A classic work in political philosophy, intellectual and cultural history, and economics, The Road to Serfdom has inspired and infuriated... read full description
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Oct 27, 2011
Bird Brian
rated it: 
Utopia
It’s never too early to start planning for summer vacation. This year, I’ve decided I want to go to Utopia. I’ve heard many good things about it: there’s no crime, pollution, or disease. It’s very clean and well-maintained. In fact, it is ideal in every imaginable way. Sir Thomas More tells us that Utopia doesn't exist; it's “nowhere”, but I refuse to believe this. A simple search on teh interwebs revealed quite a few utopias to choose from:
1) How about that More...
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Sep 09, 2007
Howard
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Finally got around to reading this libertarian/conservative classic. It's short, but deep, combining economics, politics, sociology, and a short history of Socialist thought, to create the greatest critique of the collectivist impulse that you can read. Hayek's message is blunt: despite the freedom and liberality that is western man's birthright, there is an inevitable clamor for order and equality that arises from the intellligensia and the wealthy. This clamor leads to the demand-often in the
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Dec 19, 2008
Camille
rated it:
This book captures the frustration of classical liberals (as opposed to modern liberals) when they see collectivist policies enacted despite the overwhelming evidence that socialism brings about disastrous results.
Having grown up and lived in Austria during World War I and later moving to Great Britain, Hayek was particularly frustrated when he saw Britain and the United States making the same mistakes of the Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union. Hayek argues that collectivism eventuall More...
Having grown up and lived in Austria during World War I and later moving to Great Britain, Hayek was particularly frustrated when he saw Britain and the United States making the same mistakes of the Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union. Hayek argues that collectivism eventuall More...
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Jan 05, 2012
Mike (the Paladin)
rated it: 
The temptation here will be to try and say too much. This is a short book, though it is thickly packed. I won't try to relate here what the author relates in the book. I will try to say a few words about the book and recommend it.
This is the same book that was released in England in 1944, but it is a new edition and thus has a new intro by the author. if you can get this edition I recommend it for the intro. This book was written during (near the end of)WWII and thus will be in some More...
This is the same book that was released in England in 1944, but it is a new edition and thus has a new intro by the author. if you can get this edition I recommend it for the intro. This book was written during (near the end of)WWII and thus will be in some More...
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Aug 27, 2011
James
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This is one of the foundational books for my personal philosophy. Along with his other works, the thought of Friedrich von Hayek is basic to my own indivdualist world view. In this book Hayek contends that liberty is fragile, easily harmed but seldom extinguished in one fell swoop. Instead, over the years “the unforeseen but inevitable consequences of socialist planning create a state of affairs in which, if the policy is to be pursued, totalitarian forces will get the upper hand.” He asserts
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Dec 16, 2007
Chris
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If "compassionate conservatism" means anything, than it surely means something like this. Hayek's thought no longer qualifies as hardcore libertarian because he believed in government welfare programs, albeit limited ones, as supplementary to the free market system for those unable to participate in it. Central planning was what he was really against, and he has a very convincing argument against putting economic planning in the hands of any government, no matter how benevolent it may
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Apr 06, 2009
Clif
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Friedrich A. Hayek was a member of the Austrian School of economics. We've heard about that school in recent times because Milton Friedman advocated many of the ideas the school expressed, primarily the freedom to choose provided by a free market.
This book is a warning to England, written during the closing days of World War II, that the policies of socialism being advocated at the time were the same policies Hayek has seen in Germany 20 years before.
On first thought, one More...
This book is a warning to England, written during the closing days of World War II, that the policies of socialism being advocated at the time were the same policies Hayek has seen in Germany 20 years before.
On first thought, one More...
Sep 24, 2010
Marcus
rated it:
The Road to Serfdom is not an anti-government book, it's definitely not a libertarian or pro-laissez-faire capitalism or even a pro-democracy book. It's purely and simply an anti-socialism book. And, just to be clear, to Hayek, socialism primarily means central-planning. It's chapter after chapter of reasons why socialism, despite it's apparently noble goals, both will not work in the practical sense, and how it tends to lead to totalitarianism.
