As long as man was small in numbers and limited in technology, he could realistically regard the earth as an infinite reservoir, an infinite source of inputs and an infinite cesspool for outputs. Today we can no longer make this assumption. Earth has become a space ship, not only in our imagination but also in the hard realities of the social, biological, and physical system in which man is enmeshed.

There is something, however humble, which can properly be called skill among those who recognise themselves as economists.

[The consumer is] the supreme mover of economic order... for whom all goods are made and towards whom all economic activity is directed.

Private property is a means, and neither its abolition nor its unrestricted right should be an end in itself.

In calling society an ecological system we are not merely using an analogy; society is an example of the general concept of an "ecosystem" that is, an ecological system of which biological systems - forests, fields, swamps - are other examples.

The very act of thinking about power in our lives and experiences creates a process of revelation and self-analysis that may even make us look at ourselves in a new light... thinking about power and its complex manifestations may not simply lead to a better understanding of the abstract complexities of society, but may have an effect on one?s own image and identity. Perhaps a warning label should be placed on the cover.

Deciding under uncertainty is bad enough, but deciding under an illusion of certainty is catastrophic.