Edward Skidelsky

Robert Skidelsky

Robert Jacob Alexander Skidelsky

Analyzes questions that arose from the 2008 financial crisis while assessing the predictions of John Maynard Keynes, sharing the authors' views of a positive life and how recent generations have traded morality for wealth.

Money and the Good Life

How Much is Enough?

The ideas of John Maynard Keynes have never been more timely. No one has bettered Keynes's description of the psychology of investors during a financial crisis: ‘The practice of calmness and immobility, of certainty and security, suddenly breaks down. New fears and hopes will, without warning, take charge of human conduct… the market will be subject to waves of optimistic and pessimistic sentiment.' Keynes's preeminent biographer, Robert Skidelsky, Emeritus Professor of Political Economy at the University of Warwick, brilliantly synthesizes from Keynes's career and life the aspects of his thinking that apply most directly to the world we currently live in. In so doing, Skidelsky shows that Keynes's mixture of pragmatism and realism – which distinguished his thinking from the neo-classical or Chicago school of economics that has been the dominant influence since the Thatcher-Reagan era and which made possible the raw market capitalism that created the current global financial crisis – is more pertinent and applicable than ever. Crucially Keynes offers nervous capitalists – and Keynes never wavered in his belief in the capitalist system – a positive answer to the question we now face: When unbridled capitalism falters, is there an alternative? "In the long run," as Keynes famously said, "we are all dead". We may not have time to wait for the perfect theoretical operation of capital as the neo-classicists insist will happen eventually. In the meantime, we have Keynes: more supple, more human and more magnificently real than ever.

The Return of the Master

Keynes

"A passionate and informed critique of mainstream economics from one of the leading economic thinkers of our time. This insightful book looks at how mainstream economics' quest for scientific certainty has led to a narrowing of vision and a convergence on an orthodoxy that is unhealthy for the field, not to mention the societies which base policy decisions on the advice of flawed economic models. Noted economic thinker Robert Skidelsky explains the circumstances that have brought about this constriction and proposes an approach to economics which includes philosophy, history, sociology, and politics. Skidelsky's clearly written and compelling critique takes aim at the way that economics is taught in today's universities, where a focus on modelling leaves students ill-equipped to grapple with what is important and true about human life. He argues for a return to the ideal set out by John Maynard Keynes that the economist must be a "mathematician, historian, statesman, [and] philosopher" in equal measure."--Provided by publisher.

What’s Wrong with Economics?

A Challenge to Mainstream Economics

Money and Government

THE DEFINITIVE SINGLE-VOLUME BIOGRAPHY Robert Skidelsky's three-volume biography of John Maynard Keynes has been acclaimed as the authoritative account of the great economist-statesman's life. Here, Skidelsky has revised and abridged his magnum opus into one definitive book, which examines in its entirety the intellectual and ideological journey that led an extraordinarily gifted young man to concern himself with the practical problems of an age overshadowed by war. John Maynard Keynes offers a sympathetic account of the life of a passionate visionary and an invaluable insight into the economic philosophy that still remains at the centre of political and economic thought. ROBERT SKIDELSKY is Emeritus Professor of Political Economy at the University of Warwick. His three volume biography of John Maynard Keynes (1983, 1992, 2000) received numerous prizes, including the Lionel Gelber Prize for International Relations and the Council on Foreign Relations Prize for International Relations. ('This three-volume life of the British economist should be given a Nobel Prize for History if there was such a thing' - Norman Stone.) He was made a life peer in 1991, and a Fellow of the British Academy in 1994. 'A masterpiece of biographical and historical analysis' - New York Times