Hayek's arguments are level-headed and More...
Hayek's arguments are level-headed and More...
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Nov 22, 2011
Naxa
rated it:
Not my personal favorite book or work of Hayek's that I have read, but definitely his most popular and most influential work. An altogether great outline of how the level of economic freedom or decentralization shows how fast or slow a country can reach generally high levels of totalitarianism. I struggled in my conception of this review on whether I should review it on the merits of its lasting endurance or the importance of the book in its original historical context. I decided to do both sepa
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May 06, 2011
William
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Hayek sounded as clear a set of warnings in 1944 against the dangers of creeping socialism as Alexis de Tocqueville had done 100 years previously. Hayek saw the danger for Britain contained in the Fabian socialism of H.G. Wells et al. based on having seen how the social welfare system begun in Germany under Bismarck led to the disaster of "national socialism" under Hitler. De Toqueville saw the same trends in France in the early 1800s, when he warned against the "passion for equal
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Nov 10, 2011
Andrea
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Hayek is a huge figure in economics and of immense influence on neoliberalism, and reading this I was struck by just how deeply and completely neoliberalism goes as a theoretical framework. I know many would not agree with that (though many would), but Thatcher claimed him as her own and that is enough for me. There are also those conversations in the Mount Pelerin Society with Milton Friedman. It fascinates me that this resonance is true not just of the ideas, but also in the way language is us
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Aug 24, 2007
Ben
rated it:
A rousing defense of personal and economic liberty and individualism over the guiles of collectivism and its ultimate form totalitarianism -- appropriate for its time, appropriate now.
Communism = Fascism.
Theme: "What has always made the state a hell on earth has been precisely that man has tried to make it his heaven." (F. Hoelderlin.)
"As in the course of the progressive advance towards socialism it becomes more and more evident to everybody tha More...
Communism = Fascism.
Theme: "What has always made the state a hell on earth has been precisely that man has tried to make it his heaven." (F. Hoelderlin.)
"As in the course of the progressive advance towards socialism it becomes more and more evident to everybody tha More...
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Dec 28, 2010
Erich
rated it:
Friedrich August von Hayek wanted to create a country that is worth dying for. He wrote The Road to Serfdom and in doing so had greatly influenced several government leaders with one of them being Ronald Reagan. Hayek’s Classical Liberal and laissez-faire ideology is put brilliantly in this book. He writes perfectly how socialism and a collectivist governments will only lead to tyranny.
I believe this world would be a better place if more politicians read his work and actually took More...
I believe this world would be a better place if more politicians read his work and actually took More...
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Mar 03, 2010
This is one of the books that has most influenced my thinking on economics and political philosophy. Hayek wrote this book during World War II, when it seemed that the world was falling into a permanent dark age of statism. It was his lonely voice in the wilderness that reminded Americans of what they were actually fighting for--the preservation of a truly free society with high respect for individuals and free institutions.
I've learned so much from this book. How alike socialism More...
I've learned so much from this book. How alike socialism More...
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Jan 24, 2009
Bob
rated it:
Hayek offers what may be the definitive defense of Western classical liberalism and the free-market economy. First published in 1944, it necessarily focuses on the evolution of socialistic doctrines and how they lead to totalitarian regimes. As a premise to his work, Hayek assumes that by definition socialistic governments are ones which attempt to use central planning of economic activities. As a result, socialism necessarily limits the individual freedom and liberty of citizens through dic
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Aug 05, 2011
Jeremy
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For all the ravings my fellow Libertarians make about Atlas Shrugged, I consider The Road to Serfdom as having a lot more to offer in terms of illustrating the dangers of totalitarianism. Instead of using a fictional setting, he draws from the issues of the time it was written--the impending Nazi threat and the troubles of Communism, and draws upon Europe's history of relinquishing freedoms in the pursuit of some sense of order and control over matters.
