This book explores the life and work of Austrian-British economist, political economist, and social philosopher, Friedrich Hayek. Set within a context of the recent financial crisis, alongside the renewed interest in Hayek and the Hayek-Keynes debate, the book introduces the main themes of Hayek’s thought. These include the division of knowledge, the importance of rules, the problems with planning and economic management, and the role of constitutional constraints in enabling the emergence of unplanned order in the market by limiting the perverse incentives and distortions in information often associated with political discretion. Key to understanding Hayek's development as a thinker is his emphasis on the knowledge problem that economic decision makers face and how alternative institutional arrangements either hinder or assist them in overcoming that epistemic dilemma. Hayek saw order emerging from individual action and responsibility under the appropriate institutional order that itself emerges from actors discovering new and better ways to coordinate their behavior. This book will be of interest to all those keen to gain a deeper understanding of this great 20th century thinker in economics.

An exploration of Friedrich Hayek's contribution to the foundation of behavioural economics, and how his work interacted with and complemented that of his contemporaries. Chapters include detailed discussions of the concept of rationality, psychology and Hayek's philosophical theories as well as the historical context in which he lived and worked.

An exploration of Friedrich Hayek's contribution to the foundation of behavioural economics, and how his work interacted with and complemented that of his contemporaries. Chapters include detailed discussions of the concept of rationality, psychology and Hayek's philosophical theories as well as the historical context in which he lived and worked.

The Beginnings of Behavioral Economics: Katona, Simon, and Leibenstein's X-Efficiency Theory explores the mid-20th century roots of behavioral economics, placing the origin of this now-dominant approach to economic theory many years before the groundbreaking 1979 work on prospect theory by Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky. It discusses the work of Harvey Leibenstein, Herbert Simon, George Katona, and Frederick Hayek, reintroducing their contributions as founding pillars of the behavioral approach. It concentrates on the work of Leibenstein, reviewing his nuanced introduction of X-efficiency theory. Building from these foundations, the work explores the body of empirical research on market power and firm behavior – XE relationship. This book is a tremendous resource for graduate students and early career researchers in behavioral economics, experimental economics, organizational economics, social and organizational psychology, labor market economics and public policy. - Reviews the powerful, but neglected contributions of mid-20th century scholars, like Leibenstein and Katona in building the roots of behavioral economic theory - Amalgamates and reviews 50 years of empirical research and over 200 empirical papers on X-efficiency theory - Establishes how X-efficiency can aid modern behavioral economics in further developing firm theory and understanding efficiency wages

This volume brings together for the first time state-of-the-art contributions from neuroscientists and philosophers of mind as well as economists and social theorists, all critically engaging in many aspects of Hayek's philosophical psychology.

This textbook looks at decisions – how we make them, and what makes them good or bad. In this bestselling introduction, Erik Angner clearly lays out the theory of behavioral economics and explains the intuitions behind it. The book offers a rich tapestry of examples, exercises, and problems drawn from fields such as economics, management, marketing, political science, and public policy. It shows how to apply the principles of behavioral economics to improve your life and work – and to make the world a better place to boot. No advanced mathematics is required. This is an ideal textbook for students coming to behavioral economics from various fields. It can be used on its own in introductory courses, or in combination with other texts at advanced undergraduate and postgraduate levels. It is equally suitable for general readers who have been captivated by popular-science books on behavioral economics and want to know more about this intriguing subject. New to this Edition: - An updated chapter on behavioral policy and the nudge agenda. - Several new sections, for example on the economics of happiness. - Updated examples and exercises, with an expanded answer key - Refreshed ancillary resources make for a plug and play experience for instructors teaching behavioral economics for the first time.

A concise and reader-friendly textbook on one of the hottest developments in social and behavioral science today. Covering all core areas of the subject, Erik Angner clearly lays out the theory and explains the intuitions behind it. It is full of examples, exercises, and problems drawn from fields such as economics, management, marketing, political science, and public policy. Among other things, the book shows how to apply principles of behavioral economics to science, business, medicine, and daily life. No advanced mathematics is required. An ideal introduction for students coming to behavioral economics from various fields, at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels. It is equally suitable for general readers who have been captivated by popular-science books on behavioral economics and want to know more.

Providing a radical new reading of Hayek's life and work, this new book, by an important Hayekian scholar, dispels many of the mysteries surrounding one of the most prominent economists and political philosophers of the twentieth century.Angner argues that Hayek's work should be seen as continuous with the Natural Law tradition, going on to an

Presents the ONE behavioral approach to economics: a grand synthesis of Old, New and Evolutionary behavioral approaches.

This Palgrave Pivot offers comprehensive evidence about what people actually think of “nudge” policies designed to steer decision makers’ choices in positive directions. The data reveal that people in diverse nations generally favor nudges by strong majorities, with a preference for educative efforts – such as calorie labels - that equip individuals to make the best decisions for their own lives. On the other hand, there are significant arguments for noneducational nudges – such as automatic enrollment in savings plans - as they allow people to devote their scarce time and attention to their most pressing concerns. The decision to use either educative or noneducative nudges raises fundamental questions about human freedom in both theory and practice. Sunstein's findings and analysis offer lessons for those involved in law and policy who are choosing which method to support as the most effective way to encourage lifestyle changes.