Theological Insights on the Knowledge Problem

Economist F.A. Hayek is well known for his unique insights on local knowledge, that is, the special value of knowledge that is “particular to time and place” and not feasibly accessed by central planners. The knowledge problem, as expressed in the body of Hayek’s work as rich as it is, leaves space for significant contributions by traditional Christian theology, both in terms of defining the problem more accurately and characterizing its solution. This class will bridge the work of Hayek with the Neo-Calvinist principle of sphere sovereignty to illuminate the complementarities in these distinct perspectives.