Hayek held liberalism adaptive, maximizing spontaneity and minimizing coercion

Evidence

“There is nothing in the basic principles of liberalism to make it a stationary creed, there are no hard-and-fast rules fixed once and for all. The fundamental principle that in the ordering of our affairs we should make as much use as possible of the spontaneous forces of society, and resort as little as possible to coercion is capable of an infinite variety of applications” (Hayek 1991, 13). — Philip Mirowski & Dieter Plehwe (eds.), The Road from Mont Pèlerin, 565

Categorization

• XREF: Hayek’s own statement of liberal first principles maps onto the ‘contested meaning’ of neoliberalism threaded through this book. — connects to: Early Hayek held that economics could guide policy without claiming normative expertise. — Angus Burgin, The Great Persuasion: Reinventing Free…, 132; Hayek saw society as a spontaneous order, not a dutiful organization — Jessica Whyte, The Morals of the Market: Human Rights…, 146; Hayek’s extended order subordinates political authority to market discipline — Shoshana Zuboff, The Age of Surveillance Capitalism, 120 (+6 more)

Broader Connections

• Classical liberalism prioritized political freedom over economic liberty. #contradicts (0.75) — Philip Mirowski & Dieter Plehwe (eds.), The Road from Mont Pèlerin, 391