The Worldly Philosophers
The Lives, Times and Ideas of the Great Economic Thinkers
Touchstone · Print & ebook · August 10, 1999
The bestselling classic that examines the history of economic thought from Adam Smith to Karl Marx—“all the economic lore most general readers conceivably could want to know, served up with a flourish” (The New York Times).
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- Who it’s for
- Economic thought meets the question of how capitalism works—and what economics can miss.
- Themes
- History of economic thought, How capitalist society works, Social and political limits of economics
- Genres
- Economic History, Economic Theory, Political Economy
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The bestselling classic that examines the history of economic thought from Adam Smith to Karl Marx—“all the economic lore most general readers conceivably could want to know, served up with a flourish” (The New York Times). The Worldly Philosophers not only enables us to see more deeply into our history but helps us better understand our own times. In this seventh edition, Robert L. Heilbroner provides a new theme that connects thinkers as diverse as Adam Smith and Karl Marx.
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The theme is the common focus of their highly varied ideas—namely, the search to understand how a capitalist society works. It is a focus never more needed than in this age of confusing economic headlines. In a bold new concluding chapter entitled “The End of the Worldly Philosophy?” Heilbroner reminds us that the word “end” refers to both the purpose and limits of economics. This chapter conveys a concern that today’s increasingly “scientific” economics may overlook fundamental social and political issues that are central to economics. Thus, unlike its predecessors, this new edition provides not just an indispensable illumination of our past but a call to action for our future.
Ideas Behind Markets
Economic thought meets the question of how capitalism works—and what economics can miss.
Come here for
- A connected history of ideas from Adam Smith to Karl Marx
- A wider lens on today’s confusing economic headlines
Expect
- Reflections on economics’ social and political limits
- Past debates opening onto questions about our future
Where it sits
| Economic History | 43% |
|---|---|
| Economic Theory | 37% |
| Political Economy | 27% |
Percentages are BookFrontier’s reading of the book.
Publisher categories
- Economic History
- Comparative Economics
- Modern Philosophy
- Authors
- Robert L. Heilbroner
- Publisher
- Touchstone
- Published
- August 10, 1999
- Format
- Print & ebook
- Theme
- History of economic thought · How capitalist society works · Social and political limits of economics
- Reading lane
- Economic History