John Kenneth Galbraith (1908–2006)

John Kenneth Galbraith’s contributions to economics are numerous, but unfortunately many of his ideas have either been ignored or not received the full recognition they deserve. The economics of quality of life, inequality, and sustainability are some areas in which Galbraith was clearly ahead of his time. This chapter examines Galbraith’s writings to show his originality in these topics and others that have become pressing issues in our society today. More scholars should turn to his work for insights that have been overlooked because of methodological and ideological biases in the economics profession.