Firms and farmers, under pure competition, must make production decisions in the face of price uncertainty. The author has integrated diverse theories of behavior under uncertainty to provide a new framework for his mathematical analysis of the impact of price uncertainty on the behavior of the firm. Drawing upon the work of Knight, Hicks, von Neumann, and Morgenstern, he develops a schema that accounts for a greater diversity of behavior than do existing theories, yet one which yields simple economic theorems of practical value. The conclusions he draws apply to both socialist and capitalist economics. Originally published in 1968. The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.

A timeless classic of economic theory that remains fascinating and pertinent today, this is Frank Knight's famous explanation of why perfect competition cannot eliminate profits, the important differences between "risk" and "uncertainty," and the vital role of the entrepreneur in profitmaking. Based on Knight's PhD dissertation, this 1921 work, balancing theory with fact to come to stunning insights, is a distinct pleasure to read. FRANK H. KNIGHT (1885-1972) is considered by some the greatest American scholar of economics of the 20th century. An economics professor at the University of Chicago from 1927 until 1955, he was one of the founders of the Chicago school of economics, which influenced Milton Friedman and George Stigler.

This new seventh edition of the book offers extensive discussion of information, uncertainty, and game theory. It contains over a hundred examples illustrating the applicability of economic analysis not only to mainline economic topics but also issues in politics, history, biology, the family, and many other areas. These discussions generally describe recent research published in scholarly books and articles, giving students a good idea of the scientific work done by professional economists. In addition, at appropriate places the text provides 'applications' representing more extended discussions of selected topics including rationing in wartime (Chapter 5), import quotas (Chapter 7), alleged monopolistic suppression of inventions (Chapter 9), minimum wage laws (Chapter 11), the effects of Social Security upon saving (Chapter 15), fair division of disrupted property (Chapter 16) and whether individuals should pay ransom to a kidnapper (Chapter 17).

Presents an alternative theoretical framework that can serve as the basis for a new age of economic analysis under risk and uncertainty. This work features an endogenous theory that overcomes the major shortcomings of both the expected utility and the rank-dependent models while it possesses the merits of both.