Essential Scholars

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Economist Rosemarie Fike explores the insights and lasting legacies of the world's greatest economists, thinkers and scholars, including: Adam Smith, F.A. Hayek, John Stuart Mill, Milton Friedman, John Locke, Elinor Ostrom, and many more. Learn about their most important ideas, which helped to shape the free and prosperous societies that many of us enjoy today. And discover why their insights are still relevant in today’s modern world. Visit www.essentialscholars.org to download books, explore our animated videos and more.

Fraser Institute


    • Dec 13, 2023 LATEST EPISODE
    • monthly NEW EPISODES
    • 46m AVG DURATION
    • 26 EPISODES


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    Latest episodes from Essential Scholars

    Robert Nozick Part 2: An Examined Life

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 13, 2023 43:40


    Dr. Aeon J. Skoble, Professor of Philosophy at Bridgewater State University and author of The Essential Nozick, once again joins host Rosemarie Fike to discuss Nozick's perennial philosophical insights and how they might be applied today, including personal autonomy, the inherent morality in limited government, and even what a future society based on these core principles could look like.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    Robert Nozick Part 1: Why People Exist for Their Own Sake and Purposes

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 6, 2023 43:29


    Dr. Aeon J. Skoble, Professor of Philosophy at Bridgewater State University and author of The Essential Nozick, joins host Rosemarie Fike to talk about Nozick's somewhat unconventional rise to prominence in the field of philosophy, as well as discuss Nozick's key insights on morality, individual rights, limited government and the free market.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    Joseph Schumpeter Part 2: Technology, Innovation, and the Workforce

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 15, 2023 54:53


    Russell S. Sobel, co-author of The Essential Joseph Schumpeter and Professor of Economics & Entrepreneurship in the Baker School of Business at The Citadel, once again joins host Rosemarie Fike to discuss Joseph Schumpeter's most enduring and often prescient insights, including how contrary to popular belief, "creative destruction" and the technological innovation that embodies it in modern life doesn't equal mass unemployment.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    Joseph Schumpeter Part 1: Why People Come Back for More

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 30, 2023 53:37


    Russell S. Sobel, co-author of The Essential Joseph Schumpeter and Professor of Economics & Entrepreneurship in the Baker School of Business at The Citadel, joins host Rosemarie Fike to discuss Joseph Schumpeter's life and most novel contributions to the field of economics, including "creative destruction" and how entrepreneurs allow consumers to better determine preferences. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    Milton Friedman Part 2: Government Control and Long-Term Consequences

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 16, 2023 43:59


    Steven E. Landsburg, Professor of Economics at the University of Rochester and author of The Essential Milton Friedman, returns to discuss Friedman's most salient ideas with host Rosemarie Fike, specifically how the expansion of government power may enable positive change but can just as easily enable negative societal change, ultimately removing choice from people and consumers. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    Milton Friedman Part 1: Monopolies and Rising Prices

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 4, 2023 42:16


    Steven E. Landsburg, Professor of Economics at the University of Rochester and author of The Essential Milton Friedman, joins host Rosemarie Fike to discuss Friedman's profound contributions to the field of economics throughout the 20th century, including his work on monopolies and the impact of rising prices.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    Ronald Coase Part 2: Markets Don't Fail, They Fail to Exist

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 20, 2023 47:26


    Dr. Lynne Kiesling, author of The Essential Ronald Coase, once again joins host Rosemarie Fike to discuss Ronald Coase, specifically his theory of markets and what exactly prevents them from naturally emerging. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    fail exist markets ronald coase
    Ronald Coase Part 1: Reconciling Theory with Reality

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 6, 2023 45:12


    Dr. Lynne Kiesling, author of The Essential Ronald Coase, joins host Rosemarie Fike to discuss Ronald Coase, one of the most influential economic thinkers of the 20th century, including his dissection of Price Theory in favour of real market evidence and tenure at the University of Chicago Law School that eventually lead to his Nobel Prize.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    David Hume Part 2: With Prosperity for All

