George Soros
Soros has always been my personal hero since I was
in hi-school, he was one of the people who really contribute to my
interest in studying Economics. He introduced me to the work of Karl
Popper through his ambition on open society. I've always hear
about him forever, I've tried to read his book "the alchemy of
finance" when I was in the 12th grade, it was very difficult
for me then. Yet, it is very rewarding as he lay the foundation in
my thought of being very critical in how I study neo-classical economics
in Thailand. I've always feel a touch of modern physics from his works
i.e. the emphasis on the discontinuity and the holistic nature of
human interaction.
Although he might not be excellent in arguing philosophically
but he is the greatest champion practicioner of finance and open society
ever live. No matter how the economists, philosophers disregarded
him, he is the one who practically make a case study in international
economics based on his thought and theory instead of sitting and theorize
it in the classroom like other academicians attacking him. Those regulator-economists
couldn't fight him back in actual economic reality. Therefore, I believe
that his economic insights are very crucial in approaching practical
economic landscape.
In term of promoting open society, he has done so
much to that goal without many other comparison with his own money.
He is a living Robbin-hood who live on his own theory, test it in
reality, benefit from it, and distribute the benefits to the people
in need. His emphasis that modern economy is inheritedly unstable
support my Austrian-Jungian interpretation of economics. Lastly, he
is a role-model for me that individual contribution to the world is
possible if one keep true to one's own passion while allow criticism
from other.
Because of him, I think that it is possible to combine
business and social entrepreneurship together in building the mechanism
that will drive towards the greater degree open society in the world.
Because of him, money making and social building are not mutually
exclusive but rather compliment in my view. My critique to him would
be that although he is very clear about how to make money, but he
seems not to be very clear on how to build the open society as his
foundation spreads the money in many important areanas of social building,
but in my view, without focus.
I took this problem personally and believe that
the answer to it is through focusing in grass-roots entrepreneurial
development that allow people to develop their own capability to be
free in the open society. He ignite me to take the idea of testing
my theory in the real world, hence, I've always come up with projects
to see how my idea could apply to the real world.
(Go
to my article about Soros's economic and social idea)
(links for more
information)
