Tag Archives: Reading Circle

Reading Circle Winter 2025/26 3/3 Hayek & Schmitt – Carl Schmitt

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We, the International Karl Polanyi Society (IKPS), the Institute for Spatial and Social-Ecological Transformations (ISSET) and the Institute for Law and Governance cordially invite you to join our reading circle on “Socioeconomics and Law.”

This reading circle will serve as a preparatory event for an upcoming international conference, titled “Socioeconomics and Law – The conditions of the authoritarian turn yesterday and today” that is set to take place in Vienna from May 24th to 26th 2027. At this conference and in the lead-up to this conference, we aim to engage in discussions about alternatives to the current radicalization of neoliberal thought, particularly its alignment with non-democratic and non-liberal political and legal ideologies.

After the first round of the reading circle that focused on Wendy Brown’s (2019) “In the Ruins of Neoliberalism”, the upcoming sessions will deal with texts by Friedrich Hayek and Carl Schmitt, diving into their understanding of freedom and democracy, of the state and markets and of fascism and liberalism.

The sessions will take place at Vienna University of Economics and Business (WU) on the following dates from 5pm – 6.30pm CEST:

  • Tue, December 09th, 2025, 5pm-6.30pm, WU, Building AD.0.090 (Sitzungssaal 6):
    The Road to Serfdom by Friedrich Hayek (Introduction, Chapter 1 and 2)
  • Thu, January 15th, 2026, 5pm-6.30pm, WU, Building D4.3.106:
    The Constitution of Liberty by Friedrich Hayek (Chapter 16)
  • Wed, February 25th, 2026, 5pm-6.30pm, WU, Building D4.3.106:
    Texts by and about Carl Schmitt (details will be shared soon)

To enable international participation there is also the possibility to participate in a hybrid mode. Please register via e-mail for a link to participate online.

We are looking forward to your participation and to an exciting exchange!

Andreas Novy, Verena Madner and Stefan Mayr

As additional introductory texts for the reading circle we recommend:

The new blog of the IKPS on Fascism and Liberalism: Yesterday and Today criticizes the deeply ingrained belief that economic liberalism is conducive to democracy.

Furthermore, Andreas Novy highlights – based on Wendy Brown – the role of markets and morals in Hayek’s work: Markets and Morals: The Reactionary Right’s Ideological Core.

Reading Circle Winter 2025/26 1/3 Hayek & Schmitt – The Road to Serfdom by Friedrich Hayek (Introduction, Chapter 1 and 2)

, ,

We, the International Karl Polanyi Society (IKPS), the Institute for Spatial and Social-Ecological Transformations (ISSET) and the Institute for Law and Governance cordially invite you to join our reading circle on “Socioeconomics and Law.”

This reading circle will serve as a preparatory event for an upcoming international conference, titled “Socioeconomics and Law – The conditions of the authoritarian turn yesterday and today” that is set to take place in Vienna from May 24th to 26th 2027. At this conference and in the lead-up to this conference, we aim to engage in discussions about alternatives to the current radicalization of neoliberal thought, particularly its alignment with non-democratic and non-liberal political and legal ideologies.

After the first round of the reading circle that focused on Wendy Brown’s (2019) “In the Ruins of Neoliberalism”, the upcoming sessions will deal with texts by Friedrich Hayek and Carl Schmitt, diving into their understanding of freedom and democracy, of the state and markets and of fascism and liberalism.

The sessions will take place at Vienna University of Economics and Business (WU) on the following dates from 5pm – 6.30pm CEST:

  • Tue, December 09th, 2025, 5pm-6.30pm, WU, Building AD.0.090 (Sitzungssaal 6):
    The Road to Serfdom by Friedrich Hayek (Introduction, Chapter 1 and 2)
  • Thu, January 15th, 2026, 5pm-6.30pm:
    The Constitution of Liberty by Friedrich Hayek (Chapter 16)
  • Wed, February 25th, 2026, 5pm-6.30pm:
    Texts by and about Carl Schmitt (details will be shared soon)

To enable international participation there is also the possibility to participate in a hybrid mode. Please register via e-mail for a link to participate online.

We are looking forward to your participation and to an exciting exchange!

Andreas Novy, Verena Madner and Stefan Mayr

As additional introductory texts for the reading circle we recommend:

The new blog of the IKPS on Fascism and Liberalism: Yesterday and Today criticizes the deeply ingrained belief that economic liberalism is conducive to democracy.

Furthermore, Andreas Novy highlights – based on Wendy Brown – the role of markets and morals in Hayek’s work: Markets and Morals: The Reactionary Right’s Ideological Core.

