The Worldly Philosophers

The Worldly Philosophers: The Lives, Times & Ideas of the Great Economic Thinkers is a bestselling classic that not only enables us to see more deeply into our history but helps us better understand our own times. In this 7th edition, Robert L. Heilbroner provides a new theme that connects thinkers as diverse as Adam Smith & Karl Marx. The theme is the common focus of their highly varied ideas–viz., the search to understand how a capitalist society works. Its a focus never more needed than in this age of confusing economic headlines. In a new concluding chapter entitled “The End of the Worldly Philosophy?” he reminds us that the word “end” refers to both the purpose & limits of economics. This chapter conveys a concern that todays increasingly scientific economics may overlook fundamental socio-political issues that are central to economics. Thus, unlike its predecessors, this new edition provides not just an indispensable illumination of our past but a call to action for our future.