Joseph A. Schumpeter
His Life and Work
1. Edition April 1993
304 Pages, Softcover
Wiley & Sons Ltd
Joseph A. Schumpeter (1883-1950) is one of the most celebrated authors on the economics and sociology of the twentieth century. Richard Swedberg's new biography provides an engaging and vivid account of Schumpeter's varied life, including his ventures into politics and private banking as well as his academic career. As a backdrop to these, Swedberg also discusses Schumpeter's tragic personal life.
This book provides a thorough overview of Schumpeter's writings, and also introduces previously unpublished material based on his letters and interviews. Swedberg emphasizes that Schumpeter saw economics as a form of social investigation, consisting of four fields: economic theory, economic sociology, economic history and statistics. The author describes and analyses Schumpeter's theory of social classes and modern states as well as his more famous theory of the entrepreneur.
Introduction. .
1. Childhood and Youth.
2. Early Economic Works.
3. In Politics.
4. The Difficult Decade.
5. Excursions in Economic Sociology.
6. In the United States.
7. Capitalism, Socialism and Democracy.
8. Last Years, Last Work. .
Appendix 1: Aphorisms from Schumpeter's Private Diary.
Appendix 2: Schumpeter's Novel Ships in the Fog (A
Fragment).
Appendix 3: Letters by Schumpeter.
Bibliography of Schumpeter's Writings.
Index.
work, his personality and his times.' Financial Times
'Schumpeter's life is shot through with a drama which Swedberg
skilfully interweaves with a discussion of his work.'
Network
'[Swedberg] thoughtfully uncovers different layers of the
eminent economist's personality... a lucid, readable study' New
York Times Book Review
'The Swedberg biography is a remarkable broad based achievement.
It offers a coherant thesis and argues that thesis well. I
recommend this biography without hesitation to anyone interested in
Joseph A. Schumpter, social scientist and human being.' Journal
of Institutional and Theoretical Economics
'Richard Swedberg's account of Schumpeter's life and work
provides the more complete portrait of Schumpeter, both as man and
economist. Swedberg ... marshalls a wealth of biographical detail
and straddles several academic disciplines.' Times Literary
Supplement
'Swedberg provides an intellectual biography which is
illuminating both about Schumpeter's life in Vienna, Bonn, and
Harvard, and the development of his ideas.' Political
Studies
