Written after his travels in the United States, 'Democracy in America' is a comprehensive study of American society and government. Tocqueville examines the democratic revolution and its impact on American life, discussing topics such as the sovereignty of the people, the role of civil society, the dangers of the tyranny of the majority, and the influence of religion and individualism. The book is a philosophical and political analysis that aims to understand why republican representative democracy succeeded in the United States while failing in other places, and it offers insights into the future of democracy both in America and globally[2][3][4].
In this influential book, Hayek argues that the abandonment of individualism and classical liberalism leads to a loss of freedom, the creation of an oppressive society, and ultimately, the tyranny of a dictator. He challenges the view that fascism and Nazism are capitalist reactions against socialism, instead positing that these ideologies share common roots in central economic planning and the empowerment of the state over the individual. The book emphasizes the dangers of collectivism and the importance of maintaining a free market system to preserve human freedom and dignity.
Written by Louisa May Alcott, 'Little Women' is a semi-autobiographical novel that details the lives of the March sisters in 1860s Massachusetts. The story is loosely based on Alcott's own childhood and that of her three sisters. It explores themes of domesticity, work, and true love, and is known for its portrayal of the sisters' distinct personalities and their struggles with societal expectations. The novel follows their experiences with poverty, illness, and personal growth, and it has been praised for its realistic and empathetic depiction of family life and the challenges faced by women during that era.
This book, first published in July 1926, is based on the Sidney Ball Lecture given by Keynes at Oxford in November 1924 and a lecture at the University of Berlin in June 1926. Keynes critiques the doctrines of laissez-faire, suggesting they are dependent on improper deductive reasoning. He argues that the question of whether a market solution or state intervention is better must be determined on a case-by-case basis, rather than by a general rule a priori. The book challenges the traditional laissez-faire economic theory, highlighting its unrealistic assumptions and the need for a more nuanced approach to economic policy.
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the Austrian-British economist Friedrich Hayek's The Road to Serfdom (1944) in which Hayek (1899-1992) warned that the way Britain was running its wartime economy would not work in peacetime and could lead to tyranny. His target was centralised planning, arguing this disempowered individuals and wasted their knowledge, while empowering those ill-suited to run an economy. He was concerned about the support for the perceived success of Soviet centralisation, when he saw this and Fascist systems as two sides of the same coin. When Reader's Digest selectively condensed Hayek’s book in 1945, and presented it not so much as a warning against tyranny as a proof against socialism, it became phenomenally influential around the world.
With
Bruce Caldwell
Research Professor of Economics at Duke University and Director of the Center for the History of Political Economy
Melissa Lane
The Class of 1943 Professor of Politics at Princeton University and the 50th Professor of Rhetoric at Gresham College in London
And
Ben Jackson
Professor of Modern History and fellow of University College at the University of Oxford
Producer: Simon Tillotson
Reading list:
Angus Burgin, The Great Persuasion: Reinventing Free Markets Since the Depression (Harvard University Press, 2012)
Bruce Caldwell, Hayek’s Challenge: An Intellectual Biography of F.A. Hayek (University of Chicago Press, 2004)
Bruce Caldwell, ‘The Road to Serfdom After 75 Years’ (Journal of Economic Literature 58, 2020)
Bruce Caldwell and Hansjoerg Klausinger, Hayek: A Life 1899-1950 (University of Chicago Press, 2022)
M. Desai, Marx’s Revenge: The Resurgence of Capitalism and the Death of Statist Socialism (Verso, 2002)
Edward Feser (ed.), The Cambridge Companion to Hayek (Cambridge University Press, 2006)
Andrew Gamble, Hayek: The Iron Cage of Liberty (Polity, 1996)
Friedrich Hayek, Collectivist Economic Planning (first published 1935; Ludwig von Mises Institute, 2015), especially ‘The Nature and History of the Problem’ and ‘The Present State of the Debate’ by Friedrich Hayek
Friedrich Hayek (ed. Bruce Caldwell), The Road to Serfdom: Text and Documents: The Definitive Edition (first published 1944; Routledge, 2008. Also vol. 2 of The Collected Works of F. A. Hayek, University of Chicago Press, 2007)
Friedrich Hayek, The Road to Serfdom: Condensed Version (Institute of Economic Affairs, 2005; The Reader’s Digest condensation of the book)
Friedrich Hayek, ‘The Use of Knowledge in Society’ (American Economic Review, vol. 35, 1945; vol. 15 of The Collected Works of F. A. Hayek, University of Chicago Press)
Friedrich Hayek, Individualism and Economic Order (first published 1948; University of Chicago Press, 1996), especially the essays ‘Economics and Knowledge’ (1937), ‘Individualism: True and False’ (1945), and ‘The Use of Knowledge in Society’ (1945)
Friedrich Hayek, The Constitution of Liberty (first published 1960; Routledge, 2006)
Friedrich Hayek, Law. Legislation and Liberty: A new statement of the liberal principles of justice and political economy (first published 1973 in 3 volumes; single vol. edn, Routledge, 2012)
Ben Jackson, ‘Freedom, the Common Good and the Rule of Law: Hayek and Lippmann on Economic Planning’ (Journal of the History of Ideas 73, 2012)
Robert Leeson (ed.), Hayek: A Collaborative Biography Part I (Palgrave, 2013), especially ‘The Genesis and Reception of The Road to Serfdom’ by Melissa Lane
In Our Time is a BBC Studios Audio Production
In Our Time 
