Praxeologia e liberalismo: Análise da relação entre a escola austríaca e a filosofia liberal clássica

Abstract

The present work seeks to analyze the relationship between the Austrian School, its notion of praxeology, and the principles of liberal, specifically classical liberal, philosophy. The Austrian School is centered around the study of purposeful human action and the way in which it shapes economic events. Through praxeology, the preferred, although controversial, method of this line of thought, economists such as Ludwig von Mises conclude that a freemarket economy is more efficient, and that state intervention, most of the time, results in a loss of welfare for society. Because of these conclusions, the Austrian School and its adherents have always been connected to liberalism, particularly classical liberalism and its libertarian strands, which also defend the free market as a form of organization, as it best respects individual freedoms. However, the Austrians claim that praxeology is a value-free science, which is only concerned with analyzing the means used, not judging the desired ends. The work concludes that many of the principles behind the Austrian School and its praxeological method - methodological individualism, subjectivism, rationalism - as well as the economic theory of this current, imply liberal conclusions; however, it also suggests that the Austrian School is capable of contributing in a unique way to the field of economics.