Background
Pestalozzi was born in Zürich.
Pestalozzi was born in Zürich.
After his university education, which he received at University of Saint Gallen, he started working for Migros and soon began to climb the career ladder. Pestalozzi fulfilled that task very thoroughly, especially in his lectures, so much so that in 1977 he was fired by Migros. Rather than looking for a new job, he became a freelance writer and self-proclaimed "autonomous agitator" who sided with the fledgling European youth, peace and ecological movements.
He preached "positive subversion" and, in a Kantian manner, tried to convince people that using their own intelligence was the right thing to do.
Moreover, he demanded a guaranteed minimum income for everybody. Hans A. Pestalozzi died a recluse by suicide in his home Heimetli near Wattwil, Canton of Saint Gallen.
The institute was being established to investigate the range of possible shortcomings and negative effects of capitalism, in particular within Western consumer society, so that they could be combated more effectively.