Overview
Scholars within the Hayekian-Austrian tradition of classical liberalism have done virtually no work on the family as an economic and social institution. In addition, there is a real paucity of scholarship on the place of the family within classical liberal and libertarian political philosophy. Hayek's Modern Family offers a classical liberal theory of the family, taking Hayekian social theory as the main analytical framework. Horwitz argues that families are social institutions that perform certain irreplaceable functions in society. These functions change as economic, political, and social circumstances change, and the family form adapts accordingly, kicking off the next wave of developments in the social structure. In Hayekian terms, the family is an evolving and undesigned social institution. Horwitz offers a non-conservative defense of the family as a social institution against the view that either the state or ""the village"" is able or required to take over its irreplaceable functions.
Full Product Details
Author: Steven Horwitz
Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan
Imprint: Palgrave Macmillan
Edition: 2015 ed.
Dimensions:
Width: 15.50cm
, Height: 1.90cm
, Length: 23.50cm
Weight: 0.658kg
ISBN: 9781137448224
ISBN 10: 1137448229
Pages: 313
Publication Date: 06 October 2015
Audience:
College/higher education
,
Professional and scholarly
,
Undergraduate
,
Postgraduate, Research & Scholarly
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active
Availability: In Print
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Reviews
“Hayek’s Modern Family: Classical Liberalism and the Evolution of Social Institutions introduces a theoretical frame that not only explains past trends in family formation, but also suggests productive directions for future scholarship. As such, Horwitz’s contribution is recommended for anyone with an interest in the study of the family, from students seeking their first introduction to the ‘how’ and ‘why’ of family in the Western world to scholars seeking research inspiration.” (Jayme Lemke, The Review of Austrian Economics, Vol. 30, 2017)
Hayek's Modern Family: Classical Liberalism and the Evolution of Social Institutions introduces a theoretical frame that not only explains past trends in family formation, but also suggests productive directions for future scholarship. As such, Horwitz's contribution is recommended for anyone with an interest in the study of the family, from students seeking their first introduction to the `how' and `why' of family in the Western world to scholars seeking research inspiration. (Jayme Lemke, Review of Austrian Economics, June, 2016) Hayek's Modern Family is a truly wide-ranging book. It combines political theory, economic analysis, historical overview, constitutional analysis, and public-policy recommendations. ... Hayek's Modern Family is a welcome ... addition to the contemporary discussion of the modern family. ... the author's Austrian economic analysis of the factors affecting contemporary family decisions is a helpful conceptualization of difficulties facing young people today. (Caleb Henry, Journal of Markets & Morality, Vol. 19 (1), May, 2016) Horwitz has been developing his ideas about classical liberalism and the family for decades. The wait is now over, and it has been well worth it. This highly original and well argued book provides a formidable challenge to all those whose knee-jerk reaction is that a free market society must be bad for families. Let the debates begin! - Bruce Caldwell, Professor and Director, Center for the History of Political Economy, Duke University, USA Thank goodness for an economist who understands that all parenting decisions involve risks and rewards, and who defends those of us who refuse to parent from a place of total risk aversion. What a refreshing outlook! - Lenore Skenazy, author of Free-Range Kids, blog and book
Horwitz has been developing his ideas about classical liberalism and the family for decades. The wait is now over, and it has been well worth it. This highly original and well argued book provides a formidable challenge to all those whose knee-jerk reaction is that a free market society must be bad for families. Let the debates begin! - Bruce Caldwell, Professor and Director, Center for the History of Political Economy, Duke University, USA Thank goodness for an economist who understands that all parenting decisions involve risks and rewards, and who defends those of us who refuse to parent from a place of total risk aversion. What a refreshing outlook! - Lenore Skenazy, author of Free-Range Kids, blog and book
Author Information
Steven Horwitz is Charles A. Dana Professor of Economics at St. Lawrence University, USA, and an Affiliated Senior Scholar at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University, USA. He is the author of two books on monetary economics, and has written extensively on the social thought of F.A. Hayek and the Austrian school of economics.
