Hayek e l’ignoranza nella società “aperta”, senza meriti personali, ma con una meritocrazia d’impresa

Hayek’s theory of knowledge reflects the theory of the market, which forms the founda- tion of neoliberal political ideology. The market – whether oligopolistic or not, in its networked structure of dispersed knowledge and uncoordinated actions, is the best sys- tem for resource allocation and serves as an impartial tribunal for ‘merits’ in the form of profits and losses. The market spontaneously coordinates free individual choices within an environment characterised by widespread ignorance. Ignorance ensures a freedom unconditioned by external factors. Although personal merit is unknowable, the market, through competition, distributes ‘values’ and creates a unique meritocracy to incentiv- ize each individual’s entrepreneurial talents. This article employs the lens of merit and meritocracy to illuminate the internal logic within Hayek’s theoretical works, which often tread the line of paradox, presenting counterintuitive propositions and multiple logical contradictions.