The Worldly Philosophers: The Lives, Times and Ideas of the Great Economic Thinkers is a widely-read 1953 book by Robert L. Heilbroner. Heilbroner outlines his theory that while in less developed societies humans find themselves in a balance between cooperation and selfishness in their struggle for survival, in advanced societies where survival is less of an issue, this balance is thrown off, risking societal breakdown. As a result, societies have dealt with this problem through authoritarianism, tradition and the economic market. The book then examines the theories of famous economists.