Gunnar Myrdal > Quotes

“America is free to choose whether the Negro shall remain her liability or become her opportunity.”
― Gunnar Myrdal, An American Dilemma: The Negro Problem and Modern Democracy

“Cultural influences have set up the assumptions about the mind, the body, and the universe with which we begin; pose the questions we ask; influence the facts we seek; determine the interpretation we give these facts; and direct our reaction to these interpretations and conclusions.”
― Gunnar Myrdal, An American Dilemma: The Negro Problem and Modern Democracy Vol. 1

“America feels itself to be humanity in miniature. When in this crucial time the international leadership passes to America, the great reason for hope is that this country has a national experience of uniting racial and cultural diversities and a national theory, if not a consistent practice, of freedom and equality for all. What America is constantly reaching for is democracy at home and abroad. The main trend in its history is the gradual realization of the American Creed.

In this sense the Negro problem is not only America's greatest failure but also America's incomparably great opportunity for the future.”
― Gunnar Myrdal, An American Dilemma: The Negro Problem and Modern Democracy

“According to the liberal theory entrepreneurs earn profit because they combine productive factors in the most economic manner. By seeking profit for themselves they also increase the efficiency of the productive system. According to Veblen, however, entrepreneurs may also earn profit by thwarting production. They can do this in virtue of certain institutional devices. In a sense, Veblen’s theory is, of course diametrically opposed to liberal theory. Yet, his premises are the same: he, too, thinks of an ideal economy which would maximize production if there were no interventions, although ‘interventions’ in his model may be caused by entrepreneurs. Veblen’s criticism is of the kind which can easily be understood by a liberal economist. It is merely a question of deciding what is an ‘intervention’ and what is ‘free’ or ‘natural’. His criticism does not reject the general presuppositions of liberal theory. A liberal can remain inside the boundaries of his theory when he tries to refute Veblen.”
― Gunnar Myrdal, Political Element in the Development of Economic Theory

“Political participation of the ordinary citizen in America is pretty much restricted to the intermittently recurring elections: Politics is not organized to be a daily concern and responsibility of the common citizen. The relative paucity of trade unions, cooperatives, and other civic interest organizations tends to accentuate this abstention on the part of the common citizens from sharing in the government of their communities as a normal routine of life.”
― Gunnar Myrdal, An American Dilemma: The Negro Problem and Modern Democracy Vol. 1

“I would say that it is an advantage to belong to a small country. We are apt to be less provincial in scholarly undertakings. We don't have enough literature in various problems - we must always look on the whole world. No country can be so provincial as a big country. The United States is, in my opinion, the most provincial country I have lived in - an I'm afraid that England and France don't come very far behind.”
― Gunnar Myrdal