Communicative action and the radical constitution: the Habermasian challenge to Hayek, Mises and their descendents

This paper evaluates Jurgen Habermas's typology of action and his recent call for a radically democratic rule of law. The theory of action that Habermas develops, however, differs significantly from the science of action (praxeology) of the Austrian school. As such, it represents a methodological challenge to Austrian praxeology. Additionally, Habermas's criticism of the welfare state is shown to be somewhat consistent with Hayek's criticisms, but his alternative to the welfare state challenges the political vision of many Austrian economists. This paper attempts to demonstrate that both Habermas's and the Austrian school's efforts suffer from similar weaknesses and epistemological pretences. Copyright 2007, Oxford University Press.

The Frightening Inadequacy of Economics as a Worldview: A Reply to Professor Hsiung

My response to Professor Hsiung follows on suggestions made at the American Economic Association which advocated the mass education of the general population in the principles of economics and the propagation of an economic worldview. He recommends a popular programme of propaganda subtlety inculcate the populace into an economist’s view of thinking. As a starting point for this program there must be some consensus on the topic of whateconomic thinking and worldviews must be. He attempts this task by plotting the range of views within the discipline and then distilling an essence from which he develops the economics worldview. Professor Hsiung’s article is in twoparts. The first part is a general response to economics as a world view. The second follows and addresses the specific arguments raised in this article. I will argue that he has failed to convincingly identify a core to economics, that core he does identify is not unique to economics and is insufficient for developing a worldview. Finally I argue that a true economic worldview would have certain specific contours which he has failed to identify and develop.<br/