21st Century Capitalism
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- $13.99
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- $13.99
Publisher Description
"It is my hope that some grasp of what the twenty-first century holds in store for capitalism may enable us to avoid at least some of the pain we might otherwise have to endure," writes the eminent economist Robert Heilbroner in this important book on the world's economic future.
Although communism lies shattered almost everywhere it once existed, no single form of capitalism has emerged worldwide. Which of the varieties of capitalism will be hardy enough to survive into the next century? Will the private sector make way for government to redress the failures of the market system? Does the defeat of the socialist vision portend that unbridled acquisitiveness will dominate the world?
In tackling these questions, Heilbroner takes us to the roots of capitalist society. He views capitalism from a wide angle as both an economic system and a political order, showing the integral connections between the two that are often overlooked; finally, he addresses the overarching challenge ahead—a society that no longer believes in the inevitability of progress.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Economics, often vilified as the ``dismal science'' offers, in Heilbroner's deft book, an exhilarating exploration of ideas. In this study, based on lectures from the fall of '92, he ponders the possibilities for 21st-century capitalism in a sweeping examination of the ``idea of progress,'' capitalism as a social and political system, class struggle, capital accumulation, the challenge of growth, the marketplace, the collapse of the Soviet Union and the unpredictability of human behavior. As for American capitalism, he maintains ``its success will hinge on the capacity to perceive the public sector, as did Adam Smith, in terms of an indispensable source of strength for a private economy.'' Heilbroner ( The Worldly Philosophers ) predicts that capitalism is likely to remain ``the dominant social order.'' But, he warns, we will probably have to confront ``a limit beyond which acquisitiveness no longer serves, and may well disserve.'' This study, written by one of the nation's preeminent and prolific economists, should generate exceptionally strong interest.
