Podcasts about moral sentiments

Welcome to this episode of the podcast. Today, we're discussing the work of Sophie de Grouchy, an 18th and early 19th century philosopher whose contributions to moral and political thought have often been overlooked. Best known for her translation of Adam Smith's The Theory of Moral Sentiments, Grouchy didn't just translate—she developed her own ideas on sympathy, ethics, and politics in Letters on Sympathy. Our guest, Getty Lustila, explores Grouchy's place in the sentimentalist tradition, her engagement with questions of morality and human nature, and why her work matters for understanding the history of ethics. We discuss how she builds on and departs from Smith's ideas, the role of sympathy in shaping moral and political life, and the broader intellectual context in which she was writing.

Matt speaks with Bart Wilson about what economists often overlook in their analysis—specifically, the role of morality, human cooperation, and language in shaping economic behaviour. Wilson argues that mainstream economics tends to focus too much on scarcity and efficiency while neglecting the deeper social and moral foundations that make trade and prosperity possible. Drawing on his book Meaningful Economics: Making the Science of Prosperity More Human, he explores how concepts like property, reciprocity, and justice emerge from human relationships rather than being imposed from the top down.  References: Meaningful Economics: Making the Science of Prosperity More Human by Bart Wilson https://global.oup.com/academic/product/meaningful-economics-9780197758151?cc=us&lang=en&  The Wealth of Nations by Adam Smith https://a.co/d/j0nL0mY  The Theory of Moral Sentiments by Adam Smith https://a.co/d/iKwedtg  Knowledge and Decisions by Thomas Sowell https://a.co/d/cRgCwe4  The Invisible Heart: An Economic Romance by Russell Roberts https://www.amazon.ca/dp/0262681358  Frankenstein by Mary Shelley https://a.co/d/a7vAUsi  Thanks to our patrons, including Kris Rondolo, Amy Willis, and Christopher McDonald. To support the podcast, visit our Patreon page.   

"How selfish soever man may be supposed, there are evidently some principles in his nature, which interest him in the fortunes of others, and render their happiness necessary to him, though he derives nothing from it, except the pleasure of seeing it." (from The Theory of Moral Sentiments)Adam Smith considered his first major book, The Theory of Moral Sentiments, his most important work. Indeed, the tome was a wild success upon its publication, selling out immediately. It has not lost popularity since. In this legendary work, Smith discusses the nature of morality, and the motives behind and origins of these "sentiments." Originally published in 1759, this work provides the philosophical underpinnings for his later works, as well as elucidating the psychological and moral foundations of the workings of a complex society. Smith parses many important concepts in this book, with the central questions perhaps being: Where do our moral principles come from? Are they divine and inborn, reflection of man-made laws, or rational, based on their usefulness to society? Smith's answers to these questions and more, and his explanation of how such sentiments, however derived, influence society's self-coordination, have interested lay and scholar alike for hundreds of years. note: This is the First edition, the 6th edition was revised and extra material added.This is a collaborative reading.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

"How selfish soever man may be supposed, there are evidently some principles in his nature, which interest him in the fortunes of others, and render their happiness necessary to him, though he derives nothing from it, except the pleasure of seeing it." (from The Theory of Moral Sentiments)Adam Smith considered his first major book, The Theory of Moral Sentiments, his most important work. Indeed, the tome was a wild success upon its publication, selling out immediately. It has not lost popularity since. In this legendary work, Smith discusses the nature of morality, and the motives behind and origins of these "sentiments." Originally published in 1759, this work provides the philosophical underpinnings for his later works, as well as elucidating the psychological and moral foundations of the workings of a complex society. Smith parses many important concepts in this book, with the central questions perhaps being: Where do our moral principles come from? Are they divine and inborn, reflection of man-made laws, or rational, based on their usefulness to society? Smith's answers to these questions and more, and his explanation of how such sentiments, however derived, influence society's self-coordination, have interested lay and scholar alike for hundreds of years. note: This is the First edition, the 6th edition was revised and extra material added.This is a collaborative reading.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

