probably nothing has done so much harm to the liberal cause as the wooden insistence of some liberals on certain rules of thumb, above all of the principle of laissez-faire capitalism.
—F A Hayek, The Constitution of Liberty (University Chicago Press, 1960), pp. 502–3

The successful use of competition as the principle of social organization precludes certain types of coercive interference with economic life, but it admits of others which sometimes may very considerably assist its work and even requires certain kinds of government action.
—Hayek, The road to serfdom (University of Chicago Press, 1994)

To prohibit the use of certain poisonous substances, or to require special precautions in their use, to limit working hours or to require certain sanitary arrangements, is fully compatible with the preservation of competition. The only question here is whether in the particular instance the advantages gained are greater than the social costs which they impose.
—Hayek, The road to serfdom (University of Chicago Press, 1994)

Nor can certain harmful effects of deforestation, of some methods of farming, or of the smoke and noise of factories, be confined to the owner of the property in question, or to those who are willing to submit to the damage for an agreed compensation.
—Hayek, The road to serfdom (University of Chicago Press, 1994)

Even the most essential prerequisite of its [the market's] proper functioning, the prevention of fraud and deception (including exploitation of ignorance), provides a great and by no means fully accomplished object of legislative activity.
—Hayek, The road to serfdom (University of Chicago Press, 1994)

There is no reason why, in a society which has reached the general level of wealth ours has, the first kind of security should not be guaranteed to all without endangering general freedom; that is: some minimum of food, shelter and clothing, sufficient to preserve health. Nor is there any reason why the state should not help to organize a comprehensive system of social insurance in providing for those common hazards of life against which few can make adequate provision.
—Hayek, The road to serfdom quoted here

In no system that could be rationally defended would the state just do nothing.
—Hayek, The road to serfdom (University of Chicago Press, 1994)

free market hayek fans generally avoid mention of such inconvenient quotes, but some opponents of national health care will cite "without endangering general freedom" (in the next to last quote above) as a reason to oppose the individual mandate. i tend to agree. the mandate is inconsistent with social justice. supporters of the patient protection and affordable care act would do well to have a backup plan ready to go if and when the supreme court declares that the individual mandate violates the due process clause. even the idea of a public option has it backwards: what we need is a public plan (i.e., single payer) with a private option (so anyone who doesn't want to be in the public plan could choose private coverage, rather than the other way round).