Symposium on Klein’s Knowledge and Coordination

Studies in Emergent Order is proud to publish a symposium on Professor Daniel B. Klein’s Knowledge and Coordination: A Liberal Interpretation. Dr. Klein’s book reexamines some basic elements of economic liberalism by looking at Friedrich Hayek’s notion of spontaneous order through the lens of a Smithian spectator and distinguishing Hayek, Ronald Coase, and Michael Polanyi’s notion of concatenate coordination from Thomas Schelling’s mutual coordination. He notes also that knowledge is not just information, but also requires interpretation and judgment. Not only does Klein reject homo economicus, but also builds a new interpretation of knowledge economics which relies on asymmetric interpretation, judgment, entrepreneurship, error and correction.

This symposium features scholarly commentary and analysis on Dr. Klein’s book from a variety of scholars (including Garett Jones, Art Carden, Deirdre McCloskey, Gene Callahan and Andreas Hoffmann, and Solomon Stein), as well as Dr. Klein’s response to the issues raised by Mr. Stein on the distinction between positive and normative. Studies in Emergent Order is pleased that this symposium serves as an important addition to the literature on the nature of economics as a social science.

Studies in Emergent Order (SIEO) is an open-access journal dedicated to fostering research, discussion and publication concerning the roles played by and implications of emergent order phenomena, particularly in society but not excluding other areas.