1883-1946: Economist, Philosopher, Statesman

John Maynard Keynes

Wirtschaftswachstum ist das alte und neue Zauberwort, mit dem sich angeblich jede Krise lösen lässt. Doch Wachstum ist kein Selbstzweck, und Wirtschaft soll dem Menschen dienen. Wachstum wozu, muss deshalb die Frage lauten, und: Wie viel ist genug? Wir sind viermal reicher als vor 100 Jahren – und doch abhängiger denn je von einem Wirtschaftssystem, in dem manche zu viel und viele nicht genug haben. Dabei waren sich doch Philosophen wie Ökonomen lange Zeit einig, dass technischer Fortschritt zu einer Befreiung des Menschen vom Joch der Arbeit und eine gerechte Einkommensverteilung zu mehr Muße und Glück für alle führen. Zeit, die Grundfragen neu zu stellen: Was macht ein gutes Leben aus, was droht uns im Wachstumsrausch verloren zu gehen? Robert und Edward Skidelsky zeigen auf, wie führende Denker von der Antike bis ins 21. Jahrhundert über Entstehung und Gebrauch des Reichtums, aber auch über ein erfülltes Leben jenseits der Arbeit nachgedacht haben. Sie benennen sieben »Basisgüter« wie Sicherheit, Respekt, Muße und Harmonie mit der Natur, auf denen eine Ökonomie des guten Lebens aufbauen muss. Vor allem aber machen sie Mut, Wirtschaft wieder neu zu denken: als moralisches Handeln von Menschen, die in Gemeinschaften leben.

Vom Wachstumswahn zu einer Ökonomie des guten Lebens.

Wie viel ist genug?

John Maynard Keynes (Keynesian Studies)

The Economic and Political Consequences of the End of Communism

The Road from Serfdom

Fighting for Freedom, 1937-1946

The Economist as Savior, 1920-1937

John Maynard Keynes: Volume 2

In the current financial crisis Keynes has been taken out of his cupboard, dusted down, consulted, cited, invoked and appealed to about why events have taken the course they have and how a rescue operation can be effected. Why have we gone back so emphatically to the ideas of an economist who died fifty years ago? There are three main ideas of Keynes�s worth thinking about now. The first is that the future is unknowable, and therefore that economic storms, especially those originating in the financial system, are not random shocks which impinge on smoothly-adjusting markets, but part of the normal working of the market system. The second idea is that economies wounded by these �shocks� can, if left to themselves, stay in a depressed condition for a long time. That is why governments need to have and use fiscal ammunition to prevent a slide from financial crisis to economic depression. The third concerns what he termed �organicism�: societies are communities not, as he put it, �branches of the multiplication table�. This limited his support for the pursuit of efficiency at all costs. The ideas of John Maynard Keynes have never been more timely.

John Maynard Keynes was one of the most influential economists of the 20th century. His ideas have had a central influence on many of areas of economics used today, both in theory and practice. Lord Robert Skidelsky looks at Keynes's life, his philosophy, his theories, and the legacy he left behind.

Keynes: A Very Short Introduction

Ana Akim Iktisadin Elestirisi

Para ve Devlet

In 1930 the great economist Keynes predicted that, over the next century, income would rise steadily, people's basic needs would be met and no one would have to work more than fifteen hours a week. Why was he wrong?Robert and Edward Skidelsky argue that wealth is not - or should not be - an end in itself, but a means to 'the good life'. Tracing the concept from Aristotle to the present, they show how far modern life has strayed from that ideal. They reject the idea that there is any single measure of human progress, whether GDP or 'happiness', and instead describe the seven elements which, they argue, make up the good life, and the policies that could realize them.ROBERT SKIDELSKY is Emeritus Professor of Political Economy at the University of Warwick. His biography of Keynes received numerous prizes, including the Lionel Gelber Prize and the Council on Foreign Relations Prize for International Relations. He was made a life peer in 1991, and a Fellow of the British Academy in 1994.EDWARD SKIDELSKY is a lecturer in the Philosophy Department of the University of Exeter. He contributes regularly to the New Statesman, Spectator and Prospect. His previous books include The Conditions of Goodness and Ernst Cassirer: The Last Philosopher of Culture.

How Much Is Enough?

