On the Irrelevance of Ethics in Menger's and Hayek's Thoughts

Abstract

Lanalyse economique des Autrichiens se fonde aujourdhui comme hier sur la notion de subjectivisme, dans les deux voies economique et methodologique heritees de Carl Menger. Aujourdhui le debat sest deplace vers lanalyse des rapports entre ethique et catallaxie, sujet dautant plus important pour juger des aspects normatifs de la position Autrichienne que les differents representants de lecole ny ont pas des positions homogenes. Lauteur se concentre sur les developpements de Carl Menger et Friedrich Hayek. Il se fonde sur lexistence de resultats involontaires connexes des actions individuelles volontaires, qui interdisent de statuer sur la justification ethique des institutions a partir du caractere ethique des motivations initiales des agents. In fine lethique nest pas pertinente pour traiter du probleme. Marche et ethique interagissent de facon indissoluble et ne se trouvent plus dans une opposition factice, des lors quavec les Autrichiens on delaisse la vision strictement instrumentaliste du marche.The analysis developed by the Austrian school is rooted in subjectivism as expressed by Carl Menger at the twin levels of economics and methodology. Nowadays the debate shifted towards the relationship between ethics and catallactics, a strategic issue conceiving of the normative aspects of classical liberalism where the Austrian themselves do not defend an homogeneous position. The author refers only to Carl Menger and Friedrich Hayek in the paper. He explains that the very existence of unintended consequences of voluntary actions does forbid any ethical analysis of the institutions on the basis of ethical considerations of individual motivations. In fine, ethics is irrelevant to address the question. Market and ethics cannot remain in a kind of opposition, and their relationship can be understood on the basis of their interaction instead, as soon as the instrumentalist vision of the market has been left away.