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Paul A. Baran Biography

Economist

Paul A. Baran was a prominent economist, born on August 25, 1909, and died on March 26, 1964. He had a significant impact on the field of economics, particularly in the areas of network theory and information theory.

Writing Process Originals Notes Rough Presentation

Book:Political Econ of Growth

Source: Political Econ of Growth

“One would think that the record of already existing regulatory agencies is sufficiently eloquent in showing that it is Big Business that does the regulating rather than vice versa .”

Thinking Doe Bigs Records Vices Agency Vice Versa Eloquent Big Business

Book:Political Econ of Growth

Source: Political Econ of Growth

“But when reason and the study of history began revealing the irrationality, the limitations, and the merely transitory nature of the capitalist order, bourgeois ideology as a whole and with it bourgeois economics began abandoning both reason and history.”

Reason Whole Order Study Economics Ideology Limitation Capitalist Revealing Bourgeois Transitory Irrationality

Book:Political Econ of Growth

Source: Political Econ of Growth

“Much if not all we know about the complex mechanism responsible for the development (and stagnation) of productive forces, and for the rise and decay of social organizations, is the result of the analytical work undertaken by Marx and by those whom he inspired.”

Ifs Knows Force Social Results Development Organization Responsible Complexes Inspired Productive Mechanism Decay Stagnation Social Organization

Book:Political Econ of Growth

Source: Political Econ of Growth

“If society has a technical need, that helps science forward more than ten universities.”

Ifs Needs Helping Ten University

Book:Political Econ of Growth

Source: Political Econ of Growth

“By elevating the dictum of the market to the role of the sole criterion of rationality and efficiency, economics denies even all "respectability" to the distinction between essential and non-essential consumption, between productive and unproductive labor, between actual and potential surplus.”

Roles Essentials Economics Labor Deny Distinction Productive Sole Consumption Efficiency Rationality Criteria Surplus Respectability Elevating Unproductive

Book:Political Econ of Growth

Source: Political Econ of Growth

“Indeed, I find it illuminating to consider to what extent our "classical conditions" for economic growth are satisfied in the current, monopolistic phase of capitalism.”

Growth Economic Conditions Capitalism Currents Satisfied Phases Economic Growth Illuminating

Book:Political Econ of Growth

Source: Political Econ of Growth

“Schumpter's daring and dashing entrepreneur is now a legendary figure from the distant past - if not from the mythology of capitalism - or is to be found only in the demimonde of business, founding new ice cream parlors or "deep freeze subscription clubs".”

Ifs Past Found Figures Capitalism Entrepreneur Clubs Mythology Ice Daring Cream Founding Ice Cream Freeze Legendary Parlor Dashing Subscription

Author:Paul A. Baran

“" many seemingly independent businessmen or craftsman are more or less well paid retainers of larger corporations, such as the cobbler, operating a United States shoe machine or an automobile dealer holding a license of the General Motors Corporation."”

Wells States United United States Machines Paid Independent Shoes Corporations Businessman License Motor Automobile Dealer Craftsman General Motors Cobblers Retainers

Author:Paul A. Baran

“It has been estimated that even in the absence of net investment, the mere substitution of modern machinery for worn-out equipment in the United States would cause an annual productivity increase of approximately 1.5 percent.”

Has Beens States Causes United United States Modern Percent Increase Mere Investment Absence Productivity Worn Equipment Machinery Annuals Worn Out Substitution

Book:Political Econ of Growth

Source: Political Econ of Growth

“Indeed, the "whole bourgeoisie" on whose behalf the government was acting as its "committee" was a composite of a vast multitude of businessmen appearing as a conglomeration of many different and divergent groups and interests.”

Different Whole Government Interest Acting Groups Multitudes Committees Businessman Behalf Appearing Divergent Bourgeoisie Composites

Book:Political Econ of Growth

Source: Political Econ of Growth

“That the means of imperialist policy overshadow almost entirely its original ends has tremendous implications.”

Mean Ends Policy Originals Implications

Book:Political Econ of Growth

Source: Political Econ of Growth

“Whatever market for manufactured goods emerged in colonial and dependent countries did not become the "eternal market" of these countries. Thrown wide open by colonization and by unequal treaties, it became an appendage of the "internal market" of Western capitalism.”

Country Eternal Capitalism Western Wide Dependent Thrown Internals Goods Treaties Colonization

Author:Paul A. Baran

“For it is no railways, roads, and power stations that give rise to industrial capitalism: it is the emergence of industrial capitalism that leads to the building of railways, to the construction of roads, and to the establishment of power stations.”

Giving Building Capitalism Stations Construction Establishment Emergence Railway

Author:Paul A. Baran

“The principal impact of foreign enterprise on the development of the underdeveloped countries lies in hardening and strengthening the sway of merchant capitalism, in slowing down and indeed preventing its transformation into industrial capitalism.”

Country Lying Development Capitalism Transformation Down And Impact Enterprise Principal Slow Down Merchants Preventing Strengthening Slowing Underdeveloped Countries

Book:Political Econ of Growth

Source: Political Econ of Growth

“The present Indian government, however, is neither able or willing to accept the challenge and to provide the leadership in breaking the resistance of urban and rural interests.”

Government Able Interest Challenges Accepting Willing Resistance Indian Urban Urban And Rural

Author:Paul A. Baran

“The alarm must be sounded because it is the economic and social system of capitalism and imperialism that prevents the urgently needed full mobilization of the potential economic surplus and the attainment of rates of economic advancement that can be secured with its help.”

Helping Social Economic Needed Capitalism Rate Imperialism Advancement Alarms Attainment Secured Surplus Social Systems Mobilization

Book:Political Econ of Growth

Source: Political Econ of Growth

“As Hegel well knew, the ascent of reason has never followed a straight line.”

Wells Reason Lines Straight Lines Ascent Hegel

Book:Political Econ of Growth

Source: Political Econ of Growth

“In fact, all the additional knowledge gained by an irrationally constituted society may but enlarge and enhance the powers of death and destruction.”

May Facts Destruction Knowledge Gained

Book:Political Econ of Growth

Source: Political Econ of Growth

“To contribute to the emergence of a society in which development will supplant stagnation, in which growth will take the place of decay, and in which culture will put an end to barbarism is the noblest, and, indeed, the only true function of intellectual endeavor.”

Ends Culture Growth Development Intellectual Function Endeavor Decay Barbarism Emergence Stagnation

Author:Paul A. Baran

About the Author

Born: August 25, 1909
Died: March 26, 1964
Known for: Economist
Quotes: 20

Books & Sources

Political Econ of GrowthRelated source material

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