Kenneth Arrow

Economics American 1921 – 2017 52 quotes

A Nobel laureate famous for his impossibility theorem, demonstrating the difficulties of aggregating individual preferences into a consistent social choice.

Quotes by Kenneth Arrow

Innovation requires tolerating failure, economically and personally.

Welfare and Resources 1962

Health policy must prioritize access over profit.

Medical Care 1963

The theorem was a puzzle solved, not a dead end.

Nobel Speech 1974

Life's value isn't measurable, but economics tries anyway.

Valuation Paper 1980

Collective choices mirror individual freedoms, imperfectly.

Social Choice 1951

Uncertainty fuels progress, if managed.

Risk Theory 1964

Market equilibrium is a dream; disequilibrium is reality.

General Equilibrium 1954

In academia, the best debates are those that change minds.

Memoir 2000

Social choice theory: where math meets morality.

Papers 1986

The wit in economics is finding humor in scarcity.

Address 1972

Legacy is in ideas that outlive us.

Late Interview 2010

Farewell to theorems; hello to policy impact.

Final Reflections 2017