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The Essential Hirschman

  • Albert O. Hirschman
  • Edited by: Jeremy Adelman and Jeremy Adelman
  • With contributions by: Jeremy Adelman
  • Afterword by: Emma Rothschild , Amartya Sen , Emma Rothschild and Amartya Sen
  • Preface by: Jeremy Adelman
Language: English
Published/Copyright: 2013

About this book

Some of the finest essays in the social sciences, written by one of the twentieth century's most influential and provocative thinkers ​​​

The Essential Hirschman brings together some of the finest essays in the social sciences, written by one of the twentieth century's most influential and provocative thinkers. Albert O. Hirschman was a master essayist, one who possessed the rare ability to blend the precision of economics with the elegance of literary imagination. In an age in which our academic disciplines require ever-greater specialization and narrowness, it is rare to encounter an intellectual who can transform how we think about inequality by writing about traffic, or who can slip in a quote from Flaubert to reveal something surprising about taxes. The essays gathered here span an astonishing range of topics and perspectives, including industrialization in Latin America, imagining reform as more than repair, the relationship between imagination and leadership, routine thinking and the marketplace, and the ways our arguments affect democratic life. Throughout, we find humor, unforgettable metaphors, brilliant analysis, and elegance of style that give Hirschman such a singular voice.

Featuring an introduction by Jeremy Adelman that places each of these essays in context as well as an insightful afterword by Emma Rothschild and Amartya Sen, The Essential Hirschman is the ideal introduction to Hirschman for a new generation of readers and a must-have collection for anyone seeking his most important writings in one book.

Author / Editor information

Albert O. Hirschman (1915-2012) was one of the leading intellectuals of the twentieth century, renowned for his contributions to economics, the social sciences, and the history of ideas. Jeremy Adelman is the Henry Charles Lea Professor of History at Princeton University. His books include Worldly Philosopher: The Odyssey of Albert O. Hirschman (Princeton).

Reviews

"Adelman . . . has done an excellent job of bringing together articles that express Hirschman's skepticism, as well as brilliant observation, often consisting of brilliant juxtapositions of unlikely sources. . . . [T]hose who do sink their teeth into this work will be highly rewarded."

Topics

  • Publicly Available

    Frontmatter

    i
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    Contents

    v
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    Introduction

    vii
    Jeremy Adelman
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  • Development
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    Political Economics and Possibilism

    1
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    Underdevelopment, Obstacles to the Perception of Change, and Leadership

    35
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    The Rise and Decline of Development Economics

    49
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    The Changing Tolerance for Income Inequality in the Course of Economic Development

    74
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    The Political Economy of Import-Substituting Industrialization in Latin America

    102
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    The Search for Paradigms as a Hindrance to Understanding

    137
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    A Generalized Linkage Approach to Development, with Special Reference to Staples

    155
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  • Markets
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    The Concept of Interest

    195
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    Rival Views of Market Society

    214
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    Against Parsimony

    248
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    Three Uses of Political Economy in Analyzing European Integration

    265
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  • Democracy
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    Opinionated Opinions and Democracy

    284
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    Reactionary Rhetoric

    293
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    Exit, Voice, and the State

    309
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    Morality and the Social Sciences

    331
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    Social Conflicts as Pillars of Democratic Market Society

    345
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    Afterword by Emma Rothschild and Amartya Sen

    363
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    Acknowledgments

    369
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    Index

    373
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Publishing information
Pages and Images/Illustrations in book
eBook published on:
October 13, 2013
eBook ISBN:
9781400848409
Edition:
Course Book
Pages and Images/Illustrations in book
View content
https://doi.org/10.1515/9781400848409
eBook ISBN: 9781400848409
Keywords for this book
Social science; Industrialisation; Economic development; Politics; Political economy; Economics; Political science; Capitalism; Income; Economist; Ideology; Latin America; Albert O. Hirschman; Obstacle; Market economy; Economic growth; Backwardness; Prediction; Tax; Opportunism; Economy; Explanation; Criticism; Supply (economics); Development economics; Sociology; Economic policy; Developing country; Dichotomy; Unemployment; Public policy; Social theory; The Other Hand; Welfare; Marxism; Entrepreneurship; Theory; Writing; Employment; Failed state; Self-interest; Tariff; Institution; Market (economics); Authoritarianism; Economic inequality; Fernando Henrique Cardoso; Income distribution; Industry; Export; Hostility; Trade creation; Commodity; Social justice; Inflation; Underdevelopment; Competition; Oxford University Press; Unintended consequences; Agriculture; Social conflict; Expense; Developed country; Foreign direct investment; Slavery; Democracy; Trade diversion; Capital flight; World economy; Cambridge University Press
Audience(s) for this book
For an expert adult audience, including professional development and academic research
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