Background
Kornai, Janos was born on January 21, 1928 in Budapest, Hungary.
Kornai, Janos was born on January 21, 1928 in Budapest, Hungary.
Candidate of Science, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, 1956. Doctor Economics, Karl Marx University, Budapest, 1961. Doctor of Science, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, 1965.
Doctor (honorary)(honorary), University Paris, 1978. Doctor (honorary)(honorary), University Posnan, 1978. Doctor (honorary)(honorary), University London, 1990.
Doctor (honorary)(honorary), University Amsterdam, 1992. Doctor (honorary)(honorary), Budapest University of Economics, 1992. Doctor (honorary)(honorary), University Wroclaw, 1993.
Doctor (honorary)(honorary), University Torino, 1993. Doctor (honorary)(honorary), University Debrecen, 2001. Doctor (honorary)(honorary), Stockholm School of Economics, 2001.
Doctorate(honorary), University Varna, 2003. Doctorate(honorary), University Verszprem, 2003. Doctorate(honorary), University Pecs, 2003.
Economic editor Szabad Nep, Budapest, 1947-1955. Research fellow Institute Economics, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, 1955-1958. Head department Institute Textile Industry, 1958-1963.
Head department Computing Center Hungarian Academy of Sciences, 1963-1967, research professor Institute Economics, since 1963. Professor economics Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1986—2002, professor emeritus, since 2002. Visiting professor London School of Economics, 1964, University Sussex, 1966, Stanford University, 1968, Yale University, Cowles Foundation, 1970, Princeton University, 1972, Stanford University, 1973, Stockholm University, 1976-1977, Institute Advanced Study, Princeton, 1983-1984, Harvard, F.W. Taussig Research Professor, 1984-1985.
Honorary professor Karl Marx University of Economics, 1968. Permanent fellow Collegium Budapest, Institute Advanced Study, since 1992, permanent fellow emeritus, since 2002.
(Mississippi Teacher's Edition Grade 2 , Level 2.2)
First book written in 1955-1956 was a critique of the overcentralised socialist system. One of
the first works suggesting decentralisation reforms. In the late 1950s, I was among those initiating the use of mathematical methods in socialist planning.
Elaborated the theory of twolevel planning with T. Liptâk and directed the first large-scale economywide multi-level planning project. Experiencing the limits of centralised planning based on the idea of the planner as homo oeconomicus, and finding that conventional economics inadequately explained contemporary socio-economic systems, led to an increasing interest in theoretical foundations. Anti-Equilibrium (1971), a controversial essay criticising Walrasian neoclassical economics, suggested new approaches to studying chronic nonWalrasian states, priceand non-price signals.
In my personal intellectual development, this book was a preparation for the task that followed: enquiry into the nature of socialist systems. Unlike previous so-called theories of socialism or theories of planning which were in the normative domain, this inquiry shifted the focus of research to tne positive aspects of existing socialist economies, discovering their regularities, appreciating their achievements, but also facing their systemic contradictions and inefficiencies. Issues like chronic shortage, forced growth, bureaucratisation, and conflicts between socialist principles and efficiency became the main concern.
Extensive research on these topics was carried out in collaboration with a group of other economists, mainly Hungarians. The approaches applied included: (1) verbal formulation of general positive theories (e.g., theory of shortage). (2) formal mathematical models (e.g., models of non-price control, queuing, a seller’s market, growth with chronic shortage, paternalism).
(3) empirical testing of hypotheses (e.g., hypotheses concerning the phenomenon of a ‘soft budget constraint’ or non-standard supply and demand responses under chronic shortages).
Vice-chairman United Nations Committee for Development Planning, New York City, 1972-1977. Fellow Econometric Society (president 1978). Member International Economic Association (president since 2002), European Economic Association (president 1987), European Association for Evolutionary Political Economy (honorary president since 1989), American Academy Arts and Sciences (honorary), Hungarian Academy of Sciences, European Academy Arts, Sciences and Humanities, American Economic Association (honorary), British Academy (correspondent), Royal Swedish Academy (foreign member), Finnish Academy of Sciences (foreign member), Hungarian Social Science Association (president 1992), Russian Academy of Sciences (foreign member).
Married Zsuzsa Daniel. Children: Gabor, Judit Weibull, Andras.