Free Capitalist Network - Community Archive
Mises Community Archive
An online community for fans of Austrian economics and libertarianism, featuring forums, user blogs, and more.

Austrian Theory of the Business Cycle

rated by 0 users
Not Answered This post has 0 verified answers | 5 Replies | 3 Followers

Not Ranked
7 Posts
Points 110
phaesed posted on Sun, May 10 2009 5:09 PM

Hey, just a quick question... while I know Hayek and Mises both wrote at length on the topic, which work was consider the definitive text on the Business Cycle. Also, which book goes most into depth about Hayekian Triangles? Thanks in advance!

All Replies

Top 10 Contributor
Male
4,985 Posts
Points 90,430

phaesed:

Hey, just a quick question... while I know Hayek and Mises both wrote at length on the topic, which work was consider the definitive text on the Business Cycle. Also, which book goes most into depth about Hayekian Triangles? Thanks in advance!

It depends, there isn't really a "definitive" text on the subject, although, if there was I'd say Hayek's Prices and Production. The best work on the subject is Huerta de Soto's Money, Bank Credit and Economic Cycles. Huerta de Soto doesn't really cover Hayekian triangles though.

As for Hayekian triangles, if you want a work covering that you'd best look into Roger Garrison's Time and Money, I'm finishing it now, it's a great book, well worth reading. In addition Walter Block and William Barnett II have a working paper on their use.

All of the books/ articles mentioned are available for free on this site.

"You don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows"

Bob Dylan

  • | Post Points: 35
Not Ranked
7 Posts
Points 110

perfect, thank you!

  • | Post Points: 20
Top 10 Contributor
Male
4,985 Posts
Points 90,430

phaesed:

perfect, thank you!

Actually, sorry, I stand corrected, Garrison's book isn't available on the site. Nonetheless it's fairly cheap.

"You don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows"

Bob Dylan

  • | Post Points: 5
Top 200 Contributor
Male
478 Posts
Points 9,180

GilesStratton:
As for Hayekian triangles, if you want a work covering that you'd best look into Roger Garrison's Time and Money, I'm finishing it now, it's a great book, well worth reading. In addition Walter Block and William Barnett II have a working paper on their use.

I hear that the Block/Barnett paper questions the validity of using Hayekian triangles. Or claim that they are merely a heuristic device. Is this true?

Austrians do it a priori

Irish Liberty Forum 

 

  • | Post Points: 20
Not Ranked
7 Posts
Points 110

http://mises.org/journals/scholar/block18.pdf

Abstract: The triangle is an integral part of the history of economic thought. It has been used by
writers such as Jevons (1871), Taussig (1896), Wicksell (1934, 1969) to illustrate and to help us
understand capital theory. Since Hayek (1931) this geometrical figure has been used as a basic
pedagogical device to explain the Austrian Business Cycle Theory (ABCT). The purpose of the
present paper is to argue that the triangle is highly problematic, if not fatally flawed, and that if
ABCT is to be made intelligible this tool of analysis must be either completely jettisoned, or
heavily supplemented with a list (see below) of its shortcomings. Moreover in some ways the
triangle has been responsible for the relative lack of development of ABCT for over a half
century.

 

I'd say that what you heard is appropriate.

  • | Post Points: 5
Page 1 of 1 (6 items) | RSS