A critical examination of economics's past and future, and how it needs to change, by one of the most eminent political economists of our time The dominant view in economics is that money and government should play only a minor role in economic life. Economic outcomes, it is claimed, are best left to the "invisible hand" of the market. Yet these claims remain staunchly unsettled. The view taken in this important new book is that the omnipresence of uncertainty makes money and government essential features of any market economy. Since Adam Smith, classical economics has espoused nonintervention in markets. The Great Depression brought Keynesian economics to the fore, but stagflation in the 1970s brought a return to small-state orthodoxy. The 2008 global financial crash should have brought a reevaluation of that stance; instead the response has been punishing austerity and anemic recovery. This book aims to reintroduce Keynes's central insights to a new generation of economists, and embolden them to return money and government to the starring roles in the economic drama that they deserve.

The Past and Future of Economics

Wie ein entfesselter Kapitalismus das weltweite Wirt­schaftssystem beschädigen, wenn nicht gar ruinieren kann, war gerade zu besichtigen. Aber gibt es zu diesem System überhaupt Alternativen, und wie sehen sie aus? John Maynard Keynes (1883–1946), der intelligenteste und einflussreichste Wirtschaftstheoretiker aller Zeiten, hat schon vor einem halben Jahrhundert darüber nachgedacht, und seine Analysen sind heute aktueller denn je. Sein berühmter Ausspruch: »Auf lange Sicht sind wir alle tot« zielt auf realitätsferne ökonomische Modelle, die unser Denken bestimmen und zu verheerendem Handeln führen. Keynes’ Wirtschaftstheorie allerdings war nie ganz tot, selbst in Zeiten blinder Marktgläubigkeit blieben seine Ideen unterschwellig präsent. Denn die Grundgedanken seiner »Allgemeinen Theorie« zielen auf den Kern allen Wirtschaftens: »Niemand kennt die Zukunft.« Darauf gründet Keynes’ Überzeugung von der »fundamentalen Unsicher­heit« der globalen Finanzmärkte. Mit mathematischen Formeln wird man sie nicht in den Griff kriegen. Wirtschaftskrisen sind nicht die große Ausnahme, sondern Teil der Marktwirtschaft. Wenn man den Markt aber sich selbst überlässt, können sie lange anhalten. Deswegen muss der Staat eingreifen. Vor allem aber ist Wirtschaft kein Selbstzweck. Sie hat dem Menschen, dem guten Leben zu dienen. Robert Skidelsky, die Koryphäe für Keynes’ Werk, hat seine Wirtschaftstheorie neu interpretiert – für heute. Seine brillante Analyse des »Meisters« ist Pflichtlektüre für jeden, der unsere aufgewühlten Zeiten verstehen will.

Keynes für das 21. Jahrhundert

Die Rückkehr des Meisters

Welche Auswirkungen werden Automatisierung und künstliche Intelligenz auf die Arbeit und das "gute Leben" haben? In einer Reihe von Essays beleuchtet Robert Skidelsky die weitreichenden Implikationen der modernen Entwicklungen der Arbeit und skizziert Handlungsmöglichkeiten. Zwar trägt die Reduktion von Arbeitszeit wesentlich zu materiellem und spirituellem Wohlergehen bei, aber die von Keynes vorausgesagte 15-Stunden-Arbeitswoche ist auch in den führenden Industrieländern nie verwirklicht worden. Worin bestehen heute die notwendigen Voraussetzungen für eine Reduktion der Arbeitszeit und welche Möglichkeiten birgt sie? Robert Skidelsky plädiert für die Entwicklung einer Ethik, die auf die Ziele der Technologie fokussiert. Ein Leben, das zugleich menschlich und menschenwürdig ist, ist nur durch die Förderung der Freizeitausbildung anstelle eines sinnlosen Wettlaufs des Menschen mit Maschinen und durch die Würdigung der Unvollkommenheit als Voraussetzung aller menschlichen Bemühungen möglich.

Automatisierung der Arbeit: Segen oder Fluch?

