View On Hayek Countries

The British Austrian philosopher, political thinker--Popper presupposes that the nation is "a necessary evil". As powerful as the leviathan described by Thomas Hobbes, It can protect humans against risks, but it is also a symbol of evil, semi-divine beast who eats people while protecting them. Therefore how to put the leviathan into cage becomes an important proposition of political philosophy. Meanwhile, in the context of globalization, government role orientation is both an important theoretical and practical problem that China must face in the transition period. As the Third Plenary Session of the eighteenth session of the party emphasizes: economic reform is the focus of the deepening of the reform. The key point is to deal with the relationship between government and market, and enables the market to play a decisive role in the allocation of resources and enables the government to play a better role.As one of the important representatives of conservative-libertarian, Hayek’s critique against totalitarianism, reflection on the welfare capitalism and even tentative construction of limited government have enabled us to understand liberalism, especially conservative-liberalism better. He helps us recognize the importance of the value of freedom and individual rights, the illusion of "social justice" and the danger of welfare capitalism. He also helps us to distinguish between affirmative freedom and negative freedom, between formal equality and substantive equality, between limited democracy and unlimited democracy, between organizational rules and abstract rules (laws in the strict sense), and between artificial order and spontaneous order. In addition, he stimulates us thinking about these questions more sophisticatedly and profoundly:What are the limits of human rationality? From knowledge perspective, what our government should do and more importantly what our government can do? What is the ultimate force that prompts social progress? What is the pattern of economic development, social progress and the evolution of civilization? What is the interpersonal exchanges and information communication mechanism? To what extent does our tradition, in which we are deeply rooted, and by which we are nourished, affect the patterns of the economic and social development and interpersonal activity? How should we treat our traditional correctly in the process of positioning the role of Chinese government, reforming the political system and transforming government functions?This paper on the analysis of Hayek’s state theory is divided into six chapters except the introduction and epilogue:The first chapter is about the formation of Hayek’s state theory. Through analyzing the historical background of Hayek’s state theory, we can outline the interaction between the generation and development of Hayek’s state theory and the history and social reality. Hayek’s state theory is built on the basis of reflection of totalitarianism and questioning of the welfare of the capitalist. This theory experienced generation, development and maturation. The birth of discretionary doctrine and his intuition against plans caused Hayek to reflect on the limits of state functions, and then Hayek tried to sort things out in his critique and summarized to construct his theory. By exploring the human instinct and the limits of human reason, criticizing conceit of human rationality, pondering the connotation of freedom and the rule of law, and reflection on the evolution of human civilization, Hayek conducted a comprehensive analysis and elaboration of his state theory.The second chapter focuses on the theoretical origins and theoretical premise of Hayek’s state theory. Hayek’s state theory is deeply rooted in his entire ideology and theory. Hayek grew up under the influence and impact of Austrian school, and his academic career also began from the University of Vienna. Hayek’s state theory has a close relationship with its economic theory and research methods. Meanwhile, constitutional thought and the limits of human rationality promoted by British liberal tradition also greatly influenced the formation and development of Hayek’s state theory. In addition, a distinctive Kantian permeates Hayek’s state theory. Thus Hayek’s state theory is based on limited rationality, individualism and the natural evolution. Hayek argues that human necessary ignorance and limited rationality directly determines the boundaries of government functions; sources of state power is individual, and it is the individual rights that leads to what the state and its officials can do; in addition, economic development and social progress and the evolution of civilization are the results of spontaneous evolution or the results of human action, but not the results of artificial design. Based on this, Hayek advocates limited government and legal government, and too much government intervention is possible to destroy our system and civilization.The third chapter is mainly about the basic concept of Hayek’s state theory. Hayek explains his state theory from both positive and negative aspects. On one hand, Hayek points out that justice is an attribute of people’s actions, and "social justice" is an illusion and a meaningless term. Welfare capitalist countries often overstep their boundaries, and expand their functions unlimitedly who usually adopt the ways and means incompatible with spontaneous order in the pursuit of lofty aspirations and goals. In achieving "social justice" and welfare capitalism, countries can interfere with spontaneous market order, threaten individual freedom and rights, and cause the ambiguity of personal responsibility, then the inevitable result will be totalitarian, which turns the whole society into a full institution. On the other hand, from the traditional classical liberal view, Hayek gives a detailed analysis and interpretation of some principles such as limited democracy, separation of powers and political decentralization. Combine with contemporary political practice, he proposes some political operation mechanism, such as realistic operational sector of public and private sectors which accord with his liberal ideas and five constitutional mode of constructive.The fourth chapter is about the destination of Hayek’s state theory. The ultimate destination of Hayek’s state theory is to pursue and defend individual liberty and rights, to elucidate and to maintain rule of law and spontaneous order. Hayek considers that freedom gives a creative force to civilization, which has supreme value. Individual rights are supreme, state power stems from the individual rights. The rule of law is a political ideal, but it’s premise is the existence of abstract and negative internal rules. Meanwhile, human society must maintain an endogenous spontaneous order, and the fundamental reason is that this order is conducive to full use of human knowledge and social progress. However, from the history of social development and the reality of political practice, Hayek believes that there is a huge tension between the state and freedom, individual rights, and the rule of law and spontaneous order. Facing strong state power and expanding administrative bureaucracy, we must consciously defend individual freedom and rights, and maintain the rule of law and spontaneous order. But Hayek’s key concern is how to keep balance between country and freedom, individual rights, the rule of law and spontaneous order.The fifth chapter focuses on multi-angle reflection of Hayek’s state theory. Through analyzing the history of national theory, particularly the typographical discriminate studies of Hayek’s state theory, the author points out that Hayek’s state theory is typical individual national concept. With a critical study of its functions in the practices of developed countries and countries in transition, it is found out that Hayek state’s theory neither solves the problems fundamentally in capitalist countries, nor provides ideal guidance for reform and development of the countries in transition; it has even evolved into the exploitation and plunder tools for imperialism and the financial capital by its nature. By analyzing the criticism to Hayek’s state theory from neoliberal, communitarianism, democratic socialism and conservatism and its respond to the criticism, the author finds that Hayek’s state theory is nothing but a form of expression among different types of state theory. It has many limitations and shortcomings, faced with lots of doubts and challenges. Especially by analyzing and researching Marx and Engels’s state theory, we may have a more profound understanding that country is specific, historical, and it has a distinct class character, while Hayek’s state theory is abstract, non-historical, beyond-classes based on the eternal existence of private ownership.The sixth chapter investigates Hayek’s state theory in the context of China. China will have to face political reform in its reform and development, and the transformation of government functions is imperative. Admittedly, Hayek’s state theory has some inspiration for political reform and transformation of government functions in China. He makes us aware of the knowledge plight of national management, the fundamental position of the market in allocating resources, the importance of legalization of national management and the building of civil organizations and so on. However, the roots of traditional Western civilization in Hayek’s state theory and the particularity of China shouldn’t be ignored. Because of the special traditions, cultural and social structures and stages of development, we have to reflect on Hayek’s state theory calmly and critically. Therefore, China must adhere to the guidance of Marxism, ground itself on the national conditions and practices, and posit the role of government accurately in the process of deepening China’s political reform, transforming government functions, and constructing a limited, law-ruled and service-oriented government.