"How selfish soever man may be supposed, there are evidently some principles in his nature, which interest him in the fortunes of others, and render their happiness necessary to him, though he derives nothing from it, except the pleasure of seeing it." (from The Theory of Moral Sentiments)Adam Smith considered his first major book, The Theory of Moral Sentiments, his most important work. Indeed, the tome was a wild success upon its publication, selling out immediately. It has not lost popularity since. In this legendary work, Smith discusses the nature of morality, and the motives behind and origins of these "sentiments." Originally published in 1759, this work provides the philosophical underpinnings for his later works, as well as elucidating the psychological and moral foundations of the workings of a complex society. Smith parses many important concepts in this book, with the central questions perhaps being: Where do our moral principles come from? Are they divine and inborn, reflection of man-made laws, or rational, based on their usefulness to society? Smith's answers to these questions and more, and his explanation of how such sentiments, however derived, influence society's self-coordination, have interested lay and scholar alike for hundreds of years. note: This is the First edition, the 6th edition was revised and extra material added.This is a collaborative reading.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

"How selfish soever man may be supposed, there are evidently some principles in his nature, which interest him in the fortunes of others, and render their happiness necessary to him, though he derives nothing from it, except the pleasure of seeing it." (from The Theory of Moral Sentiments)Adam Smith considered his first major book, The Theory of Moral Sentiments, his most important work. Indeed, the tome was a wild success upon its publication, selling out immediately. It has not lost popularity since. In this legendary work, Smith discusses the nature of morality, and the motives behind and origins of these "sentiments." Originally published in 1759, this work provides the philosophical underpinnings for his later works, as well as elucidating the psychological and moral foundations of the workings of a complex society. Smith parses many important concepts in this book, with the central questions perhaps being: Where do our moral principles come from? Are they divine and inborn, reflection of man-made laws, or rational, based on their usefulness to society? Smith's answers to these questions and more, and his explanation of how such sentiments, however derived, influence society's self-coordination, have interested lay and scholar alike for hundreds of years. note: This is the First edition, the 6th edition was revised and extra material added.This is a collaborative reading.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

"How selfish soever man may be supposed, there are evidently some principles in his nature, which interest him in the fortunes of others, and render their happiness necessary to him, though he derives nothing from it, except the pleasure of seeing it." (from The Theory of Moral Sentiments)Adam Smith considered his first major book, The Theory of Moral Sentiments, his most important work. Indeed, the tome was a wild success upon its publication, selling out immediately. It has not lost popularity since. In this legendary work, Smith discusses the nature of morality, and the motives behind and origins of these "sentiments." Originally published in 1759, this work provides the philosophical underpinnings for his later works, as well as elucidating the psychological and moral foundations of the workings of a complex society. Smith parses many important concepts in this book, with the central questions perhaps being: Where do our moral principles come from? Are they divine and inborn, reflection of man-made laws, or rational, based on their usefulness to society? Smith's answers to these questions and more, and his explanation of how such sentiments, however derived, influence society's self-coordination, have interested lay and scholar alike for hundreds of years. note: This is the First edition, the 6th edition was revised and extra material added.This is a collaborative reading.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

