Hayek ranked freedom above democracy and would temporarily sacrifice democratic procedure for it
Evidence
In the same interview, Hayek is reported to have said: “Democracy has a task which I call ‘hygienic,’ for it assures that political processes are conducted in a sanitary fashion. It is not an end in itself. It is a rule of procedure whose aim is to promote freedom. But in no way can it be seen in the same rank as freedom. Freedom requires democracy, but I would prefer temporarily to sacrifice, I repeat temporarily, democracy, before having to do without freedom, even if temporarily.” — Philip Mirowski & Dieter Plehwe (eds.), The Road from Mont Pèlerin, 2152
Categorization
- DEFINE: Clarifies Hayek’s distinctive ‘hygienic’ framing of democracy as mere procedural instrument, not intrinsic value.
- XREF: connects to: Hayek preferred a liberal dictator over a democracy that impinges on markets — Jessica Whyte, The Morals of the Market: Human Rights…, 363; Hayek repeatedly praised Pinochet, Salazar, and Suharto’s dictatorships as liberty-preserving — Jessica Whyte, The Morals of the Market: Human Rights…, 363; Hayek praised the striking down of New Deal legislation as protecting freedom — Jessica Whyte, The Morals of the Market: Human Rights…, 361 (+5 more)
Broader Connections
- Hayek directly legitimized Pinochet’s dictatorship as more liberal than unrestricted democracy.
#expands(0.95) — Philip Mirowski & Dieter Plehwe (eds.), The Road from Mont Pèlerin, 1592 - Hayek claimed a self-limiting dictatorship can out-liberalize an unbounded democracy
#corroborates(0.92) — Philip Mirowski & Dieter Plehwe (eds.), The Road from Mont Pèlerin, 1638 - Hayek distinguished authoritarian from totalitarian regimes to exempt Chile from criticism
#exemplifies(0.85) — Philip Mirowski & Dieter Plehwe (eds.), The Road from Mont Pèlerin, 1590