Quotessence
Home / Quotes / Quote by Kenneth E. Boulding

Quote by Kenneth E. Boulding

“A somewhat casual observer from outer space might well deduce that the course of evolution in this planet had produced a species of large four-wheeled bugs with detachable brains; peculiar animals which rested when they sent their brains away from them but performed in rather predictable manner when their brains were recalled.”

Quote by Kenneth E. Boulding

Create image

Author

Kenneth E. Boulding
Kenneth E. Boulding

Kenneth E. Boulding was a renowned economist, born on January 18, 1910, and passed away on March 18, 1993. His research in economics covered a wide range of fields, particularly in general systems theory, conflict theory, and peace studies. more

You May Also Like

“The concept of need is often looked upon rather unfavorably by economists, in contrast with the concept of demand. Both, however, have their own strengths and weaknesses. The need concept is criticized as being too mechanical, as denying the autonomy and individuality of the human person, and as implying that the human being is a machine which "needs" fuel in the shape of food, engine dope in the shape of medicine, and spare parts provided by the surgeon.”

NeedsHumansPersonsHuman BeingsShapesDemandWeaknessConceptsMachinesMedicineIndividualityFuelEnginesContrastSparesEconomistAutonomySurgeonsDopeStrength And WeaknessImplyingSpare Parts
Author:Kenneth E. Boulding
Create image

“It [knowledge] is clearly related to information, which we can now measure; and an economist especially is tempted to regard knowledge as a kind of capital structure, corresponding to information as an income flow. Knowledge, that is to say, is some kind of improbable structure or stock made up essentially of patterns - that is, improbable arrangements, and the more improbable the arrangements, we might suppose, the more knowledge there is.”

KindMadeMightInformationFlowRegardStructurePatternsIncomeRelatedArrangementsEconomistTemptedImprobableCorrespondingMore Knowledge
Author:Kenneth E. Boulding
Create image

“No science of any kind can be divorced from ethical considerations... Science is a human learning process which arises in certain subcultures in human society and not in others, and a subculture as we seen is a group of people defined by acceptance of certain common values, that is, an ethic which permits extensive communication between them.”

PeopleHumansKindCertainValuesProcessCommonGroupsAcceptanceCommunicationEthicsAriseDefinedConsiderationEthicalPermitDivorcedLearning ProcessHuman SocietySubculture
Author:Kenneth E. Boulding
Create image

“It is almost as hard to define mathematics as it is to define economics, and one is tempted to fall back on the famous old definition attributed to Jacob Viner, "Economics is what economists do," and say that mathematics is what mathematicians do. A large part of mathematics deals with the formal relations of quantities or numbers.”

HardFallDealsNumbersEconomicsRelationMathematicsDefinitionsQuantityMathematicianFormalEconomistTemptedFall BackJacob
Author:Kenneth E. Boulding
Create image