"How selfish soever man may be supposed, there are evidently some principles in his nature, which interest him in the fortunes of others, and render their happiness necessary to him, though he derives nothing from it, except the pleasure of seeing it." (from The Theory of Moral Sentiments)Adam Smith considered his first major book, The Theory of Moral Sentiments, his most important work. Indeed, the tome was a wild success upon its publication, selling out immediately. It has not lost popularity since. In this legendary work, Smith discusses the nature of morality, and the motives behind and origins of these "sentiments." Originally published in 1759, this work provides the philosophical underpinnings for his later works, as well as elucidating the psychological and moral foundations of the workings of a complex society. Smith parses many important concepts in this book, with the central questions perhaps being: Where do our moral principles come from? Are they divine and inborn, reflection of man-made laws, or rational, based on their usefulness to society? Smith's answers to these questions and more, and his explanation of how such sentiments, however derived, influence society's self-coordination, have interested lay and scholar alike for hundreds of years. note: This is the First edition, the 6th edition was revised and extra material added.This is a collaborative reading.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Alex speaks with Neera Badhwar about her forthcoming paper, “There are Divinities in Liberal Market Societies Too,” exploring how liberal societies enable prosperity, intellectual virtue, and moral growth. Neera discusses key concepts like happiness and flourishing, critiques thinkers like Gerry Cohen, and reflects on the role of free markets and limited government in fostering human well-being. References "There are Divinities in Liberal Market Societies Too" by Neera Badhwar (forthcoming in Social Philosophy and Policy, 2025) https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/social-philosophy-and-policy "The Theory of Moral Sentiments" by Adam Smith https://www.amazon.ca/Theory-Moral-Sentiments-Adam-Smith/dp/0865970122 "If You're an Egalitarian, How Come You're So Rich?" by Gerry Cohen https://a.co/d/6NyLaC2 "The Case Against Education: Why the Education System Is a Waste of Time and Money" by Bryan Caplan https://www.amazon.ca/Case-Against-Education-System-Money/dp/0691174652 World Values Survey https://www.worldvaluessurvey.org/ World Happiness Report https://worldhappiness.report/ Human Progress Newsletter https://humanprogress.org/ Thanks to our patrons, including Kris Rondolo, Amy Willis, and Christopher McDonald. To support the podcast, visit https://patreon.com/curioustask.

