Joseph A. Schumpeter: His Life and Work

Joseph A. Schumpeter (1883-1950) is one of the most celebrated authors on the economics and sociology of the 20th century. Richard Swedberg's biography provides an account of Schumpeter's varied life, his ventures into politics and private banking as well as his academic career. As a backdrop to these, Swedberg also discusses Schumpeter's tragic personal life. This book provides a thorough overview of Schumpeter's writings, also introduces previously unpublished material based on his letters and interviews.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 analyzes Schumpeter's theory of social classes and modern states as well as his more famous theory of the entrepreneur.