Cognitive Autonomy and Methodological Individualism

Di Iorio offers a new approach to Hayeks Sensory Order, linking neuroscience to the old Verstehen tradition and to contemporary theories of self-organizing systems; this should be on the reading list of everyone who is interested in Hayeks thought. Barry Smith University at Buffalo, editor of The Monist This impressive and well-researched book breaks new ground in our understanding of F.A. Hayek and of methodological individualism more generally. It shows that methodological individualism sanctions neither an atomistic view of society nor a mechanical determinism. The book carefully analyzes an important tradition in the social sciences, and compares it to many important philosophical, sociological and economic systems of thought. This is an enlightening book for all scholars interested in the methodological problems of the social sciences. Mario J. Rizzo New York University One of Hayeks most important contributions is his linking of complex methodological individualism, which deals with the emergence of spontaneous orders and unintended collective structures in complex self-organizing social systems, with a cognitive psychology. What makes Francesco Di Iorios book of great interest is that, by building on Hayeks seminal book The Sensory Order, it deepens the connections between cognition and rules of just conduct, taking into account relevant theories on subjectivity and consciousness such as phenomenology, hermeneutics and enactivism. Jean Petitot cole des Hautes tudes en Sciences Sociales, EHESS, Paris In this thoughtful and enlightening book Francesco Di Iorio uses Hayeks cognitive psychology as the starting point for investigation of the relationship between the autonomy of the agent and socio-cultural influences within methodological individualism. The book provides anilluminating and innovative analysis of a central issue in the philosophy of social science by setting Hayeks view on mind and action in fruitful relation to approaches such as Gadamers hermeneutics, Merleau-Pontys phenomenology, Varelas and Maturanas enaction, Boudons interpretative sociology, Poppers fallibilism and Mises praxeology. One of the most interesting aspects of this book is its argument that hermeneutics and fallibilism refer not to two different methods but to the same one. Dario Antiseri Emeritus Professor at LUISS University, Rome Francesco Di Iorios book explores, in an original way, the connections between Hayeks methodological individualism and his fascinating idea that human mind is both an interpretative device and a self-organizing system. It is a brilliant, clearly written work, characterized by a certain intellectual courage, which makes a remarkable contribution to the sociology of knowledge. Grald Bronner Paris Diderot University.