Quote

Capitalism is the extraordinary belief that the nastiest of men, for the nastiest of reasons, will somehow work for the benefit of us all.

John Maynard Keynes

Change background

T
T
T

Change font

TAGS & TOPICS

John Maynard Keynes
Age: 62 †
Born: 1883
Born: June 5
Died: 1946
Died: April 21
Businessperson
Diplomat
Economist
Mathematician
Non-Fiction Writer
Philosopher
Politician
Professor
Lord Keynes
Baron Keynes of Tilton
Benefits
Belief
Peace
Nastiest
Reason
Benefit
Work
Somehow
Men
Capitalism
Reasons
Extraordinary

More quotes by John Maynard Keynes

Image
Everything is always decided for reasons other than the real merits of the case
John Maynard Keynes
Image
If I am right in supposing it to be comparatively easy to make capital-goods so abundant that the marginal efficiency of capital is zero, this may be the most sensible way of gradually getting rid of many of the objectionable features of capitalism.
John Maynard Keynes
Image
Capitalism is the astounding belief that the most wickedest of men will do the most wickedest of things for the greatest good of everyone.
John Maynard Keynes
Image
I was suffering from my chronic delusion that one good share is safer than ten bad ones, and I am always forgetting that hardly anyone else shares this particular delusion.
John Maynard Keynes
Image
When the accumulation of wealth is no longer of high social importance, there will be great changes in the code of morals. We shall be able to rid ourselves of many of the pseudo-moral principles which have hag-ridden us for two hundred years, by which we have exulted some of the most distasteful of human qualities into the highest virtues.
John Maynard Keynes
Image
It is generally agreed that casinos should, in the public interest, be inaccessible and expensive. And perhaps the same is true of Stock Exchanges.
John Maynard Keynes
Image
Those, who are strongly wedded to what I shall call 'the classical theory', will fluctuate, I expect, between a belief that I am quite wrong and a belief that I am saying nothing new. It is for others to determine if either of these or the third alternative is right.
John Maynard Keynes
Image
Conservatism leads nowhere it satisfies no ideal.
John Maynard Keynes
Image
The importance of money flows from it being a link between the present and the future.
John Maynard Keynes
Image
But my lord, when we addressed this issue a few years ago, didn't you argue the other side? He said, That's true, but when I get more evidence I sometimes change my mind. What do you do?
John Maynard Keynes
Image
The treasury could fill old bottles with banknotes and bury them..and leave it to private enterprises on well-tried principles of laissez-faire to dig the notes up again.
John Maynard Keynes
Image
I am myself impressed by the great social advantages of increasing the stock of capital until it ceases to be scarce.
John Maynard Keynes
Image
Economics is a very dangerous science.
John Maynard Keynes
Image
It is Enterprise which build and improves the world's possessions...If Enterprise is afoot, Wealth accumulates whatever may be happening to Thrift and if Enterprise is asleep, Wealth decays, whatever Thrift may be doing.
John Maynard Keynes
Image
There is no harm in being sometimes wrong - especially if one is promptly found out.
John Maynard Keynes
Image
Too large a proportion of recent mathematical economics are mere concoctions, as imprecise as the initial assumptions they rest on, which allow the author to lose sight of the complexities and interdependencies of the real world in a maze of pretentious and unhelpful symbols.
John Maynard Keynes
Image
We will not have any more crashes in our time.
John Maynard Keynes
Image
Successful investing is anticipating the anticipations of others.
John Maynard Keynes
Image
It is investment, i.e. the increased production of material wealth in the shape of capital goods, which alone increases national wealth.
John Maynard Keynes
Image
I expect to see the State, which is in a position to calculate the marginal efficiency of capital-goods on long views and on the basis of the general social advantage, taking an ever greater responsibility for directly organizing investments.
John Maynard Keynes