Wilhelm Röpke (1899–1966): A Liberal Political Economist and Conservative Social Philosopher (The European Heritage in Economics and the Social Sciences Book 20)

This volume provides a comprehensive account of Wilhelm Röpke as a liberal political economist and social philosopher. Wilhelm Röpke (1899-1966) was a key protagonist of transatlantic neoliberalism, a prominent public intellectual and a gifted international networker. As an original thinker, he always positioned himself at the interface between political economy and social philosophy, as well as between liberalism and conservatism. Röpke’s endeavors to combine these elements into a coherent whole, as well as his embeddedness in European and American intellectual networks of liberal and conservative thinkers, are a central theme throughout the book. The volume includes papers by international experts from a conference in Geneva on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of Röpke’s passing. The first part focuses on new biographical insights into his exile years in Istanbul and Geneva, while the second part discusses his business cycle theory in the context of the Great Depression, and the third part elaborates on his multifaceted social philosophy. __Wilhelm Röpke was among the most important thinkers within the classical liberal revival post-WWII, with intriguing tensions between liberalism and conservatism. A highly recommended volume.__ **–– Peter J. Boettke**, 2016-2018 President of the Mont Pèlerin Society and Professor of Economics and Philosophy, George Mason University __This important collection of papers provides an in-depth assessment of Wilhelm Röpke’s contributions, placing him in the context of his time. A fine contribution.__ **––** **Bruce J. Caldwell**, Director of the Center for the History of Political Economy and Research Professor of Economics, Duke University Front Matter ....Pages i-x Wilhelm Röpke as a Pragmatic Political Economist and Eclectic Social Philosopher: An Introduction (Patricia Commun, Stefan Kolev)....Pages 1-8 Front Matter ....Pages 9-9 Between Two Continents: Wilhelm Röpke’s Years in Istanbul (Antonio Masala, Özge Kama)....Pages 11-29 Wilhelm Röpke’s Utopia and Swiss Reality: From Neoliberalism to Neoconservatism (Andrea Franc)....Pages 31-40 The Making of the “Third Way”: Wilhelm Röpke, Luigi Einaudi, and the Identity of Neoliberalism (Alberto Giordano)....Pages 41-64 Paleo- and Neoliberals: Ludwig von Mises and the “Ordo-interventionists” (Stefan Kolev)....Pages 65-90 Front Matter ....Pages 91-91 The Moral Foundations of Society and Technological Progress of the Economy in the Work of Wilhelm Röpke (Marcelo Resico, Stefano Solari)....Pages 93-107 Was Wilhelm Röpke Really a Proto-Keynesian? (Raphaël Fèvre)....Pages 109-120 Wilhelm Röpke’s Report on the Brauns Commission: Advocating a Pragmatic Business Cycle Policy (Patricia Commun)....Pages 121-131 The Secondary Depression: An Integral Part of Wilhelm Röpke’s Business Cycle Theory (Lachezar Grudev)....Pages 133-154 Front Matter ....Pages 155-155 From Basel to Brooklyn: Liberal Cultural Pessimism in Burckhardt, Röpke, and the American Neoconservatives (Alan S. Kahan)....Pages 157-164 Wilhelm Röpke: Why He Was a Conservative (Jean Solchany)....Pages 165-173 Wilhelm Röpke and American Conservatism (Tim Petersen)....Pages 175-186 Cultural Pessimism and Liberal Regeneration? Wilhelm Röpke as an Ideological In-Between in German Social Philosophy (Frans Willem Lantink)....Pages 187-200 Front Matter ....Pages 201-201 Wilhelm Röpke on Liberalism, Culture, and Economic Development (Nils Goldschmidt, Julian Dörr)....Pages 203-217 Skepticism About Markets and Optimism About Culture (Henrique Schneider)....Pages 219-236 Democracy, Liberalism, and Moral Order in Wilhelm Röpke: A Comparison with James M. Buchanan (Gabriele Ciampini)....Pages 237-257 Wilhelm Röpke’s Relevance in a Post-Totalitarian World (Richard Ebeling)....Pages 259-272 Annotation This volume provides a comprehensive account of Wilhelm R pke as a liberal political economist and social philosopher. Wilhelm R pke (1899-1966) was a key protagonist of transatlantic neoliberalism, a prominent public intellectual and a gifted international networker. As an original thinker, he always positioned himself at the interface between political economy and social philosophy, as well as between liberalism and conservatism. R pke's endeavors to combine these elements into a coherent whole, as well as his embeddedness in European and American intellectual networks of liberal and conservative thinkers, are a central theme throughout the book. The volume includes papers by international experts from a conference in Geneva on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of R pke's passing. The first part focuses on new biographical insights into his exile years in Istanbul and Geneva, while the second part discusses his business cycle theory in the context of the Great Depression, and the third part elaborates on his multifaceted social philosophy. Wilhelm R pke was among the most important thinkers within the classical liberal revival post-WWII, with intriguing tensions between liberalism and conservatism. A highly recommended volume.-- Peter J. Boettke, 2016-2018 President of the Mont P lerin Society and Professor of Economics and Philosophy, George Mason UniversityThis important collection of papers provides an in-depth assessment of Wilhelm R pke's contributions, placing him in the context of his time. A fine contribution.-- Bruce J. Caldwell, Director of the Center for the History of Political Economy and Research Professor of Economics, Duke University