The Theoretical Basis Of Spontaneous Orders:A Study On Hayek's View Of Reason

Consciously controlling the movement of human society to gain the maximum freedom is human ideal which is only a fantasy before modern times.However,with the unprecedented progress of science and technology and the extraordinary conquest of nature,people begin feeling and believing they can control the movement of human society just like controlling nature.The movement of human society is dominated by certain orders.There are spontaneous orders formed in spontaneous interaction and artificial orders formed in conscious rational construction.Consciously controlling the movement of human society means that spontaneous orders are replaced by artificial orders.Whether humankind owns the reason ability of constructing scientifically rational artificial orders which can bring more freedom for us more than spontaneous orders is the fundamental basis that we should choose artificial orders or spontaneous orders.Hayek calls rationalism with the reason ability the constructivist rationalism,and calls the view of reason which denies the reason ability the evolutionary rationalism which insists that the movement of human society is a spontaneous evolutionary process.Hayek himself holds evolutionary rationalism and opposes constructivist rationalism.Hayek's different attitudes about the two rationalisms are based on his inspection of reason ability.There are two dimensions with his inspection.One is to distinguish the advantage and disadvantage of reason ability——the advantage is to grasp abstractions——general rules rather than particular facts of particular time and space.In other words,the advantage of reason ability is to grasp universal knowledge rather than concrete knowledge of particular facts.The other is to distinguish the way reason functions——reason depends on the empirical results presented repeatedly by people actions rather than rational reasoning,that is to say,the way of rational role is indirect rather than direct.Reason ability and the way it functions determine the fact that human can't construct scientifically rational artificial orders bringing more freedom for us.Particular result is the purpose of artificial orders and artificial orders operation depends on "rational judgment"——the command from the top-down totalitarian power system.It requires the totalitarian commander to grasp the related perfect knowledge,either universal knowledge or concrete knowledge and effectively apply them.However,the division of knowledge,especially the dispersion,individuality,miscellaneous and dynamic of concrete knowledge determines that no one or institution has reason ability to grasp the perfect knowledge to construct and control artificial orders.Furthermore,artificial orders depend on the prediction of the future,and future will be largely determined by knowledge growth.However,Hayek thinks human has no reason ability to predict knowledge growth.These knowledge problems become the constitutional limitations of reason and artificial orders.Hayek's argumentation about the limited reason ability on artificial orders is not only from the core dimension of knowledge but also from other dimensions of complicated phenomenon,mind and cultural evolution.Artificial orders become a mere formality and only a means of controlling person in the case of the limited reason ability.The possibility of artificial orders means reducing the spontaneity and complexity of society as soon as possible——limiting people' autonomy and eliminating the human civilization which is not fit for the reason criterion.On the contrary,the spontaneous orders are operated mainly by general rules from the long-term spontaneous interaction among people,there is no common particular purpose for artificial orders,it is only an instrument coordinating people's behaviors,and everyone can pursue his aims under the premise of obeying the common rules.So that artificial orders have a strong inclusiveness with the biggest space for the preservation of humankind civilization,choice of personal freedom,application of concrete knowledge and using of personal reason.So in the view of Hayek,artificial orders are contradictory with reason and freedom,but spontaneous orders are compatible with reason and freedom,which is the basic conclusion of the view of Hayek's reason.Compared with the dimension of humanity and right etc,it is a big step forward that Hayek resolves the relational problem between order and freedom from the dimension of reason ability.No matter what theory of humanity and view of right we hold,they are meaningless if they can't be sustained by reason ability.Hayek links reason ability with the existence of knowledge——the division of knowledge and growth of knowledge——the unpredictability of new knowledge.Hayek's resolving the relation between order and freedom is successful if Hayek's argumentation about the relation between reason and knowledge is correct.In this sense,Hayek's view of reason supplies a valuable theory reference for us on the understanding and choice of the operational mode of social orders.