Furthermore, he presents a dissenting view More...
Furthermore, he presents a dissenting view More...
Jul 29, 2011
Aniruddha
rated it: 
The Road to Serfdom is a book that has divided the post-war divided world. In developed countries that practice capitalism, Hayek's book created a stir although his influence was a shadow of the effect Keynes had on countries. No body said 'I'm an Hayekian now'. Hayek barely finds a place in my economics textbook. This book told me why he was never respected in his life.
With all respect to Hayek and his intellect, this book falls short of being the ultimate attack on socialism it s More...
With all respect to Hayek and his intellect, this book falls short of being the ultimate attack on socialism it s More...
May 08, 2011
Bojan
rated it:
Writing in the middle of WWII, F.A. Hayek was concerned with what he was seeing: far from learning lessons from the destructive forces of fascism and communism, many politicians and intellectuals in the west were getting ready to wholeheartedly embrace some of the policies and practices that led to the rise of some of the most vile and destructive regimes in history. The title of the book evokes the old adage that the road to hell is paved with good intentions, and Hayek readily acknowledges tha
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Apr 14, 2011
Denerick
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I remain unconvinced. Hayeks central thesis seems to be that central planning of any kind; be that the relatively benign desire to reduce poverty or the desire to create a classless society will inevitably create a totalitarian society, as planned societies and programmes naturally cannot be reconciled with the principal of competition, which creates the individualism and the system that best allocates resources within a free society. (Long sentance, I know) Also, since all those dispirate group
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Apr 11, 2011
Void
rated it:
I usually avoid books this old but the author manages to build both strong explanations and simply mindblowing predictions by simply being very logical (to the point of often being quite hard to follow, but worth it). Some of the more memorable stuff he thus proves in quite exhaustive detail is the clear path some popular views (which have become even more so since) lead to socialism and how the logical development of socialism in a '2nd generation' must lead for similar reasons into something t
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Oct 15, 2010
getAbstract
rated it:
Friedrich A. Hayek, an Austrian economist, wrote this classic defense of democracy and market economies in 1944. That it remains a bestseller is a testament to the thoughtfulness and thoroughness of his critique of socialism and centrally planned economies. The Road to Serfdom cites the influence of Karl Marx and other German philosophers who primed German citizens to embrace the totalitarian rule of Adolph Hitler. The Great Depression of the 1930s stepped up questions about capitalism and boost
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Aug 05, 2010
Eva
rated it:
I would rate this a 5 if it were a little easier to get in to. It is, however, an essential book and everyone should consider reading it, whether it is a quick read or not. To quote from Milton Friedman (they are both Nobel Prize winners in economics) in the introduction:
"This book has become a true classic: essential reading for everyone who is seriously interested in politics in the broadest and least partisan sense, a book whose central message is timeless, applicable to a wi More...
"This book has become a true classic: essential reading for everyone who is seriously interested in politics in the broadest and least partisan sense, a book whose central message is timeless, applicable to a wi More...
Aug 04, 2010
Jud
rated it: 
OK, I'll admit that I finally broke down and read this book because of Glenn Beck. I've heard about this book for so long from conservatives who say that it shows how contemporary liberalism is Hayek's "road to serfdom."
Balderdash. If you read this book, you'll see that Hayek wrote at the end of World War II to warn about the dangers of centralized, planned economies, as opposed to economies based on competition. That's it.
Hayek is not against "big governme More...
Balderdash. If you read this book, you'll see that Hayek wrote at the end of World War II to warn about the dangers of centralized, planned economies, as opposed to economies based on competition. That's it.
Hayek is not against "big governme More...
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Jun 16, 2010
CD
rated it:
Hayek's seminal offering to the world. Is it as important as some extremists want you to believe? No. It may be more important.
A fair amount of historical and economic background is needed to extract the full meaning of this work without some confusion as to the lassitude of serfdom become the overwhelming message. There are a few other points Hayek explores that too are potentially digressions that the reader needs to read 'thru'. Otherwise it could be a 5 star work. He's not inac More...
