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Quote by Kenneth E. Boulding

“Conventions of generality and mathematical elegance may be just as much barriers to the attainment and diffusion of knowledge as may contentment with particularity and literary vagueness... It may well be that the slovenly and literary borderland between economics and sociology will be the most fruitful building ground during the years to come and that mathematical economics will remain too flawless in its perfection to be very fruitful.”

Quote by Kenneth E. Boulding

Author

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

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“Thus we seem to be on the verge of an expansion of welfare economics into something like a social science of ethics and politics: what was intended to be a mere porch to ethics is either the whole house or nothing at all. In so laying down its life welfare economics may be able to contribute some of its insights and analytical methods to a much broader evaluative analysis of the whole social process.”

May Whole Seems Able House Social Process Ethics Economics Method Mere Insight Welfare Analysis Expansion Verge Social Science Porch Laying Down

Author:Kenneth E. Boulding

“Theories without facts may be barren, but facts without theories are meaningless.”

May Facts Theory Meaningless Barren

Book:Economic Analysis

Source: Economic Analysis

“The controversy as to whether socialism is possible has been settled by the fact that it exists, and it is a fundamental axiom of my philosophy, at any rate, that anything that exists, is possible.”

Has Beens Philosophy Facts Fundamentals Rate Socialism Controversy Axioms

Author:Kenneth E. Boulding

“Almost every organization... exhibits two faces a smiling face which it turns toward its members and a frowning face which it turns to the world outside.”

World Two Faces Turns Members Organization Exhibits Frowning Smiling Faces

Book:THE ORGANIZATIONAL REVOLUTION

Source: THE ORGANIZATIONAL REVOLUTION

“The organizer who creates roles, who creates the holes that will force the pegs to their shape, is a prime creator of personality itself. When we ask of a man, "What is he?" the answer is usually given in terms of his major role, job, or position in society; he is the place that he fills, a painter, a priest, a politician, a criminal.”

Men Jobs Asks Given Force Term Answers Roles Position Personality Politician Shapes Majors Creator Criminals Holes Painter Priests Prime Organizer Peg

Book:THE ORGANIZATIONAL REVOLUTION

Source: THE ORGANIZATIONAL REVOLUTION

“The ability to work with systems of general equilibrium is perhaps one of the most important skills of the economist - a skill which he shares with many other scientists, but in which he has perhaps a certain comparative advantage.”

Important Certain Ability Share Skills Advantage Scientist Economist Equilibrium Comparative Advantage

Author:Kenneth E. Boulding

“It is clear that the building of models is not a purely mechanical process but requires skill of a high order - not merely mathematical skill but a sensitivity to the relative importance of different factors and a critical, almost an artistic, faculty in the selection of behaviour equations which are reasonable, tentative hypotheses in explaining the behaviour of actual economies.”

“One of the most important skills of the economist, therefore, is that of simplification of the model. Two important methods of simplification have been developed by economists. One is the method of partial equilibrium analysis (or microeconomics), generally associated with the name of Alfred Marshall and the other is the method of aggregation (or macro-economics), associated with the name of John Maynard Keynes.”

Has Beens Two Important Names Skills Models Economics Method Analysis Economist Equilibrium Simplification Keynes Macro Microeconomics

Author:Kenneth E. Boulding

“Conflict may be defined as a situation of competition in which the parties are aware of the incompatibility of potential future positions, and in which each party wishes to occupy a position that is incompatible with the wishes of the other.”

May Wish Party Situation Position Conflict Competition Defined Incompatibility

Author:Kenneth E. Boulding

“[The loss-of-strength gradient is] the degree to which military and political power diminishes as we move a unit distance away from its home base.”

Home Moving Political Loss Military Degrees Distance Units Diminish Political Power Home Base

Author:Kenneth E. Boulding