F. A. Hayek and the Epistemology of Politics is an exploration of an important problem that has largely been ignored heretofore: the problem of policymaker ignorance and the consequences of limited political knowledge. Scott Scheall explores the significance of the fact that the possibilities for effective political action are constrained by policymakers' epistemic limitations. The book offers an explanation for why policymaking often fails and why constituents, whatever their political affiliations, are so often disappointed with political leaders.

In this philosophical examination of his work, Hayek's ideas are not merely discussed, analyzed, and contextualized, but extended; the book both draws and defends previously unrecognized implications from the Hayekian canon.

The book will be of interest to scholars of the works of F. A. Hayek and his intellectual adversaries, to policymakers, and to those of all political, philosophical, and social-scientific persuasions.

About the Author

Scott Scheall is Assistant Professor and Director of Graduate Studies in the Faculty of Social Science in Arizona State University's College of Integrative Sciences and Arts, as well as Project Director for the History of Economic Thought in Arizona State University's Center for the Study of Economic Liberty. He has published extensively on topics related to the history and philosophy of the Austrian School of economics. Scott is co-host of Smith and Marx Walk into a Bar: A History of Economics Podcast.

Reviews

"Scheall provides an engaging analysis of the possibility of applying Hayek's methodology to policymaking in liberal democracies, rich in suggestions for both economists and political scientists. The discussion of the core idea of his book is enriched by many enlightening insights into the history of economics, such as the economic calculation debate, Hayek's quarrels with Keynes, and the influence of philosophers and scientists like Adolph StEUROohr and Hermann von Helmholtz on Hayek's theory of knowledge and perception."

Francesco Di Iorio, European Journal of the History of Economic Thought

Book Information
ISBN 9781032174433
Author Scott Scheall
Format Paperback
Page Count 216
Imprint Routledge
Publisher Taylor & Francis Ltd
Weight(grams) 312g