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 30, 2023 47:50


    Dr.James R. Otteson, Professor of Business Ethics at the University of Notre Dame and author of The Essential David Hume, joins host Rosemarie Fike once again to discuss Hume's perennial insights on how free trade can serve as a vehicle for global prosperity and the building blocks of a commercial society, while government debt can hinder a country's sovereignty.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    David Hume Part 1: The Good, the Bad, and the Governmental

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 16, 2023 42:49


    Dr. James Otteson, John T. Ryan Jr. Professor of Business Ethics at the University of Notre Dame and author of the Essential David Hume, joins host Rosemarie Fike to discuss Scottish philosopher and economist David Hume's perspective on human nature—and why he viewed specifically government as an oft-misused vehicle for a select few to extract resources at the expense of others.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    Essential Scholars: Women of Liberty—Elinor Ostrom and the Bottom-Up Approach to Community Maintenance

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 8, 2023 52:57


    Dr. Jayme Lemke, Senior Fellow at George Mason University's Mercatus Center, and host Rosemarie Fike discuss Nobel Prize winning economist Elinor Ostrom and why community is best served and best empowered through grassroots movements that enable solutions tailored to their specific needs.    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    Austrian Economics Part 2: Government Intervention and the Assumption of Power

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 26, 2023 47:57


    Christopher J. Coyne, Professor of Economics at George Mason University and co-author of The Essential Austrian Economics, returns to the podcast to join host Rosemarie Fike in a discussion about why the Austrian School's way of thinking about politics, social change, and governmental power is as relevant today as ever—specifically, how advocating for expansion of state power may be intended as a vehicle for good but when leadership changes, so do the government's priorities. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    Austrians Economics Part 1: The Little Things that Keep the World Turning

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 12, 2023 45:49


    Christopher J. Coyne, Professor of Economics at George Mason University and co-author of The Essential Austrian Economics, joins host Rosemarie Fike to discuss the contributions to economic thinking and systems made by the Austrian School, including how our quality of life is in large part thanks to countless interactions occurring within the market that allow everyday people access to the things we need to sustain us. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    James Buchanan Part 2: Self Interest & Rational Ignorance

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 5, 2023 48:15


    Randall Holcombe, DeVoe Moore Professor of Economics at Florida State University and co-author of The Essential James Buchanan, joins host Rosemarie Fike once again to break down how economist James Buchanan's contributions to public choice theory remain relevant in today's world, specifically what it means to be "well-informed" how that informs voter logic--critical election or small.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    James Buchanan Part 1: Why What's “Best For All” Doesn't Work For Everyone

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 28, 2023 44:08


    Randall G. Holcombe, DeVoe Moore Professor of Economics at Florida State University and co-author of The Essential James Buchanan, joins host Rosemarie Fike to discuss the life and philosophy of economist James Buchanan, including his contributions to public choice theory. They even get into why it is that government officials struggle to have the right information and the right personal incentive to make optimal decisions for society.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    Adam Smith Part 2: Why Care? It's Only Natural

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 14, 2023 49:39


    James R. Otteson, Professor of Business Ethics at the University of Notre Dame and co-author of the Essential Adam Smith, joins host Rosemarie Fike to discuss Smith's perennial insights, including how human engagement naturally presents itself as opportunities for cooperation, and the ways in which the free-market can be a vehicle for this.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    Adam Smith Part 1: Through Sympathy There is Progress

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 5, 2023 48:36


    James R. Otteson, Professor of Business Ethics at the University of Notre Dame and co-author of The Essential Adam Smith, joins host Rosemarie Fike to discuss Smith's concept of sympathy, and how paying attention to the feedback our behaviours elicit from others is what enables progress and change within society.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    Rose Friedman and Mary Paley Marshall: Neck(s) of the Operation

