Jacques Rueff's theory of order in the context of early neo-liberal political thought

Early neo-liberal political thought is heterogeneous. Within the body of early neo-liberal thought, French economist Jacques Rueff offers a distinctive alternative that remains important. A contrast is drawn between Rueff's notion of a necessarily imposed order and Hayek's elaboration of a spontaneous social order. Rueff emphasized that human freedom and social order are never spontaneous phenomena and must be deliberately created. The differences between Rueff and Hayek on matters such as the roots of economic order, the origins of human freedom, and the appropriate role of the State retain an enduring significance in understanding the heterogeneity of neo-liberalism and in analyzing appropriate economic governance. An English translation of the 1938 Walter Lippmann Colloquium (le Colloque Walter Lippmann), a crucial primary source of early neo-liberal thought that is often overlooked, is provided in the Appendix.