Joan Robinson Quotes About Capitalism

Quotes about: Capitalism

• The only thing worse than being exploited by capitalism is not being exploited by capitalism.

  Joan Robinson

  Economics, Capitalism

• The fundamental differences between Marxian and traditional orthodox economics are, first, that the orthodox economists accept the capitalist system as part of the eternal order of Nature, while Marx regards it as a passing phase in the transition from the feudal economy of the past to the socialist economy of the future.

  Joan Robinson

  Nature, Money, Work

  Joan Robinson (1967). “Essay on Marxian Economics”, p.1, Springer

• Voltaire remarked that it is possible to kill a flock of sheep by witchcraft if you give them plenty of arsenic at the same time. The sheep, in this figure, may well stand for the complacent apologists of capitalism; Marx's penetrating insight and bitter hatred of oppression supply the arsenic, while the labour theory of value provides the incantations.

  Joan Robinson

  Sheep, Giving, Hatred

  Joan Robinson (1967). “Essay on Marxian Economics”, p.22, Springer

• Marx, however imperfectly he worked out the details, set himself the task of discovering the law of motion of capitalism, and if there is any hope of progress in economics at all, it must be in using academic methods to solve the problems posed by Marx.

  Joan Robinson

  Law, Progress, Details

  Joan Robinson (1967). “Essay on Marxian Economics”, p.95, Springer

• Even if the crises that are looming up are overcome and a new run of prosperity lies ahead, deeper problems will still remain. Modern capitalism has no purpose except to keep the show going.

  Joan Robinson

  Running, Lying, Overcoming

  Joan Robinson (1973). “Economic heresies: some old-fashioned questions in economic theory”

• It seems that neither the Keynesian nor the Marxian prognosis of the future of capitalism is being fulfilled and we are left without any particular theory as to what will happen next.

  Joan Robinson

  Next, Theory, Prognosis

  Joan Robinson (2014). “Contributions to Modern Economics”, p.227, Academic Press

• Capitalism with near-full employment was an impressive spectacle. But a growth in wealth is not at all the same thing as reducing poverty. A universal paean was raised in praise of growth. Growth was going to solve all problems. No need to bother about poverty. Growth will lift up the bottom and poverty will disappear without any need to pay attention to it. The economists, who should have known better, fell in with the same cry.

  Joan Robinson

  Should Have, Growth, Needs

  Joan Robinson (2014). “Contributions to Modern Economics”, p.9, Academic Press

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