Karl William Kapp
Encyclopedia
Karl William Kapp was a German-American economist
, one of the founders of Ecological economics
and one of the leading 20th century institutional economists. He was a strong opponent of the compartmentalization of knowledge in the social sciences in general.
in 1910 as son of August Wilhelm Kapp, who was a teacher of philosophy. He grew up during the epoch of Imperial Germany and the Weimar Republic
. One of his teachers in secondary school was the poet Ernst Wiechert
at the Hufengymnasium. He studied law and economics
at the universities in Berlin
and Königsberg
, and later in London and Geneva. In 1933 he and his later wife Lili Lore Masur left Nazi-Germany for Geneva in Switzerland, where he got acquainted with the Frankfurt School
. He received a Ph.D in economics in Geneva with his dissertation „Planwirtschaft und Aussenhandel“.
In 1937 Kapp received a scholarship from the Frankfurt School which had emigrated and was now working out of Columbia University, New York City, under the name „Institute for Social Research. From 1938 to 1945 he was an instructor in Economics at the New York University
and Columbia University
in New York. From 1945 to 1950 he was Assistant Professor of Economics at the Wesleyan University
in Middleton, Connecticut. From 1950 to 1965 he was Professor of Economics at the University of the City of New York. End 1950s he was among the first members of the Society for General Systems Research
as well as among the founding members of the Association for Evolutionary Economics (AFEE). In 1965 he returned to Switzerland and was Professor of Economics at the University of Basel
until 1976. In that time he was also a Visiting Professor at the Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes
, Sorbonne, Paris.
In 1976 Kapp suffered a fatal heart attack during a conference in Dubrovnik, Kroatia.
About Karl William Kapp
Economist
An economist is a professional in the social science discipline of economics. The individual may also study, develop, and apply theories and concepts from economics and write about economic policy...
, one of the founders of Ecological economics
Ecological economics
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and one of the leading 20th century institutional economists. He was a strong opponent of the compartmentalization of knowledge in the social sciences in general.
Biography
Karl William Kapp was born in KönigsbergKönigsberg
Königsberg was the capital of East Prussia from the Late Middle Ages until 1945 as well as the northernmost and easternmost German city with 286,666 inhabitants . Due to the multicultural society in and around the city, there are several local names for it...
in 1910 as son of August Wilhelm Kapp, who was a teacher of philosophy. He grew up during the epoch of Imperial Germany and the Weimar Republic
Weimar Republic
The Weimar Republic is the name given by historians to the parliamentary republic established in 1919 in Germany to replace the imperial form of government...
. One of his teachers in secondary school was the poet Ernst Wiechert
Ernst Wiechert
Ernst Wiechert was a German teacher, poet and writer.-Biography:Wiechert was born in Kleinort near Sensburg , East Prussia.He was one of the most widely read novelists in Germany during the 1930s...
at the Hufengymnasium. He studied law and economics
Law and economics
The economic analysis of law is an analysis of law applying methods of economics. Economic concepts are used to explain the effects of laws, to assess which legal rules are economically efficient, and to predict which legal rules will be promulgated.-Relationship to other disciplines and...
at the universities in Berlin
Humboldt University of Berlin
The Humboldt University of Berlin is Berlin's oldest university, founded in 1810 as the University of Berlin by the liberal Prussian educational reformer and linguist Wilhelm von Humboldt, whose university model has strongly influenced other European and Western universities...
and Königsberg
University of Königsberg
The University of Königsberg was the university of Königsberg in East Prussia. It was founded in 1544 as second Protestant academy by Duke Albert of Prussia, and was commonly known as the Albertina....
, and later in London and Geneva. In 1933 he and his later wife Lili Lore Masur left Nazi-Germany for Geneva in Switzerland, where he got acquainted with the Frankfurt School
Frankfurt School
The Frankfurt School refers to a school of neo-Marxist interdisciplinary social theory, particularly associated with the Institute for Social Research at the University of Frankfurt am Main...
. He received a Ph.D in economics in Geneva with his dissertation „Planwirtschaft und Aussenhandel“.
In 1937 Kapp received a scholarship from the Frankfurt School which had emigrated and was now working out of Columbia University, New York City, under the name „Institute for Social Research. From 1938 to 1945 he was an instructor in Economics at the New York University
New York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
and Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
in New York. From 1945 to 1950 he was Assistant Professor of Economics at the Wesleyan University
Wesleyan University
Wesleyan University is a private liberal arts college founded in 1831 and located in Middletown, Connecticut. According to the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, Wesleyan is the only Baccalaureate College in the nation that emphasizes undergraduate instruction in the arts and...
in Middleton, Connecticut. From 1950 to 1965 he was Professor of Economics at the University of the City of New York. End 1950s he was among the first members of the Society for General Systems Research
Society for General Systems Research
The Society for General Systems Research is predecessor of the current International Society for the Systems Sciences , known to be one the first interdisciplinary and international co-operations in the field of systems theory and systems science...
as well as among the founding members of the Association for Evolutionary Economics (AFEE). In 1965 he returned to Switzerland and was Professor of Economics at the University of Basel
University of Basel
The University of Basel is located in Basel, Switzerland, and is considered to be one of leading universities in the country...
until 1976. In that time he was also a Visiting Professor at the Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes
École pratique des hautes études
The École pratique des hautes études is a Grand Établissement in Paris, France. It is counted among France's most prestigious research and higher education institutions....
, Sorbonne, Paris.
In 1976 Kapp suffered a fatal heart attack during a conference in Dubrovnik, Kroatia.
Publications
- 1936, Planwirtschaft und Aussenhandel, Liége.
- 1936, Planwirtschaft und Außenhandel, Genève : Georg & Cie.
- 1950, The Social Costs of Private Enterprise, Cambridge, Mass. : Harvard Univ. Press
- 1958, Volkswirtschaftliche Kosten der Privatwirtschaft. Tübingen : Mohr (Siebeck).
- 1972, Sozialisierung der Verluste?. München : Hanser.
- 1975, Neue Wege für Bangladesh. Hamburg : Inst. f. Asienkunde
- 1976, Staatliche Förderung "umweltfreundlicher" Technologien. Göttingen : Schwartz.
About Karl William Kapp
- Eyup Ozveren (2007)"Where disciplinary boundaries blur"
- Tommaso Luzzati (2007), Ecological economics and the legacy of Karl William Kapp
- Antonio G. Calafati (2007), Karl W. Kapp's Scientific Research Programme
- Richard Gaskins (2007), Public Control of Risk and Responsibility: A Second Look at Kapp's Theory of Social Cost
- Otto Steiger, Rolf Steppacher (2007), Sustainable Development and Property Rights: K. William Kapp's critical perspective on development in relation to Heinsohn and Steiger's property economics.