Albert O. Hirschman (1915-2012)

11 December 2012, 2116 EST

If you haven’t heard yet, Albert O. Hirschman passed away today. Some good discussion at Crooked Timber, including a link to a terrific piece by Rajiv Sethi. Hirschman’s stature in the social sciences was of such magnitude that, while still alive, the Social Science Research Council named a lifetime achievement award after him.

I don’t have a great deal to add myself. I learned a tremendous amount from his works, including The Passions and the Interests and Exit, Voice, and Loyalty. Perhaps I am getting on myself, but it seems like we’re gradually losing a group of scholars whose influence across the spectrum of social sciences is unlikely to be repeated in the future.