Wilhelm Röpke, radical conservative. From a critique of culture to economic humanism.

Authors

  • JERÓNIMO MOLINA CANO

Keywords:

Wilhelm Röpke, liberalism, socialism, third way, machiavellism, political realism.

Abstract

Thirty years ago, Neoliberal economicism (Austrian School of Economics) replaced Liberal political thought. However, Liberal thought cannot be restricted to the world-wide free-market ideology (a sort of economical political theology, whose condition is Materialism). There are others liberal schools, but for many reasons all of them have been passed over. One of these liberal branches, specially interesting and useful, is the ORDO review Group, the Ordoliberalism. Ordoliberalism is circumscribed to the German-speaking area in Europe. The most influent ordoliberal economist was Wilhelm Röpke (1899-1966). His whole work is based on the criticism of Paleoliberalism (Classical liberalism) and Socialism. The Röpkean alternative to those nineteenth-century ideologies is the Third Way.Working out this doctrine allows him to build one the most significant liberal theories about Politics, the State, the relationship between Politics and Economics (Welfare State), and between Politics and Morality (Machiavellism).

Published

2008-03-24

Issue

Section

ARTICLES