Saturday, April 13, 2013

Sampedro, an ethical voice

I am not familiar with the work and life of Jose Luis Sampedro, a Spanish economist and novelist who passed away last Sunday at 96. But what I have read from him in the last few days impressed me.  

Sampedro wrote extensively about the moral and social decline of western civilization and developed a critique of neoliberalism. He also  wrote the prologue to the spanish edition of the book Time for Outrage!, by Stéphane Hessel.

I just pick up one his numerous citations which summarizes his thinking:  "The market is in the hands of the mighty. they say that market is freedom but I would like to know which freedom has someone without a cent. When we talk about freedom, we have to ask : freedom of whom? " (El Pais 11 April 2013). 

1 comment:

  1. A friend sent me one of his last interviews:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=eIZrcC3IYyU

    ReplyDelete