The Mantle of Justice

Abstract

F.A. Hayek famously argues that the concept of social justice is incoherent (Hayek 1976, Ch. 9). His argument is inseparable from his theory of spontaneous order. If 'social' in 'social justice' refers to the outcomes of a spontaneous process, social justice becomes meaningless. Hayek's rejection of social justice has also received substantial pushback or qualification in recent years from friendly thinkers who (at least nominally) embrace his concept of spontaneous order. This essay evaluates three sorts of responses to Hayek in order to determine which are successful.

Keywords: Hayek, Moral Sentiments, Social Justice, Spontaneous Order

JEL Classification: B1, B2, B3, I3