ABSTRACT
Scholars customarily honor the passing of illustrious members of their calling by writing obituaries for publication in professional journals. The articles not only provide some biographical information but also assess the meaning and importance of the fallen colleague's work. To economics and to the social sciences in general Joseph Schumpeter brought a remarkable combination of imaginative vision and uncommon critical acumen. The vision led him to the formulation of his well-known notion of economic development. Most economists embrace economics because they want to change things. Many fear that concentrating on economic science exclusively could mean denying the impulse that makes economics interesting; it could also make economists seem useless and silly. Schumpeter must go down as one of the world's great economists, as one of the most thoughtful social scientists, as a profound commentator on the social and economic scene, and, perhaps most important.
