Exit, Voice and Loyalty

by Albert O. Hirschman

On 21st April, we gathered to discuss “Exit, Voice and Loyalty” by A. O. Hirshman. I first read this as a 22 year old. Like all great books, reading it as a callow youth :-D and at this grand old age, meant that I learnt different things. Then, there was this great absorption of the idea of exit and voice, and how society uses it to avoid getting stuck in a rut. This time around, I saw it through the different social mechanisms of economics/markets and negotiation/politics. So the learning that I came away with was this patched up one about society climbing out of a undesirable equilibrium:
“Endogenous forces of recovery bifurcate into two contrasting, though not mutually exclusive categories of exit and voice… (Which) reflects a more fundamental schism: that between economics and politics. Exit belongs to economics, voice to politics.”
Thanks to the small and enthusiastic group who walked through the paths that I thought were old and familiar, and made neurons snap out a new idea. :-) For those of you who didn’t get through the whole lot, or weren’t able to make it to the last session, I think that I can safely say that this old book is well worth a read (and re-reads!). It’s small, and remains fundamental. And leads to after session discussions about cat politics. Need I say more about the benefits of this book? :-D

The next book is “Against the grain: A deep history of the earliest states” by James C. Scott. I suppose it’s inevitable that this reading group will read JCS. Has 7 chapters. Let’s target to read the first four chapters (1. The domestication of fire, plants, animals and … us, 2. Landscaping the world: the domus complex, 3. Zoonoses: A perfect epidemiological storm, 4. Agro-ecology of the early state.)

Date: 19 May 2025
Venue: Artha Global conference space
Time: 4:30pm

Look forward,