"Economics has as its purpose firstly to acquire knowledge for its own sake, and secondly to throw light on practical issues. But though we are bound, before entering on any study, to consider carefully what are its uses, we should not plan out our work with direct reference to them."

"The theory of economics is a method rather than a doctrine, an apparatus of the mind, a technique of thinking which helps its possessor to draw correct conclusions”

"Rates of growth of real per capita GDP are diverse, even over sustained periods. ... Is there some action a government of India can take that would lead the Indian economy to grow like Indonesia's? If so, what exactly? 

The consequences for human welfare involved in questions like this are simply staggering: Once one starts to think about them, it is hard to think about anything else."

A Catholic University should "train truly Christian leaders in the different spheres of human activity, and in society, especially in politics, economics, science, art and philosophical reflection."