I would like to announce that my newest book will be arriving in the next few months.

The title is: Striving and Attainment: A Theory of Social Interaction.

This is the most advanced and most clear presentation to date of the praxeological ethical theory first presented in book form in March of 2006, and since elaborated in A Praxeology of Coercion, 2nd Edition.

The book is currently going through proof reading and minor corrections, and should be ready for the printer in August.

The primary elements of the theory were developed during the 1990's and a preliminary version of the theory was first presented to a small group at the Mises Institute in 2001.

In March 2006, a key piece of the theory was finally put in place, and since then I have been working on elaborating and clarifying these essential ideas.

The forthcoming book not only clarifies the ideas of the theory to a greater extent than past writings, but also includes many passages from Menger, Mises and Hayek, bringing to light their visions of formal social theory.

The new book also contains key passages from Husserl, the father of phenomenology. As Mises wrote: "The importance of phenomenology for the solution of the epistemological problems of praxeology has not been noticed at all." (Money, Method, and the Market Process, p.19)

As those familiar with the writings of Mises know, praxeology is a formal approach to the phenomenon of human action or human goal directed behavior. Human goal directed behavior extends beyond market or "catallactic" action (action conceivable in terms of prices, monetary calculation and exchange ratios), and encompasses ethical and psychological acts as well. Trying to help or harm another person, and trying to suppress my hopes or fears, are actions, but not economic actions in the narrower sense.

Due to historical developments in Austrian School social theory, this aspect of action was largely overlooked, and praxeology became nearly synonymous with economics (market phenomena) for many Austrian scholars. In the United States, especially Rothbard viewed praxeology as a method of economics, and not as a general science of human goal directed behavior.

I view the significance of my own work as providing one possible theoretical framework for conceiving ethical phenomena also in terms of human action, or as I sometimes refer to it, human striving.

I welcome sincere questions addressed to me at: adamknott-at-praxeology.com

Adam Knott, July 15, 2008