Desire and Interest; Political Debates Before Capitalism's Victory: Political Debates Before Capitalism's Victory

Author: Albert O. Hirschman
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-11-01
Features: Amartya Sen, the Nobel laureate in Economics, remarked, "Albert Hirschman is one of the great intellectuals of our time. His works have changed our understanding of economic development, social contexts, human behavior, and the nature and meaning of certainty, loyalty, and commitment." He further noted, "Desire and Interest not only makes significant intellectual contributions but is also a masterpiece by Hirschman. This work engages with both contemporary and historical economic theories. It has a broad readership, not just among those in economics or the history of economics." In this book, Hirschman revisits the European intellectual currents of the 17th and 18th centuries, elucidating a complex shift in during that period. Long ago, the pursuit of pecuniary interests was condemned as a greedy sin, but now it has been given a new role—to control the destructive desires that are hard to tame. The author provides a fresh interpretation of the rise of capitalism, emphasizing the close connection between tradition and modernity. Hirschman's findings are rather ironic; what we now consider the evil characteristics of capitalism were its original pursuit—suppressing desires to pursue 'harmless' commercial interests, though perhaps monotonous.