Robert Skidelsky’s three-volume biography of John Maynard Keynes has been acclaimed as the authoritative account of the great economist-statesman’s life. Meticulously researched and beautifully written, this abridged biography offers us a sympathetic account of the life and influences of a passionate visionary, and an invaluable insight into the formation of a new economic philosophy whose ideas remain even today at the centre of political and economic discussion. ‘In Robert Skidelsky’s magnificently intelligent biography – in my opinion the greatest of the last century and, possibly, of this one too – Keynes has received the best tribute he could deserve’ Mark Archer, Financial Times Magazine ‘As brilliant as his full-length version . . . this one-volume version can be strongly recommended to the many non-economists who are mystified but intrigued by the Keynes legend’ William Keegan, Observer 'Nobody who wants to understand one of the most extraordinary Englishmen of his time can do without this biography' Eric Hobsbawm

Economist, Philosopher, Statesman

John Maynard Keynes 1883-1946

John Maynard Keynes (1883-1946) is a central thinker of the twentieth century, not just an economic theorist and statesman, but also in economics, philosophy, politics, and culture. In this Very Short Introduction Lord Skidelsky, a renowned biographer of Keynes, explores his ethical and practical philosophy, his monetary thought, and provides an insight into his life and works. In the recent financial crisis Keynes's theories have become more timely than ever, and remain at the centre of political and economic discussion. With a look at his major works and his contribution to twentieth-century economic thought, Skidelsky considers Keynes's legacy on today's society. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

Che cosa intendiamo per "vita buona"? Quali e quanti beni devono esserci garantiti per poterla vivere? Queste domande nascono dalla generale incertezza sul futuro e dalla quotidiana difficoltà nel soddisfare bisogni in continua espansione, in un'epoca in cui il capitalismo economico-finanziario inizia a mostrare tutte le sue contraddizioni: da un lato il culto del profitto e della ricchezza come valori universali, dall'altro la creazione, all'interno delle stesse società industrializzate, di enormi disparità di reddito e di sacche di povertà mai conosciute prima. Robert Skidelsky, autorevole economista, e suo figlio Edward, docente di filosofia, riprendono la celebre previsione di Keynes, rimasta irrealizzata, secondo la quale in Occidente, all'inizio del Terzo millennio, avremmo avuto "abbastanza" per soddisfare tutte le nostre necessità lavorando non più di tre ore al giorno, e la utilizzano come spunto di riflessione per capire l'origine del nostro malcontento e trovarne il rimedio. Lo smisurato ampliamento della sfera dei bisogni, l'aumento delle ore di lavoro a scapito del tempo libero e il conseguente abbassamento della qualità della vita impongono un profondo cambiamento di prospettiva: non dobbiamo più chiederci che cosa serve per raggiungere il benessere, ma che cosa sia davvero il nostro bene. Attingendo alle lezioni della sociologia (da Weber a Veblen), al pensiero filosofico (Aristotele in particolare) e alle più intuitive teorie economiche (da Kaldor a Frank), gli autori mostrano come la ricchezza non sia, e non debba essere, un fine in sé, bensì un semplice mezzo per vivere una vita buona, e tratteggiano possibili forme di organizzazione sociale ed economica diverse dall'attuale. Rifiutando un concetto univoco di progresso umano (che sia il PIL o un'idea generica di felicità), l'ambizioso obiettivo di Robert e Edward Skidelsky è non solo quello di individuare un numero preciso di "beni" fondamentali irrinunciabili, come la salute, la sicurezza, il rispetto, l'autonomia, ma anche formulare alcune proposte radicali di politica economica - per esempio, l'introduzione di un "reddito di base" o del work-sharing, un sistema di suddivisione dell'orario a tempo pieno fra più lavoratori -, che possano mostrarci la nuova direzione da prendere. Non provare a sviluppare una visione collettiva della vita buona che attribuisca un significato "morale" alla ricchezza è un lusso che non possiamo più permetterci. Anche perché comporterebbe uno spreco irrimediabile: non di denaro, ma di possibilità umane.

Robert Skidelsky

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