--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: [T]he ideas of economists and political…" description: "\"“[T]he ideas of economists and political philosophers, both when they are right and when they are wrong, are more powerful than is commonly understood...." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ea6/todd-buchholz-153091_philosophy_t-he-ideas-of-economists-and-political-p_1932202.jpg" --- # \[T\]he ideas of economists and political philosophers, both… ![“[T]he ideas of economists and political philosophers, both when they are right and when they are wrong, are more powerful than is commonly understood. Indeed the world is ruled by little else. Practical men, who believe themselves to be quite exempt from any intellectual influences, are usually…” quote by Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ea6/todd-buchholz-153091_philosophy_t-he-ideas-of-economists-and-political-p_1932202.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ea6/todd-buchholz-153091_philosophy_t-he-ideas-of-economists-and-political-p_1932202.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ea6/todd-buchholz-153091_philosophy_t-he-ideas-of-economists-and-political-p_1932202.jpg) > ““\[T\]he ideas of economists and political philosophers, both when they are right and when they are wrong, are more powerful than is commonly understood. Indeed the world is ruled by little else. Practical men, who believe themselves to be quite exempt from any intellectual influences, are usually the slaves of some defunct economist. Madmen in authority, who hear voices in the air, are distilling their frenzy from some academic scribbler of a few years back. . . . But, soon or late, it is ideas, not vested interests which are dangerous for good or evil.25”” [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Ideas, especially economic and political theories, shape societies more than overt power; intellectual influence often underlies authority. **In simple terms:** Ideas drive history more than force. Key Takeaway Study and question prevailing ideas. Themes politics economics intellectual influence Mood thought‑provoking analytical Type philosophical critical When to use this quote - policy analysis - education - activism Key Concepts ideology power structures history Questions to Reflect On - What ideas have shaped your worldview? - How can we recognize hidden intellectual influences? A Different Perspective Ideas can be distorted or co‑opted. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Economists](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/economists/) [Philosophy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Vested interest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vested-interest/) ## Related quotes > [“the ideas of economists and political philosophers, both when they are right and when they are wrong, are more powerful than is commonly understood.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-maynard-keynes/the-ideas-of-economists-and-political-philosophers-both-when-they-are-2/) [John Maynard Keynes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-maynard-keynes/) > [The ideas of economists and political philosophers, both when they are right and when they are wrong, are more powerful than is generally understood.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-maynard-keynes/the-ideas-of-economists-and-political-philosophers-both-when-they-are/) [John Maynard Keynes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-maynard-keynes/) > [In short, competition has to shoulder the responsibility of explaining all the meaningless ideas of the economists, whereas it should rather be the economists…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-marx/in-short-competition-has-to-shoulder-the-responsibility-of-explaining/) [Karl Marx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-marx/) > [Our popular economics writers, however, are not in the business of giving their readers a ringside seat on the research action; with no exception…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-krugman/our-popular-economics-writers-however-are-not-in-the-business-of/) [Paul Krugman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-krugman/) > [The fear among economists across the political spectrum that was - was that we were rapidly plummeting towards a second Great Depression. 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Hobsbawm [Browse all 316 Economists quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/economists/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“[T]he ideas of economists and political philosophers, both when they are right and when they are wrong, are more powerful than is commonly understood. Indeed the world is ruled by little else. Practical men, who believe themselves to be quite exempt from any intellectual influences, are usually the slaves of some defunct economist. Madmen in authority, who hear voices in the air, are distilling their frenzy from some academic scribbler of a few years back. . . . 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