Friedrich Hayek was awarded the 1974 Nobel Prize for Economic Sciences for his contributions to the analysis of money and the business cycle, and for his penetrating analysis of the interdependence of economic, social and institutional phenomena. Hayek was a polymath: he systematically analyzed human rationality, the nature of knowledge, and methodology. This book, which analyses his contributions to the emerging - and revolutionary - field of behavioral economics, has been written by an outstanding collection of authors including Deirdre McCloskey, Herbert Gintis, Peter Boettke and Nobel Laureate Vernon Smith. It is demonstrated that Hayek's seminal contributions came decades before economists such as Herbert Simon (winner of the 1978 Nobel Prize) and Harvey Leibenstein began to develop the field in earnest.

An exploration of Friedrich Hayek's contribution to the foundation of behavioural economics, and how his work interacted with and complemented that of his contemporaries. Chapters include detailed discussions of the concept of rationality, psychology and Hayek's philosophical theories as well as the historical context in which he lived and worked.