Understanding history

Knowledge as a superordinate goal over dogma is a value espoused by Ludwig von Mises. He writes, "It is obvious that the historian must not be biased by any prejudices and party tenets. Those writers who consider historical events as an arsenal of weapons for the conduct of their party feuds are not historians but propagandists and apologists. They are not eager to acquire knowledge but to justify the program of their parties. They are fighting for the dogmas of a metaphysical, religious, national, political or social doctrine. They usurp the name of history for their writings as a blind in order to deceive the credulous. A historian must first of all aim at cognition. He must free himself from any partiality. He must in this sense be neutral with regard to any value judgments."

Of course, knowledge itself is not the ultimate goal; it is merely a means to an end: "The archetype of causality research was: where and how must I interfere in order to divert the course of events from the way it would go in the absence of my interference in a direction which better suits my wishes? In this sense man raises the question: who or what is at the bottom of things? He searches for the regularity and the 'law,' because he wants to interfere." Action based on a flawed understanding of the law, whether the law in question is a law of physics or of economics or some other science, often is ineffective or even counterproductive. If one wishes to attain certain economic goals, such as maximizing consumer satisfaction or reducing inflation, it is not enough (or, according to some libertarians, not desirable) to obtain political power; one must adopt policies that are compatible with the applicable economic laws.