John Kenneth Galbraith Quotes

A collection of quotes by John Kenneth Galbraith.

John Kenneth Galbraith was an eminent economist, diplomat, and author, known for his profound influence in shaping economic theory, policy, and public discourse. Born on October 15, 1908, in Iona Station, Canada, Galbraith dedicated his life to studying and analyzing economic systems.

Galbraith's academic achievements include receiving a Ph.D. in agricultural economics from the University of California, Berkeley, and teaching economics at various esteemed institutions, most notably Harvard University. He joined the faculty of Harvard in 1934 and enjoyed a long and distinguished career there.

Galbraith weighed in on a wide range of economic and social issues, becoming one of the most prominent economists of the 20th century. He challenged traditional economic theories and argued for greater governmental intervention in the economy to address issues such as income inequality and market failures.

Known for his eloquent writing style and ability to communicate complex economic ideas to a broader audience, Galbraith authored several influential books, including "The Affluent Society," "The New Industrial State," and "Economics and the Public Purpose." These works addressed economic disparities, consumerism, the power of large corporations, and the role of government in a modern industrialized society.

Beyond his academic and literary contributions, Galbraith served as a public servant, acting as an advisor to multiple United States presidents and holding diplomatic roles. Throughout his life, he actively participated in public debates on economic and social policy, leaving a lasting impact on the field of economics and contributing to broader discussions on society's well-being.

John Kenneth Galbraith passed away on April 29, 2006, leaving behind a rich legacy as one of the most influential economists and public intellectuals of the 20th century.

A bad book is the worse that it cannot repent. It has not be

A bad book is the worse that it cannot repent. It has not been the devil's policy to keep the masses of mankind in ignorance but finding that they will read, he is doing all in his power to poison their books.

John Kenneth Galbraith


More die in the United States of too much food than of too l

More die in the United States of too much food than of too little.

John Kenneth Galbraith


Economic life, as always, is a matrix in which result become

Economic life, as always, is a matrix in which result becomes cause and cause becomes result.

John Kenneth Galbraith

Life Results

Do not be alarmed by simplification, complexity is often a d

Do not be alarmed by simplification, complexity is often a device for claiming sophistication, or for evading simple truths.

John Kenneth Galbraith

Truth

He enlarged perceptibly the scope for debate, liberalized ap

He enlarged perceptibly the scope for debate, liberalized appreciably the intellectual and cultural life of the country and proclaimed the obvious truth that, after an atomic exchange, little would distinguish the Communist ashes from the capitalist ashes.

John Kenneth Galbraith

Life Truth Countrylife

That one never need to look beyond the love of money for exp

That one never need to look beyond the love of money for explanation of human behavior is one of the most jealously guarded simplification of our culture.

John Kenneth Galbraith

Money Love Culture

Under capitalism, man exploits man; while under socialism ju

Under capitalism, man exploits man; while under socialism just the reverse is true.

John Kenneth Galbraith

Truth Humor Funny

Liberalism is, I think, resurgent. One reason is that more a

Liberalism is, I think, resurgent. One reason is that more and more people are so painfully aware of the alternative.

John Kenneth Galbraith

Politics

I am worried about our tendency to over invest in things and

I am worried about our tendency to over invest in things and under invest in people.

John Kenneth Galbraith

People Inspirational Political Investments

Economics is not an exact science.

Economics is not an exact science.

John Kenneth Galbraith

Science

Truth has anciently been called the first casualty of war. M

Truth has anciently been called the first casualty of war. Money may, in fact, have priority.

John Kenneth Galbraith

Money Truth War

No society ever seems to have succumbed to boredom. Man has

No society ever seems to have succumbed to boredom. Man has developed an obvious capacity for surviving the pompous reiteration of the commonplace.

John Kenneth Galbraith

Boredom

The man who is admired for the ingenuity of his larceny is a

The man who is admired for the ingenuity of his larceny is almost always rediscovering some earlier form of fraud. The basic forms are all known, have all been practiced. The manners of capitalism improve. The morals may not.

John Kenneth Galbraith

Crime

The Metropolis should have been aborted long before it becam

The Metropolis should have been aborted long before it became New York, London or Tokyo.

John Kenneth Galbraith

Cities

The traveler to the United States will do well to prepare hi

The traveler to the United States will do well to prepare himself for the class-consciousness of the natives. This differs from the already familiar English version in being more extreme and based more firmly on the conviction that the class to which the speaker belongs is inherently superior to all others.

John Kenneth Galbraith

Class

In the choice between changing one's mind and proving there'

In the choice between changing one's mind and proving there's no need to do so, most people get busy on the proof.

John Kenneth Galbraith

Choice

There's a certain part of the contented majority who love an

There's a certain part of the contented majority who love anybody who is worth a billion dollars.

John Kenneth Galbraith

Wealth

The conspicuously wealthy turn up urging the character build

The conspicuously wealthy turn up urging the character building values of the privation of the poor.

John Kenneth Galbraith

Wealth

People who are in a fortunate position always attribute virt

People who are in a fortunate position always attribute virtue to what makes them so happy.

John Kenneth Galbraith

Virtue

Clearly the most unfortunate people are those who must do th

Clearly the most unfortunate people are those who must do the same thing over and over again, every minute, or perhaps twenty to the minute. They deserve the shortest hours and the highest pay.

John Kenneth Galbraith

Work