Advanced Topics in Liberty

Hayek on Law, Legislation, and Liberty (Spring 2010)

February 19-21, 2010 – Arlington, VA

The crucial themes of Friedrich A. Hayek’s work––the relationships between desirable social and economic order, law, liberty, and justice––are central concerns. Hayek’s final systematic work, Law, Legislation and Liberty (in three volumes in 1973, 1976, and 1979), is, arguably, his finest treatment of these themes. This conference is devoted to consideration of this trilogy.

This conference is exclusively for select IHS  Humane Studies Fellowship  winners.

Discussion Leaders: John Hasnas & Eric Mack

Session I:        Construction and Organization versus Evolution and Spontaneous Order

Hayek, Friedrich. “Introduction” Law, Legislation and Liberty, Vol I. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1973. pp. 1-7

Hayek, Friedrich. “Reason and Evolution [Selections]” Law, Legislation and Liberty, Vol I. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1973. pp. 8-24, 31-34

Hayek, Friedrich. “Cosmos and Taxis” Law, Legislation and Liberty, Vol I. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1973. pp. 35-54

Session II:      Market Order, Freedom, and Law

Hayek, Friedrich. “Principles and Expediency [Selections]” Law, Legislation and Liberty, Vol I. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1973. pp. 55-62

Hayek, Friedrich. “The Changing Concept of Law” Law, Legislation and Liberty, Vol I. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1973. pp. 72-93

Hayek, Friedrich. “The Market Order of Catallaxy” Law, Legislation and Liberty, Vol II. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1976. pp. 107-118

Session III:     Nomos versus Thesis

Hayek, Friedrich. “Nomos: The Law of Liberty [Selections]” Law, Legislation and Liberty, Vol I. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1973. pp. 94-110, 112-123

Hayek, Friedrich. “Thesis: The Law of Legislation [Selections]” Law, Legislation and Liberty, Vol I. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1973. pp. 124-136, 141-144

Session IV:     Rules of Just Conduct versus Partial Social Outcomes

Hayek, Friedrich. “General Welfare and Particular Purposes [Selections]” Law, Legislation and Liberty, Vol II. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1976. pp. 1-27, 29-30

Hayek, Friedrich. “The Quest for Justice [Selections]” Law, Legislation and Liberty, Vol II. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1976. pp. 31-42, 44-48, 59-60

Session V:      The Critique of “Social” Justice

Hayek, Friedrich. “’Social’ or Distributive Justice” Law, Legislation and Liberty, Vol II. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1976. pp. 62-100

Hayek, Friedrich. “The Discipline of Abstract Rules and the Emotions of Tribal Society [Selections]” Law, Legislation and Liberty, Vol II. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1976. pp. 133-134, 139-147, 149-152

Session VI:     Hayek’s Constitutions

Hayek, Friedrich. “The Public Sector [Selections]” Law, Legislation and Liberty, Vol III. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1979. pp. 41-46, 54-56

Hayek, Friedrich. “A Model Constitution” Law, Legislation and Liberty, Vol III. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1979. pp. 105-127

Hayek, Friedrich. “The Containment of Power and the Dethronement of Politics [Selections]” Law, Legislation and Liberty, Vol III. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1979. pp. 128-132, 133-135, 137-139, 146-152