Joseph Schumpeter

man ideal lie

“The first thing a man will do for his ideal is lie”

― Joseph Alois Schumpeter (1883-1950)

genius prophet learning originality

“Geniuses and prophets do not usually excel in professional learning, and their originality, if any, is often due precisely to the fact that they do not.”

― Joseph Alois Schumpeter (1883-1950)

history record effect produce

“History is a record of "effects" the vast majority of which nobody intended to produce.”

― Joseph Alois Schumpeter (1883-1950)

civilization die rejoice eye

“This civilization is rapidly passing away, however. Let us rejoice or else lament the fact as much as everyone of us likes; but do not let us shut our eyes to it.”

― Joseph Alois Schumpeter (1883-1950)

politician horseman saddle

“Politicians are like bad horsemen who are so preoccupied with staying in the saddle that they can’t bother about where they’re going.”

― Joseph Alois Schumpeter (1883-1950)

marxism religion life mankind

“In one important sense, Marxism is a religion. To the believer it presents, first, a system of ultimate ends that embody the meaning of life and are absolute standards by which to judge events and actions; and, secondly, a guide to those ends which implies a plan of salvation and the indication of the evil from which mankind, or a chosen section of mankind, is to be saved.”

― Joseph Alois Schumpeter (1883-1950)

mind public humor condemn capitalism etiquette

“The public mind has by now so thoroughly grown out of humor with it as to make condemnation of capitalism and all its works a foregone conclusion---almost a requirement of the etiquette of discussion.”

― Joseph Alois Schumpeter (1883-1950)

democracy socialist capitalist sham freedom personal

“As a matter of practical necessity, socialist democracy may eventually turn out to be more of a sham than capitalist democracy ever was. In any case, that democracy will not mean increased personal freedom.”

― Joseph Alois Schumpeter (1883-1950)

war machine require

“Created by wars that required it, the machine now created the wars it required.”

― Joseph Alois Schumpeter (1883-1950)

capitalism socialism survive society

“Capitalism Survive?—I have tried to show that a socialist form of society will inevitably emerge from an equally inevitable decomposition of capitalist society.”

― Joseph Alois Schumpeter (1883-1950)

capitalism housewife value life inequality family fortune

“Capitalism does not merely mean that the housewife may influence production by her choice between peas and beans; or that plant managers have some voice in deciding what and how to produce: it means a scheme of values, an attitude toward life, a civilization—the civilization of inequality and of the family fortune.”

― Joseph Alois Schumpeter (1883-1950)

socialist bread mouse convinced society

“To begin with, convinced socialists will derive satisfaction from the mere fact of living in a socialist society. Socialist bread may well taste sweeter to them than capitalist bread simply because it is socialist bread, and it would do so even if they found mice in it.”

― Joseph Alois Schumpeter (1883-1950)