The actuality of Albert O. Hirschman

Abstract

It would be difficult to give an account in a few lines of the intellectual height, the life experience, the commitment to reality and the contributions for the social sciences in general, and for the economy in particular, of Albert O. Hirschman (1915-2012). Perhaps the most appropriate thing to remember are the words of Amartya Sen, who, in the foreword to the twenty-year commemorative edition of The Passions and the Interests, refers to Hirschman as “one of the great intellectuals of our time”, and in relation to his works, he affirms: “they transformed our understanding of economic development, social institutions, human behavior and nature and the implications of our identities, loyalties and commitments”2. Equally significant is the characterization of Dani Rodrik, describing him as “one of the most creative minds in economics”...