Reading Circle BACK IN SESSION: Friedrich Hayek and Carl Schmitt

Events, Media, Publications, Uncategorized, , , , , ,

December 1st, 2025

OUR READING CIRCLE IS BACK IN SESSION

Reading Circle on Friedrich Hayek and Carl Schmitt

We, the International Karl Polanyi Society (IKPS), the Institute for Spatial and Social-Ecological Transformations (ISSET) and the Institute for Law and Governance cordially invite you to join our reading circle on “Socioeconomics and Law.”

This reading circle will serve as a preparatory event for an upcoming international conference, titled “Socioeconomics and Law – The conditions of the authoritarian turn yesterday and today” that is set to take place in Vienna from May 24th to 26th 2027. At this conference and in the lead-up to this conference, we aim to engage in discussions about alternatives to the current radicalization of neoliberal thought, particularly its alignment with non-democratic and non-liberal political and legal ideologies.

After the first round of the reading circle that focused on Wendy Brown’s (2019) “In the Ruins of Neoliberalism”, the upcoming sessions will deal with texts by Friedrich Hayek and Carl Schmitt, diving into their understanding of freedom and democracy, of the state and markets and of fascism and liberalism.

The sessions will take place at Vienna University of Economics and Business (WU) on the following dates from 5pm – 6.30pm CEST:

  • Tue, December 09th, 2025, 5pm-6.30pm, WU, Building AD.0.090 (Sitzungssaal 6):
    The Road to Serfdom by Friedrich Hayek (Introduction, Chapter 1 and 2)
  • Thu, January 15th, 2026, 5pm-6.30pm, WU, Building D4.3.106:
    The Constitution of Liberty by Friedrich Hayek (Chapter 16)
  • Wed, February 25th, 2026, 5pm-6.30pm, WU, Building D4.3.106:
    Texts by and about Carl Schmitt (details will be shared soon)

To enable international participation there is also the possibility to participate in a hybrid mode. Please register via e-mail for a link to participate online.

We are looking forward to your participation and to an exciting exchange!

Andreas Novy, Verena Madner and Stefan Mayr

As additional introductory texts for the reading circle we recommend:

The new blog of the IKPS on Fascism and Liberalism: Yesterday and Today criticizes the deeply ingrained belief that economic liberalism is conducive to democracy.

Furthermore, Andreas Novy highlights – based on Wendy Brown – the role of markets and morals in Hayek’s work: Markets and Morals: The Reactionary Right’s Ideological Core.

 

Reading Circle Kick-off: Wendy Brown and Friedrich Hayek

Events, Publications, Uncategorized, , , , ,

We, the International Karl Polanyi Society (IKPS), the Institute for Spatial and Social-Ecological Transformations (ISSET) and the Institute for Law and Governance cordially invite you to join our reading circle on “Socioeconomics and Law.” 

This reading circle will serve as a preparatory event for an upcoming international conference, titled “Socioeconomics and Law – From Hayek and Schmitt to Polanyi and Kelsen,” that is set to take place in Vienna in the spring of 2027. At this conference and in the lead-up to this conference, we aim to engage in discussions about alternatives to the current radicalization of neoliberal thought, particularly its alignment with non-democratic and non-liberal political and legal ideologies.

To kick off our reading circle, rather than starting with Hayek´s seminal text, “The Constitution of Liberty,” we will first contextualize Hayek’s significance in shaping the contemporary alliance between anarcho-capitalists and moral traditionalists. Our initial sessions will focus on Wendy Brown’s (2019) “In the Ruins of Neoliberalism,” where she elucidates Hayek’s influence and the implications of the ongoing reinterpretation of law.

Here is an introductory text by IKPS president, Andreas Novy highlighting the role of markets and morals in Hayek’s work and the relevance of Brown’s analysis of this interconnection for current events: Novy (2025) Markets and Morals: The Reactionary Right’s Ideological Core.

The sessions on Wendy Brown’s book will take place at Vienna University of Economics and Business (WU) on the following dates from 5pm – 7pm CEST:

  • Thu, April 3rd, 2025, 5pm-7pm (chapter 1)

  • Thu, May 5th, 2025, 5pm-7pm (chapter 2) CHANGE OF DATE!

  • Thu, July 3rd, 2025, 5pm-7pm (chapter 3)

  • Tue, September 16th, 2025, 5pm-7pm (chapter 4)

  • Thu, October 2nd, 2025, 5pm-7pm (chapter 5)

Venue: WU, Building D4, room D4.3.106.

To enable international participation there is also the possibility to participate in a hybrid mode. Please register by e-mail for a link to participate online.

We are looking forward to your participation and to an exciting exchange!

Andreas Novy and Verena Madner