A fair amount of historical and economic background is needed to extract the full meaning of this work without some confusion as to the lassitude of serfdom become the overwhelming message. There are a few other points Hayek explores that too are potentially digressions that the reader needs to read 'thru'. Otherwise it could be a 5 star work. He's not inac More...
May 03, 2010
Kenn
rated it:
This gets better as it goes. As is noted in one of the documents at the end of this edition, even at the time the earlier chapters assumed a level of knowledge of events in Germany that most Americans did not have. Now, over 60 years later, these parts can come off as Hayek just yelling at the Germans; I want to agree with him, but he doesn't actually show the specific facts that would enable me to do so.
The later chapters become more theoretical, which in this case was an improvem More...
The later chapters become more theoretical, which in this case was an improvem More...
Apr 09, 2009
Tim
rated it:
This interesting book was written near the end of World War 2, when the question on everyone's mind was why the hell the Nazis were so evil. To my mind, this question has never satisfactorily been answered. There are a plethora of tearful politicians and solemn intellectuals who solemnly pronounce "Never again." But it seems to me that without understanding how an entire group of people got this way, the words "never again" are empty.
In the works of Mr. Churchill, More...
In the works of Mr. Churchill, More...
Nov 10, 2011
Shawn
rated it:
This was my first exposure to Hayek and his writings.
Hayek isn’t strictly speaking a conservative economist in that he does advocate Government spending, with limited intervention. Rather, he seems a very pragmatic economist and while Keynes’ largest theory regarding spending appears to be still unproven, Hayek, writing in the same times, seems remarkably prescient when viewed in light of the past 80 years.
Hayek immigrated to England from Austria and this dramatic shift More...
Hayek isn’t strictly speaking a conservative economist in that he does advocate Government spending, with limited intervention. Rather, he seems a very pragmatic economist and while Keynes’ largest theory regarding spending appears to be still unproven, Hayek, writing in the same times, seems remarkably prescient when viewed in light of the past 80 years.
Hayek immigrated to England from Austria and this dramatic shift More...
Feb 01, 2011
Ivis
rated it:
There is an old cartoon (found here) which summarizes the logic of this work rather perfectly. Essentially, the government gets involved in your life, they dictate how you live, then they kill you.
The notions in this text are trifling at best.
Hayek never confronts the fact that a lack of some centralized body somewhere making decisions for you does not mean an end to governance. Clearly, businesses govern. They also plan. To take this power away from a centralized and (a More...
The notions in this text are trifling at best.
Hayek never confronts the fact that a lack of some centralized body somewhere making decisions for you does not mean an end to governance. Clearly, businesses govern. They also plan. To take this power away from a centralized and (a More...
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Aug 10, 2011
The road to serfdom, much like the road to hell, is paved with good intentions. The Road to Serfdom was written by FA Hayek in the early 1930's as his warning against the rise Nazi Germany and Russian Communism. In it, he thouroughly discusses the origins of the culture and conditions that led to the rise of the Nazi's and how that same culture and conditions were finding a home in England and America.
Hayek details how centralized planning of social and economic activities by government necessa More...
Hayek details how centralized planning of social and economic activities by government necessa More...
Jun 10, 2009
Jenny
rated it:
Hayak's Road to Serfdom is basically about the connection between Socialism and the Nazi regime, pitfalls in our possibly following the same route, and potential ideas on how to avoid it.
I was surprised to find that I really enjoyed this book. I didn't expect this book to be about history or politics, seeing as how it was for an economics class. I have been learning a lot about World War II lately, and this book gave me a very interesting view on the morality (or lack of) of the Ge More...
I was surprised to find that I really enjoyed this book. I didn't expect this book to be about history or politics, seeing as how it was for an economics class. I have been learning a lot about World War II lately, and this book gave me a very interesting view on the morality (or lack of) of the Ge More...
