Albert O. Hirschman

About the author

Albert O. Hirschman (1915–2012) was an American economist whose work ranged across development economics, political economy, and political ideology with rare intellectual breadth. Born in Berlin, he became a founding figure at the Institute for Advanced Study's School of Social Science and an influential adviser to Latin American leaders.

During World War II he played a key role in rescuing refugees from occupied France through the Emergency Rescue Committee. His landmark books — including Exit, Voice, and Loyalty (1970) and The Rhetoric of Reaction (1991) — remain touchstones of social science thinking.