Hello Interactors,As the year ends, I reflect on 2024's top five essays and a shared theme emerges: the systems that define our lives. These systems intertwine nature and nurture, machines and morality, and markets and minds.From evolution's harmony to the moral balance of economic power, the co-opting of language to the divides between prosperity and precarity, our journey has revealed deep connections between people, place, and power.Let's rewind and reweave these connections into a broader narrative that sets us on our way to another trip around the sun.NATURE, NURTURE, AND NODAL NETWORKSIn “DEVO, Darwin, and the Evo-Devo Dance,” we explored how evolution reflects the eternal interplay between biology and environment, progress and adaptation. The evolution of synthesizers — as my daughter's playful experiments with sound reminded me — offers a metaphor for humanity's relationship with technology.This relationship echoes the broader theme of systems and evolution. Iterative changes and interactions between tools and users offer the potential to create new possibilities. As noted in the essay,"DEVO's fusion of human and machine echoes these evolutionary dynamics, where both biological and technological systems evolve through reconfiguration and integration, creating emergent complexity that Darwin could not have imagined."Just as synthesizers blend natural sound waves with human creativity, humanity's interaction with technology evolves in cycles of adaptation and transformation, shaping both the tools we use and the societies we build. We shape our tools, and they shape us in return.The blend of nature's design and our technological imprint creates an ecosystem of mutual influence, much like the Evo-Devo theories of biology, where small tweaks in developmental genes lead to dramatic evolutionary outcomes.This interplay of creation and transformation mirrors the cycles of human progress. Just as Hox genes orchestrate body plans, societal changes—spurred by technology or ideology—reshape our collective body. Whether it's the mechanistic choreography of DEVO's performances or the emergence of Evo-Devo in biology, the boundaries between human and machine blur.Are we programming nature, or is nature programming us? Perhaps the answer lies not in drawing distinctions but in understanding common patterns. These questions highlight the complexities of how we, and other organisms and systems, grow, adapt, and evolve in a world increasingly interwoven with introduced technology.From the mechanized rhythms of industrialization to the organic flow of natural systems, human -- and nonhuman -- there exists a tension and balance between stability and change. The teleonomic goal-directed behavior of living systems together with society's driving pulse of technology has fused into an unrecognizable but somehow familiar new existence. Even as we invent tools to navigate this existence, we become part of the systems we create—both shapers and shaped.The orchestration of evolution — like the many-layered songs of a many-player band — shows a world of many, connected, but not always planned.MARKETS, MACHINES, AND MORALITYThe Industrial Revolution brought unparalleled progress but also profound moral dilemmas. In “Markets, Machines, and Morality,” we reflected on Adam Smith's dual identity as both an economist and a moral philosopher. For Smith, markets were not just mechanisms of exchange but reflections of human nature. His “Theory of Moral Sentiments” reminds us that sympathy, justice, and prudence are vital governors of economic power — like James Watt's centrifugal governor, which balanced the speed of steam engines.But history shows us that unchecked systems, whether economic or mechanical, often prioritize efficiency over empathy. From Bentham's utilitarian calculus to the exploitative practices of modern capitalism, we've seen how the quest for profit can erode the moral underpinnings of society. Today's tech-driven economies, much like the Industrial Age's steam engines, require careful regulation to prevent runaway consequences. Smith's ideals of community benevolence and fair markets resonate more than ever.The unchecked growth of industrial power also highlights the tensions between human ingenuity and ethical responsibility. The centrifugal governor's simple elegance stands as a metaphor for our need to impose limits on excess, whether in economic policies, technological innovation, or social systems. Without these balancing mechanisms, we risk spiraling into inequity, instability, and dehumanization — a lesson as relevant today as it was in Smith's time.Moreover, the moral fabric underpinning economic actions — sympathy, justice, prudence — often fades in the shadow of profit-driven systems. Yet, these values remain the quiet governors ensuring that society's engines run not just efficiently but equitably.Smith's vision was never limited to wealth accumulation; it was about creating a society where individual pursuits align with collective well-being. Unlike today's economic practices, which often prioritize short-term profit over long-term societal health, Smith emphasized the importance of moral virtues such as sympathy and justice in guiding market dynamics.His insights are less about the "invisible hand" and more reminders to steer not only by the metrics of progress but also by the compass of morality. Like a finely tuned machine, morality should govern the obscene, in a more steady and fair routine.LANGUAGE, LANDSCAPE, AND LOSSLanguage has the power to shape identities and wield influence. These were the themes in “Woke and Wealth” and “Molding Minds Through the Markets of Material Worlds.” Words like “woke” and “decolonize”—once rooted in justice—have been distorted, co-opted by power to serve as tools of division. Similarly, capitalism's framing of “Homo Economicus”—the rational, self-interested individual—has reshaped not just our identities but the very landscapes we inhabit.These constructed identities reflect the power dynamics embedded in economic and geographic systems. The urban centers that thrive on globalized knowledge economies are mirrored by rural regions left to grapple with stagnation and decline, as explored in “Main Street to Metropolis.” As noted in that essay,“Rural areas have become Republican strongholds, drawn to promises of reversing globalization, reshaping economic policies, and making their communities great again.”These places — shaped by policies, demographics, and technology — become symbols of our collective divisions. Yet even amidst these fractures, alternative identities emerge. “Homo Ecologicus,” focused on environmental stewardship, and “Homo Absurdum,” embracing creativity and imagination, remind us of humanity's potential for resilience, community, and connection.The co-opting of language — turning tools of empowerment into instruments of division — illustrates the ongoing struggle for control over cultural and political narratives. When words like “woke” are weaponized, the original call for awareness and justice is lost in a haze of ideological conflict.Meanwhile, the landscapes shaped by economic systems mirror these distortions, transforming places of shared community into arenas of exclusion and competition. Consider, for example, the gentrification of urban neighborhoods. Once vibrant hubs of diverse community life, these areas often transform into exclusive enclaves where rising costs push out long-time residents, replacing shared culture with economic segregation.Yet, within these landscapes of loss lies the potential for renewal. Rural areas, often overshadowed by urban centers, remain spaces where alternative identities thrive. These identities, rooted in stewardship, creativity, and resilience, offer glimpses of a world where humanity's diversity can flourish.The challenge lies in amplifying these voices, reclaiming the power of language, and reshaping the spaces we inhabit to reflect our shared values. Language shapes, landscapes mold — our shifting sense of self is an ancient story retold.CLOSING THE LOOPLooking back at these essays, a recurring theme emerges: the interplay of systems that define our lives is not a one-way street. Nature and nurture, markets and morality, language and identity are all intertwined, multi- referencial, and dynamic webs with mirroring interdependencies. Progress is not linear; it's a cycle of creation, transformation, and sometimes regression where changes to one aspect ripple through the entire system.This echoes the recurring themes explored earlier — from the evolving interplay between nature and technology to the moral balance necessary in markets and machines. Together, these cycles reveal how change, though uneven, can guide us toward resilience and renewal when approached with awareness and intention. Herein lies hope. We all possess the potential, and these systems the possibility, to recalibrate the systems we control to balance human progress with equity, efficiency with empathy, and innovation with ethics.These systems remind us that resilience lies in adaptability. Fire, when controlled, can foster growth and create fertile soil. Uncontrolled fire destroys. Water can unite by sustaining life, connect ecosystems, and enable communication and trade through rivers and oceans. But it can also erode, rot, create barriers, or flood habitats and communities.As we humans innovate and advance, we can pause to reflect on the systems we create. We can ensure they serve not just the few but the many. Like water and fire, the narratives we construct, whether through language, policy, or technology, have the power to unite or divide.Our collective task is to craft stories that inspire connection and foster growth built on shared values. As we step into a new year, what questions should we ask about the systems we create? How can we ensure they unite rather than divide? What would it take to build systems rooted in equity, empathy, and sustainability? Perhaps, most importantly, how do these systems reflect who we are—and who we aspire to be? This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit interplace.io