    Play Episode Listen Later May 17, 2023 45:40


    Lynne Kiesling, co-author of the Essential Women of Liberty, joins host Rosemarie Fike to discuss the critical behind-the-scenes work done by Rose Friedman and Mary Paley Marshall—two women who, despite not having very public-facing roles when it came to their respective husbands' careers, both collaborated with and made invaluable contributions to not only the work of their partners, but the field of economics entire.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    Jane Jacobs: Community impact and why it's a key metric

    Play Episode Listen Later May 3, 2023 41:54


    Lydia Miljan, Professor of Political Science at the University of Windsor, joins host Rosemarie Fike to discuss Jane Jacobs' unconventional road to economic thinking through community activism and urbanism—and why assessing the needs of communities within cities remains vital for effective, non-disruptive urban planning/design. They even get into the various ways community, big or small scale, combats isolation.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    Key Insights of UCLA Part 3: Markets and Social Issues

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 19, 2023 45:59


    David Henderson⁠—emeritus professor of economics with the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California⁠—and Steve Globerman⁠—professor emeritus at Western Washington University and the Addington Chair in Measurement at the Fraser Institute⁠—both join Rosemarie Fike once more to talk about why the UCLA school of economics has remained relevant in today's world. Especially how even when it comes to social issues, companies are ultimately bound by the preferences of their consumers.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    Key Insights of UCLA Part 2: Why good economics is not often good politics

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 12, 2023 42:10


    Steve Globerman, professor emeritus at Western Washington University and senior fellow as well as the Addington Chair in Measurement at the Fraser Institute, joins host Rosemarie Fike to continue the discussion on the UCLA school of thought, including rent control, the housing crisis, the arguable role of city governments, and maintaining quality of life. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    Key Insights of UCLA Part 1: Why the profit motive is better for industry and better for people

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 5, 2023 45:26


    David Henderson, emeritus professor of economics with the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California, and host Rosemarie Fike dive right into conflict aversion in school, in the home, and even discuss how the UCLA school illuminated how the profit motive helps reduce discrimination by automatically imposing a penalty on those who do. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    Friedrich Hayek Part 2: Hayek and Lockdowns

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 23, 2023 46:48


    In this follow up to Part 1—just in time to honour the nearly 80-year anniversary of Hayek's The Road to Serfdom—host Rosemarie Fike is once again joined by economist Donald Boudreaux of George Mason University to discuss how Friedrich Hayek shaped the field of political economy well into the 21st century. They even get into how Hayek would've felt about the state's response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent lockdown measures taken during.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    Friedrich Hayek Part 1: what intellectual history tells us about market signals; what market signals say about ourselves

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 15, 2023 46:11


    In this installment of the Essential Scholars podcast—just in time for the nearly 80-year anniversary of Hayek's The Road to Serfdom—host Rosemarie Fike is joined by economist Donald Boudreaux of George Mason University to discuss Hayek's life, influence in the fields of political science, philosophy, and economics, and how he endured as possibly the most prominent economist of the 20th century.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    J.S. Mill Part 2: Imagining a world with more than the basics

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 23, 2023 44:37


    In this installment of the Essential Scholars podcast, host Rosemarie Fike and Dr. Sandra Peart of the University of Richmond discuss John Stuart Mill's ongoing contributions in economics and philosophy, and how his vision of a world where people have access to more than the bare minimum basic necessities of life—or “lower pleasures”—is a vision we should all share. Visit www.essentialjsmill.org to learn more.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    J.S. Mill Part 1: The moral, the political, and the economic

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 25, 2023 44:32


    In this installment of the Essential Scholars podcast, host Rosemarie Fike is joined by Dr. Sandra Peart of the University of Richmond to discuss John Stuart Mill's life, influence in the field of moral philosophy and economics, and how his experiences during the early half of the industrial revolution shaped his thinking. In the next episode, we'll explore why Mill's ideas are still relevant in today's modern world. Visit www.essentialjsmill.org to learn more.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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