Knowledge and beliefs in economics: the case of the Austrian tradition

The contribution focuses on the problem of the influence of individual knowledge and beliefs on the working of economic activity, within the Austrian tradition of economic thought. More specifically, the contributions of von Mises, Hayek and Schumpeter are investigated. These contributions show a large variety of answers concerning the relation between individual and social beliefs. This variety is not exhaustive but it substantially contributes to a better understanding of contemporary theoretical debates.