With an illustrious career spanning roles as Governor of both the Bank of England and the Bank of Canada, Mark Carney has long been an advocate for sustainability, particularly in addressing climate risks.In this episode, Mark talks about the politicisation of ESG, the investment opportunities in decarbonisation, and why transitioning from “brown to olive” and eventually to “green” can unlock immense value, both for the planet and portfolios.Useful Links:Book: Theory of Moral Sentiments by Adam SmithMark's Book: Values: An Economist's Guide to Everything That MattersRead the EIA's roadmap for the Global Energy Sector hereClick here for the episode web page. This episode is also available on YouTube.For more insights straight to your inbox subscribe to the Future in Sight newsletter, and follow us on LinkedIn and Instagram This podcast is brought to you by Re:Co, a tech-powered advisory company helping private market investors pursue sustainability objectives and value creation in tandem. Produced by Chris AttawayArtwork by Harriet RichardsonMusic by Cody Martin

Matt speaks with Brian Albrecht about how policymakers can think more like economists by emphasizing the role of prices, trade-offs, and unintended consequences in shaping effective policies. Brian and Matt discuss tax policies, antitrust laws, and some very silly tariffs to illustrate the importance of applying economic reasoning to address societal challenges while minimizing inefficiencies. References Brian Albrecht's Substack, Economic Forces Link: https://substack.com/@briancalbrecht  "Rebellion, Rascals, and Revenue: Tax Follies and Wisdom Through the Ages" by Michael Keen and Joel Slemrod Link: https://a.co/d/94DlEoq  "The Constitution of Liberty" by Friedrich Hayek Link: https://www.amazon.ca/Constitution-Liberty-Friedrich-Hayek/dp/0226320847 "The Theory of Moral Sentiments" by Adam Smith Link: https://www.amazon.ca/Theory-Moral-Sentiments-Adam-Smith/dp/0143105922 "Basic Economics: A Common Sense Guide to the Economy" by Thomas Sowell Link: https://www.amazon.ca/Basic-Economics-Common-Sense-Guide/dp/0465060730  "Antitrust Paradox: A Policy at War with Itself" by Robert H. Bork Link: https://www.amazon.ca/Antitrust-Paradox-Policy-Consumer-Welfare/dp/0029044561  

Alex speaks with Nimish Adhia about the practice of tipping, exploring its cultural and economic implications, as well as its persistence despite widespread criticism from various stakeholders. Adhia discusses the historical origins of tipping, its impact on workers and customers, and coordination problems that prevent its abolition, referencing his own case study on the topic. References "How can U.S. restaurants break free from tipping? : finding a pay structure that works" by Nimish Adhia Link: https://search.library.yale.edu/new_arrivals/17396768  "The Theory of Moral Sentiments" by Adam Smith Link: https://www.amazon.ca/Theory-Moral-Sentiments-Adam-Smith/dp/0143105922 "Coordination Problems and Economic Behavior" by Thomas Schelling Link: https://www.amazon.ca/Strategy-Conflict-Thomas-C-Schelling/dp/0674840313 "The Economics of Social Norms" by Elinor Ostrom Link: https://www.amazon.ca/Governing-Commons-Evolution-Institutions-Collective/dp/1107569788 "The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference" by Malcolm Gladwell Link: https://www.amazon.ca/Tipping-Point-Little-Things-Difference/dp/0316346624 "The Coordination Problem in Policy Reforms" by Mancur Olson Link: https://www.amazon.ca/Rise-Decline-Nations-Stagflation-Rigidities/dp/0300030797 Thanks to our patrons including: Amy Willis, Kris Rondolo, and Christopher McDonald. To become a patron, go to patreon.com/curioustask

