Having read Wilhelm Röpke's A Humane Economy two months ago, I just finished John Zmirak's biography of this monumental modern economist. Zmirak provides an excellent gloss on Röpke's life and the development of his ideas while situating them in a pivotal historical context. I found it extremely helpful to have Röpke's influence on the post-World War II recovery of the West German economy described at some length while also delineating the extent to which his ideas were not tried practically. I admired many of his ideas in A Humane Economy; now I admire also Röpke the man. I highly recommend both works if political economy interests you -- which it should. Realizing both the crucial role of the market in our economic life and the limitations thereof is critical for any citizen to participate (and even, dare I say, to be able to partake) in political life.
No comments:
Post a Comment