James M. Buchanan

James Buchanan Obituary

The worst that can happen is that they will ignore you…
In memory of James M. Buchanan
Shabnam Mousavi
Johns Hopkins Carey Business School
Baltimore, Jan 10, 2013

A southern gentleman, tall and gracious, was James M. Buchanan, the first Nobel laureate I met in the USA 14 years ago. We started by talking about Leibnitz and Locke, the role of law in shaping the evaluation and conception of liberty, and eventually arrived at his pet book, Cost and Choice. I was a first-year economics PhD student who had philosophical concerns and questions about neoclassical traditions, and he was an open-minded thinker who could listen, respond to, and later remember what we'd discussed and the topic on which I was focused: "Markets are part of economic systems; the mistake is that they are taught as all there is to economics." He validated my concerns and explained, "Markets work inside a set of rules, but people forget that they do not generate their own rules." Once I asked him, " How did you learn German and Italian well enough to read academic texts in both languages?" He replied: "Well, I didn't want to read novels, it was economics and philosophy, so I just needed to know some basics of the language and the rest was clear." Yes! Science was innate to him, his inspiration and drive. (Recently, his only complaint was that his deteriorating eyesight made reading difficult.) When I announced my long-term research agenda, he asked: "Are you sure this is what you want to do? Junior academics fare best by following existing lines of work." I retorted: " What's the worst that can happen? So, people will disagree with me…" He looked at me and said, "No my dear, the worst is that they will ignore you!" And, after a pause: "But you seem to be up to it!" After that, I enjoyed years of talking to him about his and my thoughts on various matters, always free of the worry of whether these thoughts might count on the popular academic numéraire. Just two weeks ago, he told me about a book he came across in the New York Times Book Review that " is right up your alley!" He remains in my memories as a thinker who cherished curiosity and the passion of sharing thoughts and discussing ideas for the sheer joy of intellectual engagement. Personally, he is a strong reason for me to remain content about being an old-fashion scholar. Two traits of his, rare in the world, are what I shall remember him for: an admirable clarity of mind until the very last days and a never-ending thirst for the pleasure of thinking.

To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.

Published by New York Times from Jan. 11 to Jan. 12, 2013.

Memories and Condolences
for James Buchanan

5 Entries

Henry Bauer

January 5, 2022

Here is a bit more:
Jim Buchanan was on the Search Committee that chose me to be Dean of Arts & Sciences at Virginia Tech in 1978. Over the years we interacted on a number of occasions, and I was always impressed by his intellectual curiosity and honesty and integrity.
During 8 years as Dean, I met a number of Nobel Prize recipients. Jim Buchanan was one of only 2 who had not allowed that to make them behave like all-purpose gurus. He remained modest, and helpful to others --- very much including me. It was a privilege and a great pleasure to have known him. Would that there were more such people in academe.

Roger Congleton

January 15, 2013

I first met "Buchanan" in graduate school in 1975 or 1976 at VT where he taught graduate public finance. I was a visitor at GMU the year he won the Nobel Prize. His wisdom, friendship, and encouragement will be greatly missed. In his own way, he was always generous with his students, and I probably benefited more than most. I learned the craft at his footsteps, through his class, seminars, and in conversations. My first paper and first book were written with him in the lead--and his encouragement over the past three and half decades helped me to get more than a few ideas of my own into print. He was a man who touched many lives and is already being missed round the world.

Reza Kheirandish

January 14, 2013

I had the opportunity of helping Jim learn to work with the internet and email 15 years ago. His agility and perseverance amazed me! During years afterwards, I always learned from the way he thought through questions and problems, be it a simple daily issue or a deep scientific inquiry. Getting to know him was a blessing I'll cherish with much affection and due respect...

Henry Bauer

January 13, 2013

Jim was on the search committee when I interviewed at Tech and he impressed me immediately with his concern for academic substance. Though my work has been in science studies and not economics, Jim took a real interest and helped me learn about important things. As Dean of Arts & Sciences I had the chance to meet a number of Nobel Prize winners. Some had allowed their heads to swell and performed as all-purpose gurus, others remained just as before. Jim was one of those. The world was the better for having him and is worse for having lost him.

Christoph Luetge

January 13, 2013

I attended James Buchanan's seminar at the European Forum Alpbach many years ago. I remember in particular one question that I asked him: if he found it sufficient that the citizens of a society simply stuck to the rules. I expected a long elaboration of different arguments, a monologue, something like that.
Instead, he hesitated for a moment, and then replied: ‘No'.

James Buchanan's work has been an enormous inspiration for me.

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