Bernard Bolzano’s Economic Visionariness Cover Image

Ekonomické vizionářství Bernarda Bolzana
Bernard Bolzano’s Economic Visionariness

Author(s): Jaroslav Šetek, Pavel Sirůček
Subject(s): National Economy, Logic, Marxism, Socio-Economic Research
Published by: Vysoká škola ekonomická v Praze
Keywords: Bernard Bolzano; Czech socio-economic thinking; Czech utopian thinking; economic visionary;

Summary/Abstract: ThDr. Bernard Bolzano (1781-1848) was not only a mathematician and logician of European stature, a theologian, philosopher, teacher and educator, but also a critical social thinker and reformer, whose work also has distinct economic dimensions. Economic aspects play an important role in Bolzano's vision, and this does not rest on foundations that are only naively fanciful. The star- ting point of his economic considerations is the category of property. In the work of Bolzano, one can trace the vision of the welfare state, the public sector, or the germs of elements of welfare economics. It is possible to appreciate the thoughtfulness, logic and precision of the purposefully established state project. Thanks to the work On the Best State - which Bolzano refused to publish during his lifetime, and which was created in parallel with the logical treatise Vědosloví and other works - he became the most famous Czech utopian. The work remains the first original, and to this day the only, comprehensive and systematic Czech utopia.

  • Issue Year: 71/2023
  • Issue No: 6
  • Page Range: 758-780
  • Page Count: 23
  • Language: Czech