The essentials of Friedrich Hayek’s Road to Serfdom are outlined in this short film based on illustrations originally published in 1945 in Look magazine. The film does a good job of laying out the key steps by which freedom not only can be lost but was lost in many countries in the last century. Inasmuch as it’s just the original Look magazine illustrations accompanied by music, it’s a modest production; but it’s nonetheless clean and professional, and works just fine as an introduction to the book. It’s nice to see these otherwise little-known illustrations getting a second life. [5 min]
–Amazon: The Road to Serfdom: Text and Documents–Definitive Edition
–Amazon: The Road to Serfdom: Illustrated Edition (Condensed Version – Illustrated)
–Wikipedia
–Reason: The Road from Serfdom–Foreseeing the Fall
–Heartland: The Continuing Relevance of F.A. Hayek’s ‘The Road to Serfdom’
Musician Dorian Electra sings “I’m in Love with Friedrich Hayek.” This clip, produced by her when she was studying Hayek in high school, launched her internet singing career. [3 min]
Hayek was once asked “If you could leave a short statement to the future generations that would sum up everything that was meaningful and significant to Friedrich von Hayek, what would that statement be?” This was his answer. [1 min]
In these two popular musical skits (viewed over 5 million times on YouTube), famed economists Friedrich Hayek and John Maynard Keynes argue economic theory, first in a rap duo and then in a boxing match. The debate focuses for the most part on which explanation of market cycles is correct–Keynes’ “animal spirits” theory or Hayek’s government intervention theory. These short films by Econ Stories TV are both entertaining and educational, and will appeal to students of economics in particular. [7 min & 10 min]
First the rap duo, “Fear the Boom and the Bust,” Part 1 of this two-part series…
…which was followed by “Fight of the Century,” Part 2, the boxing match.
“Economic theory can be pretty dry, but set it to a beat with a coupla gangsta economists in a hotel lobby and suddenly, it’s the most interesting thing you’ve heard all day.”
–CNBC
“The beauty of new media is its capacity for showing us what we otherwise might miss. Fear the Boom and Bust...turns this advantage to the point of genius, pitting Keynes and Hayek against each other in a rap that captures a reality few have fully understood until now. Already, the video has been viewed a half million times and has made international news. Aside from its high production values, what’s remarkable about it is its theoretical accuracy and transparency.”
–Mises Daily
–EconStories.TV: Fear the Boom and the Bust, Part 1 of Hayek vs. Keynes
–EconStories.TV: Fight of the Century, Part 2 of Hayek vs. Keynes
–Wikipedia: Fear the Boom and the Bust
–The Economist: Keynes and Hayek, Prophets for Today
–Wall Street Journal: Keynes vs. Hayek, The Great Debate Continues
–EconEdLink: Keynes vs. Hayek: The Rise of the Chicago School of Economics
–Book: Keynes Hayek: The Clash that Defined Modern Economics
–Book: The Road to Serfdom: Text and Documents–The Definitive Edition
–Book: The General Theory of Employment, Interest, and Money
“Serfdom USA” explains, in music, the essentials of Hayek’s Road to Serfdom. A fun libertarian music video from The Future of Freedom Foundation. [3 min]