Polanyi’s ‘spontaneous order’ concept originated in attacks on Soviet science policy

Evidence

One close ally was Michael Polanyi, a Hungarian chemist who had been appointed to a chair in physical chemistry at Manchester University in 1933. Shortly after arriving in En gland, Polanyi began writing articles that criticized Rus sian restrictions on theoretical science. These attracted the attention of the emerging transatlantic network of critics of socialism, and he accepted invitations to attend the “Colloque Lippmann” in 1938 and the fi rst meeting of the Mont Pèlerin Society nearly a de cade later. In developing his theory of knowledge, Polanyi came to extol what he referred to as “spontaneous order”: the extraordinarily “delicate and complex” patterns of alignment that aggregations can assume when they reach a point of equilibrium between internal and external forces. Spontaneous order was not always preferable to the imposition of an assigned plan, but Polanyi argued that it was often capable, especially in tasks involving large numbers, of producing a much more comprehensive and effi cient outcome than the alternatives. His discussions of spontaneous order ranged from small particles to communities of scientists, but he indicated that the “most massive” example was that of an economic marketplace. Hayek adopted the term and joined Polanyi in expressing the dangers involved in imposing order on both intellectual and economic communities. — Angus Burgin, The Great Persuasion, 279

Categorization

• DEFINE: Traces the origin of ‘spontaneous order’ — a term Hayek famously used — to Polanyi’s specific critique of Russian science restrictions, connecting chemistry to economics.
• SHARE: The fact that ‘spontaneous order’ — the cornerstone concept of Hayekian economics — was coined by a physical chemist attacking Soviet science policy is a great nerdy detail for someone deep into intellectual history.
• SEED: Article angle: the migration of ‘spontaneous order’ from physical chemistry to economics as a case study in how scientific concepts cross disciplinary boundaries into political theory.
• XREF: connects to: Michael Polanyi formed his liberal social theory partly from direct Soviet observation — Dieter Plehwe, Quinn Slobodian & Philip Mirowski (eds.), Nine Lives of Neoliberalism, 377; Polanyi reframed science as the model case of liberalism in action — Dieter Plehwe, Quinn Slobodian & Philip Mirowski (eds.), Nine Lives of Neoliberalism, 81; Polanyi attributed pro-Soviet sentiment to the opacity of markets — Dieter Plehwe, Quinn Slobodian & Philip Mirowski (eds.), Nine Lives of Neoliberalism, 69

Broader Connections

• Michael Polanyi formed his liberal social theory partly from direct Soviet observation #corroborates (0.78) — Dieter Plehwe, Quinn Slobodian & Philip Mirowski (eds.), Nine Lives of Neoliberalism, 377
• Polanyi reframed science as the model case of liberalism in action #expands (0.72) — Dieter Plehwe, Quinn Slobodian & Philip Mirowski (eds.), Nine Lives of Neoliberalism, 81