Austrian Economics Overview

In past issues of The Mises Review, I have sometimes criticized Don Lavoie in harsh terms: in fact, some of what I have said about him has been quite horrid.

This entry in Edward Elgar's Companion Series purports to be a survey and guide to modern Austrian economics.

Tertullian famously asked, "what has Athens to do with Jerusalem?"fter reading The Market Process one can but inquire, "What has bad philosophy to do with Austrian economics?" 

The intellectual achievements of Murray Newton Rothbard (1926-1995)—eminent scholar and friend—are monumental. He is the author of 25 books and thousands of article in scholarly and popular journals. His work covers the entire spectrum of the social sciences: pure economic theory, history, sociology, philosophy, religion, languages, and politics.

Two important questions to be answered: (1) What is inflation? What causes it? What are the effects? Inflation is an increase in the quantity of money available caused by an increased in the production of gold and silver, or an over-issuance of paper money. Prices rise. Purchasing power falls.

The monetary problem – the market problem – is the medium of exchange. The illusion is that one would be better off if only one had more money. Everybody should have more money. Therefore, make more money. This creates the system of inflation.

Human beings are collaborators with each other. Socialism is one kind of cooperation of people. One thing determines the socialist organization. It is the lack of freedom and the complete obedience to a Fuehrer (leader). Not surprisingly, everyone considers themselves to be part of the ruling group, forcing others to submit.

Division of labor and an exchange economy are the basis of society. Various commodities competed for being money, but gold prevailed as the medium of exchange, without any interference by governmental authorities. We should have again a gold standard all over the world.

From a practical point of view, the supply of money is very different from the supply of any other good. An increase in other goods, like shoes or meat, is a welcome event, but an increase in the supply of money dilutes the purchasing power of each money unit.