“There is something, however humble, which can properly be called skill among those who recognise themselves as economists.” Quote by Kenneth E. Boulding
“[The notion of equilibrium] is a notion which can be employed usefully in varying degrees of looseness. It is an absolutely indispensable part of the toolbag of the economist and one which he can often contribute usefully to other sciences which are occasionally apt to get lost in the trackless exfoliations of purely dynamic systems.” LostDegreesNotionIndispensableEconomistEmployedEquilibriumLooseness Author:Kenneth E. Boulding
“In view of the importance of philanthropy in our society, it is surprising that so little attention has been given to it by economic or social theorists. In economic theory, especially, the subject is almost completely ignored. This is not, I think, because economists regard mankind as basically selfish or even because economic man is supposed to act only in his self-interest; it is rather because economics has essentially grown up around the phenomenon of exchange and its theoretical structure rests heavily on this process.” ThinkingMenLittlesHas BeensSelfGivenSocialProcessInterestViewsAttentionEconomicSubjectsMankindTheoryEconomicsImportanceRegardStructureSelfishOur SocietyPhenomenonSurprisingPhilanthropyIgnoredEconomistTheoreticalSelf InterestTheoristsEconomic Theory Author:Kenneth E. Boulding
“I know that some books and some writers, you can pretty much draw a square around it and say, 'Nobody under 40,' or 'Nobody under 25.' With my books, it always has been, and continues to be, spread right across the board, and I think the operative term is 'reader.'” ThinkingKnowsHas BeensBookTermReaderDrawsSpreadBoardsSquares Author:Margaret Atwood
“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.” WellsMightCoursesSpaceAnimalBrainFourPlanetsEvolutionSpeciesPeculiarObserversBugsCasualPredictableOuter Space Author:Kenneth E. Boulding
“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
“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
“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
“Knowledge exists in minds, not in books. Before what has been found can be used by practitioners, someone must organize it, integrate it, extract the message.” MindHas BeensBookUsedFoundMessagesOrganizeIntegrating Author:Kenneth E. Boulding
“[The question for the behavioral disciplines is simply] what is better, and how do we get there?” Discipline Author:Kenneth E. Boulding