Review by Choice Review
A controversial figure, Hayek has spawned a burgeoning literature, often expressing polarized, jargon-laden views. This accessible introduction to Hayek's intellectual life and times is a refreshing exception. The book first sketches the intellectual landscape in turn of the century Germany and Austria. Accounts of the German Historical School, the birth of Austrian economics, the Methodenstreit, and the rise of positivism should interest even those unconcerned with Hayek's journey. Subsequent coverage of Hayek's accomplishments is selective. Caldwell (Univ. of North Carolina, Greensboro), best known for his work in economic methodology, plays to his strengths. He focuses on Hayek's significance in the methodological debates of the 1930s, his relationships with Robbins and Mises, and the importance of his 1937 article "Economics and Knowledge." The terrain becomes more difficult as Hayek moves beyond economics into political theory and psychology. Within Hayek's "abuse of reason project," Caldwell focuses on Hayek's critique of scientific methods in "Scientism and the Study of Society" (1942-44) and "Individualism: True and False" (1946) rather than the popular polemic The Road to Serfdom (1944). His selective survey of later works is less engaging. Closing chapters offer a generally sympathetic interpretation of Hayek's legacy. Likely to be a major work in the field. ^BSumming Up: Highly recommended. Public and academic library collections, lower-division undergraduate through faculty. R. S. Hewett Drake University
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Choice Review
