The Mises Community
An online community for fans of Austrian economics and libertarianism, featuring forums, user blogs, and more.

Does the Austrian School contradict the principles of the American Revolution?

rated by 0 users
Answered (Not Verified) This post has 0 verified answers | 13 Replies | 6 Followers

Not Ranked
3 Posts
Points 150
be2112 posted on Tue, Mar 17 2009 9:22 PM

So I was at Kinkos earlier today and I was having some of the Austrian Classics printed out and the guy printing it for me happened to notice the books were about the Austrian School.  I asked him his opinion of it and he said the Austrian School contradicts the principles of the American Revolution.  He also said something along the lines of "the austrian school doesn't have one/a guiding principle", or something like that. 

Could someone explain to me why some believe the school is contradictory to the revolution and why some believe it isn't.  I would like to hear both sides.  Feel free to leave a link if that is easier or its explained elsewhere.

All Replies

Top 10 Contributor
4,143 Posts
Points 66,510
Moderator

well the goal of the american revolution was to transfer owenrship of the state monopoly on law/defense/taxation from the brits to a home grown political class of yanks.

and what do austrians think of monopolies and politics?

Where there is no property there is no justice; a proposition as certain as any demonstration in Euclid

Fools! not to see that what they madly desire would be a calamity to them as no hands but their own could bring

  • | Post Points: 20
Top 200 Contributor
Male
165 Posts
Points 2,230

I think that it's better called the "American War of Independence" rather than the "American Revolution".

  • | Post Points: 20
Top 500 Contributor
Male
112 Posts
Points 1,615

how much were you charged per page just wondering?

  • | Post Points: 20
Top 150 Contributor
Male
219 Posts
Points 3,910
Mark B. replied on Tue, Mar 17 2009 10:07 PM

Any ground that might have been gained during the American Revolution was irrevocably lost upon ratification of the Constitution.

If ye love wealth greater than liberty, the tranquility of servitude greater than the animating contest for freedom, go home and leave us in peace. We seek not your council, nor your arms. Crouch down and lick the hand that feeds you, and may posterity forget that ye were our countrymen.
  • | Post Points: 5
Top 25 Contributor
1,308 Posts
Points 23,625
scineram replied on Tue, Mar 17 2009 10:16 PM

nameless:

I think that it's better called the "American War of Independence" rather than the "American Revolution".

 War of American Independence rhymes with War of Southern Independence.

PS: Revolution is politics, Austrianism is economics.

  • | Post Points: 5
Top 200 Contributor
142 Posts
Points 1,760
Mlee replied on Tue, Mar 17 2009 10:58 PM

It's entirely possible that this individual has NO reasons at all to say that Austrian Economics has anything against the AR.

Then again, saying that AE is somehow contrary to AR is like saying Evolutionary Theory is contrary to the Civil Rights movement, they aren't even capable of being contrasted. 

Also, Austrian Econ. is based on Praexology if I remember correctly (forgive spelling errors if they are present) and THAT is an AXIOMATIC system. As such, it DOES have fundemental principles. I'm not sure how in context your quote is, perhaps he was talking about value subjectivism or something. 

  • | Post Points: 5
Top 50 Contributor
787 Posts
Points 13,395
banned replied on Tue, Mar 17 2009 11:09 PM

be2112:
He also said something along the lines of "the austrian school doesn't have one/a guiding principle", or something like that.

Humans act.

  • | Post Points: 5
Top 100 Contributor
Male
304 Posts
Points 3,965
Solomon replied on Wed, Mar 18 2009 12:37 AM

be2112:
he said the Austrian School contradicts the principles of the American Revolution.  He also said something along the lines of "the austrian school doesn't have one/a guiding principle", or something like that. 

Hmm.  I wonder what the academic status of austrian economics would be if all its critics were as sophisticated as this fellow.

Diminishing Marginal Utility - IT'S THE LAW!

  • | Post Points: 5
Top 25 Contributor
Male
898 Posts
Points 15,845
Moderator
Suggested by wombatron

be2112:
So I was at Kinkos earlier today and I was having some of the Austrian Classics printed out and the guy printing it for me happened to notice the books were about the Austrian School.  I asked him his opinion of it and he said the Austrian School contradicts the principles of the American Revolution.

Odd claim, given that the Austrian School is primarily concerned with economics and its foundations in philosophy.

be2112:
He also said something along the lines of "the austrian school doesn't have one/a guiding principle", or something like that. 

"Humans act."  Unless he is talking about the differences between Misesians and Hayekians, and  I don't even think the latter denies the importance and centrality of the action axiom.

 

Market anarchist, Linux geek, aspiring Perl hacker, and student of the neo-Aristotelians, the classical individualist anarchists, and the Austrian school.

  • | Post Points: 5
Not Ranked
3 Posts
Points 150
be2112 replied on Wed, Mar 18 2009 10:18 AM

I had the pdfs printed two pages on one sheet of paper, and also printed on both sides.  I had him bind it also, so that the cover is half the size of a regular 8.5X11 sheet of paper.  All in all, it cost 10cents per side of an 8.5X11 sheet of paper. So I could fit two pdf pages on one sheet of printed paper making 100pdf pages into 50 printed pages and it cost $5, +$2.50 for binding.

This was at FedEx Kinkos.  And make sure you edit the PDF doc and take out all the copyright info or they won't print it for you.  Even if it available to the public for a free download.  I used Adobe Illustrator.

  • | Post Points: 35
Top 75 Contributor
439 Posts
Points 7,310

they won't print it?  no more business from me ever.

whatever happened to fair use?

  • | Post Points: 20
Top 500 Contributor
Male
112 Posts
Points 1,615
Shawn77 replied on Wed, Mar 18 2009 12:03 PM

I looked into printing some of these pdfs.  Where I live the cost ends being the same or more as just buying the book.

  • | Post Points: 5
Not Ranked
3 Posts
Points 150
be2112 replied on Wed, Mar 18 2009 12:03 PM

nazgulnarsil:

they won't print it?  no more business from me ever.

whatever happened to fair use?

No one will print a document with copyright info in it.

  • | Post Points: 5
Page 1 of 1 (14 items) | RSS

Ludwig von Mises Institute | 518 West Magnolia Avenue | Auburn, Alabama 36832-4528

Phone: 334.321.2100 · Fax: 334.321.2119

contact@Mises.org | webmaster | AOL-IM MainMises

Mises.org sitemap