Päivän sitaatti

Hayek:

Even more significant of the inherent weakness of the collectivist theories is the extraordinary paradox that from the assertion that society is in some sense more than merely the aggregate of all individuals their adherents regularly pass by a sort of intellectual somersault to the thesis that in order that the coherence of this larger entity be safeguarded it must be subjected to conscious control, that is, to the control of what in the last resort must be an individual mind. It thus comes about that in practice it is regularly the theoretical collectivist who extols individual reason and demands that all forces of society be made subject to the direction of a single mastermind, while it is the individualist who recognizes the limitations of the powers of individual reason and consequently advocates freedom as a means for the fullest development of the powers of the interindividual process.

Minusta Hayekin pointti on hyvin selkeä ja esitystapa sopivan lyhyt ja ytimekäs. Kuitenkin ilmeisesti englantia äidinkielenään puhuvien ihmisten mielestä Hayekin englanti oli turhan koukeroista. Huomasin jonkun esittäneen tuosta sitaatista tällaisen kommentin:

To paraphase - Collectivist theories are inherently weak, especially the assertion that a society is greater than the individuals in it. Therefore, these theories assert that the society must be safeguarded, which then requires control, which ultimately results in the controlling mind of one individual. The "extraordinary paradox" is that while this collectivist theory initially "extols individual reason," it progresses to the subjugation of all individuals within its power to "a single mastermind." The true individualist, who understands the limitations of any individual reason, and therefore, any one individual, relies, instead, on the interplay of reason among all individuals.

-- Roy Shoults, Sr, Manchester, NH

Tuossahan oli selvä väärinkäsitys, jonka korjasin heti.

Roy Shoults is not on the right track when he says: "The "extraordinary paradox" is that while this collectivist theory initially "extols individual reason," it progresses to the subjugation of all individuals"

This is not the paradox that Hayek is talking about. Hayek meant that collectivist theory "extols individual reason" because a collectivist believes in the ability of an individual mind to control an entire society. The paradox is that while a collectivist thinks that society is more than the sum of its parts -- i.e. more than the sum of the individuals who comprise the society -- the collectivist believes at the same time that it is possible for one individual to control the entire society. The rest of what Roy Shoults said is right on target.

Ko. sitaatti kiteyttää Hayekin ajattelun keskeisimpiä pointteja. Hayek korosti vuosikymmenien ajan nimenomaan sitä, että kollektivistit kuvittelevat, hybriksen vallassa, voivansa suunnitella ja ohjata yhteiskuntaa ylhäältäpäin kuin insinööri konetta. Tämä pointti näkyy esimerkiksi Hayekin viimeisen kirjan nimessä The Fatal Conceit.

Hayekin ilmeisesti liian koukeroinen kielenkäyttö on saattanut merkittävästi haitata hänen sanomiensa perillemenoa. Asiaa vielä pahentaa se, että ainoat kaksi Hayek-suomennosta, Tie orjuuteen (The Road to Serfdom) ja Kohtalokas ylimieli (The Fatal Conceit), ovat tasoltaan aivan sanoinkuvaamattoman surkeita. Niissä on ihan suoranaisia käännösvirheitä ja kieliopillisesti täysin mahdottomia lauserakenteita. Suosittelen lukemaan Hayekia mieluummin alkukielellä.