Easement

Published in 1944 and translated into numerous languages, "The Road to Serfdom" popularized the name of Friedrich A. Hayek beyond the borders of the academic world, where his scientific prestige (recognized in 1974 with the Nobel Prize in Economics) was already solidly established. The central thesis of the book is that advances in economic planning are necessarily linked to the loss of freedoms and the progress of totalitarianism. It is remarkable that a work of such sharp polemical edge, born to provoke controversy and debate, was received with respect even by its critics due to its intellectual honesty, logical rigor, and reliable information. If Keynes showed his agreement with the moral and social philosophy views of "this great book," Schumpeter highlighted a rare trait in works of this genre: "It is a polite book that almost never attributes anything to its opponents other than intellectual error."