My Life Philosophy

Editor’s Introduction Originally published in Volume 27, Number 2, Fall 1983, pages 5-12. Nobel laureate Paul Samuelson (1915-2009) was one of the most influential economists of the twentieth century. He is considered the leading figure in the formal development of the neoclassical synthesis which bridges the Keynsian perspective of macroeconomics with neoclassical theories. The results of this work dominated the thinking of public policymakers for decades. His seminal book, Foundations of Economic Analysis (1947), continues to be widely read today. Professor Samuelson is also acknowledged as the author of the world’s best-selling textbook in the field, simply titled Economics and originally published in 1948. This text has sold over four million copies through nineteen editions. In this paper, Professor Samuleson provides a glimpse into his deeply held beliefs and values that directed his professional life. Along the way, he recounts the events and economists that shaped his thinking and directed his path and provides the reader with insight into how he worked. This article is one of a long series of articles commissioned by then Editor-in-Chief Michael Szenberg who asked eminent economists to share their life stories and philosophies with the readers of The American Economist.