Law, Legislation, and Liberty, Volume One: Rules and Order, by F. A. Hayek (University of Chicago, 184 pp., $7.95)
In an era plagued by the myopia of specialization, there is an urgent need for thinkers whose vision enables them to see connections among disciplines such as law; economics, science, anthropology, and ethics. Only if the social order is approached from a plurality of perspectives can one achieve coherent and systematic understanding. F. A. Hayek is one scholar whose writings in social philosophy reveal not only depth of research and breadth of coverage but also an elegant prose style designed for the general reader as well as academic specialists. This review concerns only the first volume (called Rules and Order) of his Law, Legislation, and Liberty. Hayek critically examines the historical and conceptual foundations of the legal order “most conducive to the preservation of individual freedom.” Subsequent volumes will be The Mirage of Social Justice and The Political Order of a Free Society.
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