Hayek insisted the Mont Pèlerin Society stay private and philosophical, not engage in propaganda
Evidence
Hayek had rigorously adhered to a view that it should avoid any public engagement in order to protect its identity as a philosophical enterprise. He believed that any turn toward propaganda or the proactive dissemination of its members’ views would challenge its identity as a venue for serious inquiry and foundational debates. The emergence of a society publication was therefore a very serious matter, and Hayek attempted to delay the publication of the Quarterly’s fi rst issue because of explicit concerns about its scope. He wrote that his “personal view is still that the Society as such should not express opinions,” adding that he was deeply hesitant to “attempt anything more ambitious” than a newsletter designed “to inform members about publications by other members of the Society, about changes in membership and to communicate to all members papers presented at the meeting.” Hunold expressed disappointment and termed Hayek’s policy “a nuisance.” “If we go on like this,” he proclaimed, “we shall soon be hanged by the communists.” — Angus Burgin, The Great Persuasion, 333
Categorization
- XREF: Connects to the broader historical puzzle of how an avowedly philosophical/academic network transformed into the policy engine of global neoliberalism — contrasts with Hayek’s own early position. — connects to: Friedman quietly redirected the Mont Pèlerin society away from Hayek’s original project. — Angus Burgin, The Great Persuasion: Reinventing Free…, 537; Hayek designed the Mont Pèlerin Society as a closed ideological academy — Philip Mirowski, Never Let a Serious Crisis Go to Waste, 193; The Mont Pèlerin Society’s intellectual mission deliberately avoided propaganda roles — Philip Mirowski & Dieter Plehwe (eds.), The Road from Mont Pèlerin: The Making…, 1450 (+1 more)
- SHARE: A precise primary-source quote from Hayek on why the MPS must not ‘express opinions’ — great for a colleague working on intellectual-history method or the history of think tanks.
Broader Connections
- The Mont Pèlerin Society’s intellectual mission deliberately avoided propaganda roles
#expands(0.90) — Philip Mirowski & Dieter Plehwe (eds.), The Road from Mont Pèlerin, 1450 - Hayek designed the Mont Pèlerin Society as a closed ideological academy
#corroborates(0.85) — Philip Mirowski, Never Let a Serious Crisis Go to Waste, 193 - Hayek founded the Mont Pèlerin Society in 1947 to rebuild market advocacy networks.
#expands(0.72) — Angus Burgin, The Great Persuasion, 30