In a few days, the tributes to Daniel Cohen continued. On January 29, at the École Normale Supérieure (ENS) from which he came. Then, with the publication on February 1 of a collective work, Daniel Cohen, the economist who wanted to change the world (Albin Michel), as well as that of his latest book, A brief history of economics (Albin Michel).
Economist Daniel Cohen dies
Prefaced by his former student and friend Esther Duflo, professor at MIT and crowned alongside her husband Abhijit Banerjee with the Bank of Sweden prize in economic sciences (the Nobel of the discipline) in 2019, this text retraces the economic epic of the world, from the appearance of hunter-gatherers to that of“Numerical Man” (his penultimate book, published in 2022). “Growth is the religion of the modern world”, writes in the beginning this author whose eclecticism was manifested both in his friendships and in his culture.
A humanist
The disappearance of this great French economist, who died in August 2023 at the age of 70, leaves, in addition to his loved ones, many orphans. This teacher of students who became teachers in their turn turned to economics after entering the ENS in 1973 and obtaining his aggregation in mathematics. “My brother is a mathematician who studied economics,” smiles Michel Cohen, himself X-Mines. Normalien, visiting professor at Harvard, president of the Paris School of Economics, senior advisor at the Lazard bank for two decades, this humanist navigated with enthusiasm from Spinoza to Proust, via Leonard Cohen and Roger Federer.
“As soon as I arrived at ENS, Daniel Cohen convinced me to take an interest in economics, even though I wanted to focus on studying history”
“As soon as I arrived at ENS, Daniel Cohen convinced me to take an interest in economics, even though I wanted to focus on studying history,” says Esther Duflo. “You will have no problem with math,” he then said to her to better persuade her to move on. The future Nobel laureate follows his advice, while “hating” his degree course in economics: “I was “saved” twice by Daniel. He showed me that going through this was the equivalent of doing your scales in music. » Having left for Moscow, Esther Duflo rediscovered her taste for this discipline by studying the economic history of Russia and “devouring” his teacher’s book, The Misfortunes of Prosperity (Julliard, 1994): “Transmission also involves address a wider audience, addressing new ideas. »
Bruno Le Maire, author of a very personal speech during the funeral of Daniel Cohen, notes his “exceptional talent for teaching, as well as his availability and his creative spirit”. Considering that it is not necessary “distinguish reflection from action”, Daniel Cohen responded to the call from the Minister of Economy and Finance during the pandemic to analyze the measures to take in the face of the health crisis. “Daniel constantly put his thinking to the test of reality on countless subjects, from the repurchase of Ecuador’s debt to withholding tax for income tax,” adds his editor and friend Alexandre Wickham.
Tennis enthusiast
Passionate about tennis, this expert in complex theories demonstrated, with mathematical support, why Roger Federer could not resist the left-handed Rafael Nadal… “He once escaped for two hours from a meeting in the presence of a head of state to go watch a match the Roland Garros », laughs Matthieu Pigasse, today head of the French subsidiary of the investment bank Centerview. The two men traveled the world together to advise governments in difficulty with their debts, in Greece, but also in Peru and Venezuela. “He was one of the rare people capable of mixing all disciplines,” confides the banker, who remembers that Daniel Cohen left on a mission with two suitcases, one filled with books.
“My decision to accept the presidency of the board of directors of the Paris School of Economics allows me to continue building what Daniel had started,” confides Esther Duflo. Among its projects, the launch of the Daniel-Cohen prize, which will reward the best thesis of the year in June, linked to economic policies. “As well as fundraising for the creation of a lasting chair, with a high-level professor who embodies Daniel’s values,” she adds. The professor at MIT and the Collège de France finds ” his voice ” In A brief history of economics : “It’s a great introduction for those who haven’t read it yet. For others, it’s an opportunity to reunite with an old friend. » This specialist in anti-poverty policies emphasizes her role as “smuggler” : “He found the best in each of the people he spoke to. His passion was to train generations of students, which transformed economics teaching in France. »
2024-02-04 05:08:32
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