Observations on Capitalism and Government-Society Relations: A Retrospective on Schumpeter's Capitalism, Socialism, and Democracy

摘要

In economics, as elsewhere," Thomas Sowell declares, "'classical' usually implies something that has established an authoritative tradition which serves as a point of departure for later devel opments in the same field" (2006, 3). By Sowell's definition, Schumpeter's The Theory of Economic Development is a classic, as it continues to be read and discussed for insight into entrepreneurship theory almost 100 years after its publication. Yet, also by Sowell's definition, Schumpeter's Capitalism, Socialism, and Democracy (hereafter referred to as CSD) might not qualify as a classic. Even though it is his most popular book (see McCraw 2007, 347), the ambiguity of Schumpeter's true intent in CSD impedes it from being a stable point of departure for all but one of the triad of subjects making up its title.