An Inquiry Into the Human Prospect

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Is there hope for man? This "terrible question" posed by Robert L. Heilbroner in the original version of this classic work remains relevant today. In this third edition, Heilbroner emphasizes that the global challenges he identified—runaway populations, destructive weaponry, and environmental crises—persist. Reflecting on the collapse of communism as a rival to capitalism, he examines the struggles of centrally planned economies, illustrating how Soviet-style systems became trapped in bureaucratic inefficiencies. However, Heilbroner cautions that the success of profit-driven, market-oriented economies does not mitigate the impending ecological crisis. He asserts that the environment's absorption capacities, particularly regarding the greenhouse effect and other planetary limits, dictate the boundaries of economic growth. His incisive analysis of our prospects for the remainder of the century is both thought-provoking and essential for those unwilling to ignore the stark realities of our time.