Detroit evening times., 1945-07-07
the Pacific War VIGOROUSLY Make PERMANENTLY Bring Our Boys Home PROM
The Road to SerfdOln

lhe RO60
BY FRIEDRICH A. HAYEK
Following is the fourth instalment of condensation
OF Friedrich A. Hayeks book, "The Road TO Serfdom"
reprinted from the April 1915 issue Of Readers Digest
Syndicate. ins
PART w
THE effective way of making people accept validity
of the values they is to persuade them that
they are really the SAME AS THOSE THEY HAVE ALWAYS
HELD, BUT WHICH WE'RE NOT PROPERLY UNDER
STOOD OR RECOGNIZED BEFORE.
And the efficient technique this end is to the
old words but change their meaning.
Few traits of totaitaan regimes the time
confusing the superficial observer and characteristic
Of the whole intellectual climate this complete perverson of
language.
The worst sufferer in this respect is word berty"
word used freely in otaltaran states elsewhere
Indeed, it could almost be said that wherever lib
srty knoW il has been desfroyed this has been
done in the OF NEW FREEDOM promised
to the people.
Even among us we have planners who promise
collective freedom which misleading anything said
by totataran politicians. Collective freedom is not the
freedom of the members of society but the UNLIMITED
FREEDOM OF THE PLANNER TO DO WITH SOCIETY
THAT WHICH HE PLEASES.
This confusion freedom with power carried TO
the extreme.
difficult deprive the great majority of nde
pendent thought But the minority who will retain in
cination criticize ALSO BE SILENCED. Public
expressions of doubt be suppressed
because they tend to weaken support of the regime.
AS Sidney and Beatrice Webb report the position
Russian enterprise
whilst the work is in public expression Of
doubt that the plan will be successful act of dsoyay
and of reacery because of Its possible effect the will
and efforts of the rest Of the STAFF
CONTROL extends subjects which have
" political significance The theory Of relatively, for
stance has been opposed Semitic attack the founda
ton of Christian and Nordc physics and because 1t in
conflict with dialecical materialism and Marxst dogma
EVERY ACTIVITY derive its justification from
scous social purpose. There be spontaneous
guided because might produce which
be foreseen and for which the plan does not provide
The principle extends to games and amusements
leave it to the reader where that chess players
officially exhorted that I'VE finish and for all
with the neutrality of chess We condemn and for
all the formula, Chess for the sake of chess"
Perhaps the most alarming fact is that contempt for
intellectual liberty thing which arises only the
oalaran system established be found everywhe.
among those who have embraced a collective faith.
The Worst oppression is condoned it is commit
ted the of socialism. Intolerance of opposns
ideas IS openly extoiIsd
THE TRAGEDY OF coLLECTIv1sT THOUGHT is
THAT, WHILE IT STARTS OUT TO MAKE REASON SU-
PREME, 1T ENDS BY DESTROYING REASON.
THERE aspect of the change moral values brought
about by the advance of coecvsm which provides spe
cia food for thought.
1t is that the virtues which are held les. and
in Britain and America precisely those which
AngloSaxons justly prided themselves and which they
generally recognized to excel
These virtues independence and ,elf.reiianes,
individual initiative and local responsbility the
cessful reliance voluntary activity nonnterference
With ones neighbor and tolerance Of the different and
healthy suspicion of poUer and authority.
Almost all the traditions and institutions which have
nodded national character and the whole moral climate Of
England and America those which the progress of cocv
and its cenrastc tendencies progressively destroying
Planning the Rule Of Law
Nothing distinguishes clearly free country from
country under arbitrary than the observance
the former of the great principles known the rule of law
of e
all its actions bound by rules fixed and announced before
handrules make possible foresee with fair
tany how the authority will its coercve
circumstances and PLAN ONES INDIVIDUAL AFFAIRS
ON THE BASIS OF THIS KNOWLEDGE.
Thus, within the known rules Of the game the individual
is FREE TO PURSUE HIS PERSONAL ENDS certain that
the of will be used deliberately to
frustrae his efforts
Socialist economic planning necessariIy inUolUes
the Uery opposite of this. The planning authority
not tie itself doUn in advance to general rules Uhch
preUent arbitrariness.