The American economist Simon Nelson Patten (1852-1922) predicted that with modern technology and proper social planning the United States and Europe could move from an economy of scarcity to one of abundance.

Simon Patten was born on May 1, 1852, in Sandwich, Ill. There he imbibed a profound belief in the Protestant ethic and the efficacy of achieving social reform through such established and conservative institutions as the Republican party and the Presbyterian Church. He attended the University of Halle (1876-1879), where he came under the influence of the Younger Historical school, a group of economists who believed that scholars should use their expertise to help solve modern social problems. His German experience reinforced his belief in social reform and planned change, but within an American context--that is, change and reform through voluntary action with minimal governmental control.

After several years of apprenticeship teaching in primary and secondary schools, Patten...