Людвиг фон Мизес: экономист об истории

Вестник Удмуртского университета. Серия 2: Экономика и право. 2015. Т. 25. № 1. С. 52–57.

Zaostrovtsev A. P.

The article considers the view of the great Austrian economist and philosopher Ludwig von Mises on history. The author especially emphasizes that Mises was the first who drew attention to the crucial role of ideas as the driving force of the historical process. Such vision of the role of ideas led to the proclaiming public opinion as the determining factor of social changes. By the example of the old liberals’ mistake, Mises showed that public opinion is not formed automatically. What seems obvious to intellectuals can be perceived by masses quite differently. Socialists, as emphasized by Mises and his follower Hayek, took full advantage of this mistake and managed to captivate the masses by their ideas. Mises’ views on social development are summarized in the form of so-called "Mises triad". The role of a primary impulse is given to the ideas, values, mindsets. Public institutions are derived from them. And only at the end of this chain there are technologies determined by institutions. On this basis, Mises builds his "economics of development": contrary to the dominant view of our time, he believes that the development is not possible without adoption of the western ideas and beliefs, which are not neutral to the material achievements of the West.

Keywords: история, австрийская школа, интенциональность, интересы, методологический дуализм, идеи, общественное мнение