Joseph A. Schumpeter

Joseph A. Schumpeter (1883-1950) is one of the most celebrated authors on the economics and sociology of the twentieth century. Richard Swedbergs new biography provides an engaging and vivid account of Schumpeters varied life, including his ventures into politics and private banking as well as his academic career. As a backdrop to these, Swedberg also discusses Schumpeters tragic personal life. This book provides a thorough overview of Schumpeters writings, and also introduces previously unpublished material based on his letters and interviews. Swedberg emphasizes that Schumpeter saw economics as a form of social investigation, consisting of four fields: economic theory, economic sociology, economic history and statistics. The author describes and analyses Schumpeters theory of social classes and modern states as well as his more famous theory of the entrepreneur.