Austrian probabilism paired liberal anticlericalism with rejection of epistemic certainty.

Evidence

Within both disciplines, the Austrian scientific “culture of uncertainty” was unique in Europe: their embrace of probabilistic theory “was tied to a characteristically liberal and anticlerical rejection of absolute claims,” and “philosophers who challenged certitude often led efforts for social reform and popular scientific education.” — Dieter Plehwe, Quinn Slobodian & Philip Mirowski (eds.), Nine Lives of Neoliberalism, 58

Categorization

• QUESTION: This culture-of-uncertainty claim seems to undercut the usual story that uncertainty/ignorance arguments were only later co-opted by Hayek against planning — worth tracing who the cited ‘they’ are.
• XREF: connects to: Austrian probabilistic thinking fused liberal anticlericalism with advocacy for social reform — Dieter Plehwe, Quinn Slobodian & Philip Mirowski (eds.), Nine Lives of Neoliberalism, 58; Moral ideals reduced to subjective preference fatally weaken opposition to reality — Herbert Marcuse, One-Dimensional Man: Studies in the…, 555; Dogmatism is unjustified certainty, distinct from authoritarianism — Bob Altemeyer, The Authoritarian Specter, 2622

Broader Connections

• Austrian probabilistic thinking fused liberal anticlericalism with advocacy for social reform #qualifies (0.80) — Dieter Plehwe, Quinn Slobodian & Philip Mirowski (eds.), Nine Lives of Neoliberalism, 58
• Dogmatism is unjustified certainty, distinct from authoritarianism #contradicts (0.75) — Bob Altemeyer, The Authoritarian Specter, 2622
• Moral ideals reduced to subjective preference fatally weaken opposition to reality #complicates (0.70) — Herbert Marcuse, One-Dimensional Man, 555