Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
14TH INTERNATIONAL ISTANBUL CONGRESS OF SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH IN SOCIAL SCIENCES AND HUMANITIES, İstanbul, Türkiye, 26 - 28 Ağustos 2023, ss.40-46
ABSTRACT
Friedrich August Von Hayek is one of the most important liberal thinkers of the twentieth century. By
placing individual freedom, one of the basic elements of classical liberalism, within the idea of freedom,
Hayek has become an important thinker to be consulted in the use of individual freedom today. The
concept of freedom, which has a central place in Hayek’s system of thought, is linked to the relationship
between individuals and other individuals and the continuation of their existence in society. According
to Hayek, the designation of a person as free is not related to the material or physical conditions he
possesses, but to the rules according to which these relations are determined in his relations with other
people. In this sense, it is not possible for an individual to be free or not free independently of the actions
of other individuals. This is because the restriction or expansion of the individual’s sphere of freedom
arises directly from the spontaneous change in the rules of the relations that individuals establish with
each other. From this point of view, Hayek takes the side of individual freedom in the negative sense.
Individual freedom means being free from the coercion and interference of others. On the one hand,
freedom allows the individual to choose between different alternatives, and on the other hand, it imposes
responsibility on the individual. In this respect, while freedom creates a space for the individual to make
choices and influence his/her environment, responsibility pushes him/her to use his/her freedom in this
area to tend to the things that affect his/her life. According to Hayek, for a free society consisting of free
individuals to exist, individuals must be aware that their actions in society are their own responsibility.
Thus, people equipped with responsibility and individual freedom can create a free society. However,
how this emerging free society will be governed leads us to democracy. According to Hayek, democracy
is a form of government that makes it possible for different lifestyles to coexist and co-exist. However,
although democracy offers a good environment for individual freedom, Hayek argues that unlimited
government and unlimited democracy can threaten individual freedoms and the gains arising from these
freedoms. Accordingly, the subject of thisstudy isto examine the liberal thinker Hayek’s attitude towards
democracy in the context of the idea of freedom and to emphasize his suggestions for eliminating the
negative effects of democracy on individual freedom.
Keywords: Friedrich August Von Hayek, Freedom, Individual Freedom, Democracy