The Philosopher
George Reisman
The face
The background
- Nationality:
- American
- Schools:
- Objectivism, Austrian School
- Branchs:
- Economics, Philosophy, Psychology
- Period:
- 21st century
The synopsis
George Gerald Reisman (born January 13, 1937) is an American economist, Professor Emeritus of Economics at Pepperdine University, and author of 'The Government Against the Economy' (1979) and 'Capitalism: A Treatise on Economics' (1996). He is an advocate of free market or laissez-faire capitalism.
Reisman was born in New York City and graduated from Columbia College in 1957. In 1954, as a sophomore, he supported Senator Joseph McCarthy and spoke at a testimonial dinner for McCarthy's aide, Roy Cohn, criticizing the government. He earned his PhD from New York University under Ludwig von Mises. Reisman translated Mises' 'The Epistemological Problems of Economics' from German to English.
In the 1980s, with his wife Edith Packer, he organized the Jefferson School of Philosophy, Economics, and Psychology, holding conferences and seminars with various lecturers. Attendees included future Objectivist writers. Reisman was a student of Ayn Rand, acknowledging her influence on his work as comparable to Mises'.
The works
The Government Against the Economy
Capitalism: A Treatise on Economics
The quotes
Whoever claims that economic competition represents 'survival of the fittest' in the sense of the law of the jungle, provides the clearest possible evidence of his lack of knowledge of economics.
Under capitalism each individual engages in economic planning.
The slaves of socialism are slaves, but they are no one's property and therefore no one's loss.