The last time I heard a non-leftist argue that “false consciousness” was a legitimate concept (properly understood) was from Guido Hulsmann during a presentation at a Mises Institute conference several years ago. Now, in the latest issue of the Independent Review (Vol. VIII, Number 1, Summer 2003), Donald J. Boudreaux and Eric Crampton argue at length for the concept. But in a fun twist on the usual radical left usage, they argue that false consciousness is least likely among the workers (to whom leftists usually attribute it) and most likely among academics making social policy recommendations.
“Our schema shows that the very kinds of choices that radical leftists believe to be susceptible to false consciousness - private, nonpolitical choices - are among those choices least likely to be perverted by false consciousness.” In contrast, they argue that majoritarian voters and academic social critics both tend to be rationally ignorant of whether the policies they vote for and advocate respectively actually accomplish what they hope. “The social critic has negligible effects on actual public policy and generally has little at stake in whatever matter he happens to be discussing.” They recommend being extremely wary of overriding the rationally informed choices of consumers in favor of the rationally ignorant opinions of academics.
Also of interest in this issue:
- Joseph Stromberg reviews Daniel Kelly’s book on James Burnham.
- Roderick T. Long reviews Justice and Its Surroundings by Anthony de Jasay, (sounds like another home run from de Jasay).
- Roger Garrison, in a review essay, considers Reflections on the Great Depression, a collection of interviews of prominent older economists about the Great Depression, and points out that not only is the Austrian explanation slighted and misunderstood but they also downplay the crucial question that the Austrian theory addresses: How did the bust get started in the first place?
- I note that the cover article on The Failure of Federal Aviation Administration Regulation by Paul A. Cleveland and Jared R. Price references 3 Free Market articles (by Doug Carey, Bill Anderson and Robert Murphy) and 3 Daily Articles (by Robert Higgs, Murray Rothbard and Jeff Tucker).
