Individualism and Economic Order
non-fiction work by Friedrich Hayek

Individualism and Economic Order is a book written by Friedrich Hayek. It is a collection of essays originally published in the 1930s and 1940s, discussing topics ranging from moral philosophy to the methods of the social sciences and economic theory to contrast free markets with planned economies. It contains several of his major contribution to the fields of economics, philosophy, and political science. Published in 1948, the book is widely considered a classic of libertarian thought. Hayek presents his vision of individualism as a cornerstone of economic and social theory.
The book's chapters have had a major impact on both economics and political philosophy. His arguments have been cited by many leading economists, including Nobel laureates like Elinor Ostrom, James M. Buchanan, and Milton Friedman, who have used Hayek's theories to shape their own work in these fields. It has also shaped the thinking of many libertarians who continue to use his concepts when arguing for the importance of individual freedom in modern economies.
Essays
"Individualism: True and False"
This chapter was delivered at University College Dublin, December 17, 1945. In it, Hayek argues that two basic tendencies have developed in thinking about Individualism, a British tendency and a French tendency.
“Individualism and Economic Order” enters the record as non-fiction work by Friedrich Hayek. Crown Archives preserves that source wording while asking what Individualism, Economic and Order can confirm, complicate or overturn.
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Vocabulary and entity names are the principal evidence signals here, because they determine the precision of every later search. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 24, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q6025340. 1 of 1 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1948 and 1945.
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