is argued first of all that Bertalanffy provided Hayek with a conceptual framework in terms of which he could articulate the philosophical significance of his theoretical psychology. In particular, Bertalanffy’s work afforded Hayek a set of concepts that helped him to articulate the relationship between mental and physical events – that is, between mind and body – implied by his theory. The second part of the chapter builds on the first by exploring how Hayek subsequently applied the abstract conceptual framework or ontology set out by Bertalanffy to the economy. In this way, Bertalanffy’s ideas helped Hayek to articulate and shape his emerging view of the economy as a complex adaptive system, which consists of different ‘levels of organisation’, which displays ‘structural’ or ‘emergent properties’, and which evolves over time on the basis of those group-level properties.

Keywords: Hayek; emergence; system theory; organisation; cultural evolution; group selection (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2016
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.110 ... d&utm_campaign=repec (text/html)
Our link check indicates that this URL is bad, the error code is: 403 Forbidden
https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.110 ... 3-41542016000034A005
Our link check indicates that this URL is bad, the error code is: 403 Forbidden (https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/S0743-41542016000034A005/full/epub?utm_source=repec&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=repec&title=10.1108/S0743-41542016000034A005 [301 Moved Permanently]--> https://www.emerald.com/books/book-chapter-media/26939240/epub/3083866)
https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.110 ... d&utm_campaign=repec (application/pdf)
Our link check indicates that this URL is bad, the error code is: 404 Not Found

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eme:rhetzz:s0743-41542016000034a005

DOI: 10.1108/S0743-41542016000034A005

Access Statistics for this chapter

More chapters in Research in the History of Economic Thought and Methodology from Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Emerald Support ().