Send us a textAdam Smith was a man who read the Stoics. He liked them, too, talking them up in The Theory of Moral Sentiments, particularly in the section on grief. Then he lost two of his closest relations (old timey, right?), David Hume and his mother. These world-shaking events caused him to reevaluate what he said about grief in TMS and change our interpretation of his commentary on grief.So what did he say about grief before, and how did the actual experience of grief change his mind? How does grief work, and how do we get through hard times? How do art and philosophy play different roles in the human experience?Today, I'm excited to welcome Liberty Fund's Sarah Skwire back to the podcast. She is a Senior Program Officer there, and a resident scholar on people-who-thought-things-and-wrote-things. I truly enjoyed this conversation and I hope you do too! Never miss another AdamSmithWorks update.Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Hello Interactors,We often think of the economy as a fixed, objective force, separate from who we are. But what if it actually shapes our identities? Like a DJ mixing a set, economics amplifies certain behaviors and silences others. I saw this firsthand last summer when Calvin Harris performed live in Scotland, dynamically controlling thousands of people with a turn of a dial or push of a button…on tracks he'd already mixed in the studio!Brett Scott, in his recent Substack Remastering Capitalism, uses this music mixing metaphor to show how human nature is molded — elevated or suppressed — by economic systems. His insights remind me of social constructionism, which reveals that what we see as “natural” is often constructed by institutions, including the economy. Our many identities aren't just reacting to the system — they are being shaped by it.But what if Homo Economicus, the rational, self-interested individual, isn't who we truly or solely are? What if these systems are muting our most moral and communal parts? With my last three posts on economics in mind, let's explore how economics and geography construct — and limit — who we become.MARKETS MOLDING MINDSAt the heart of social constructionism is the idea that reality isn't something we passively experience — it's something actively constructed through our social interactions, power dynamics, and the institutions that shape our lives. One of the most powerful institutions in modern society is the economy, which shapes not just markets but the very way we see ourselves and our place in the world. And, as with all social constructs, it is influenced by those who hold power.In Econ 101, we're introduced to Homo Economicus, the rational, self-interested individual who makes perfectly reasoned decisions geared toward maximizing utility without emotional interference. Think Spock from Star Trek. This figure is more than a character or abstract concept; it reflects the values that the market rewards and those in power promote. In environments dominated by capitalist systems — corporate boardrooms, stock exchanges, financial districts — the behavior of Homo Economicus is not just encouraged, it's essential for success. These spaces reinforce particular versions of selves, constructed by the systems that surround them.Critical geographer David Harvey emphasizes how geography and power intersect, asking us to“Imagine, for example, the absolute space of an affluent gated community on the New Jersey shore. Some of the inhabitants move in relative space on a daily basis into and out of the financial district of Manhattan where they set in motion movements of credit and investment moneys that affect social life across the globe...”These elites embody Homo Economicus and reinforce the power dynamics of capitalism, constructing an economic landscape where rational self-interest reigns supreme.But Homo Economicus is not an innate human identity. Like the concept of the “divinely appointed king” in medieval Europe, it is constructed by the economic and social systems around us. Modern capitalism creates and rewards this notion of the self. But this doesn't mean we're trapped in this role — other tracks of human nature are waiting to be heard. The question is, can we turn up the volume on those other selves?MAPPING MONEY'S MIGHTThe dominance of Homo Economicus is not just theoretical — it plays out in real, physical spaces. Economic geography shows us how capitalism manifests in cities, financial hubs, and industrial centers, creating environments that reward certain behaviors while suppressing others. As Doreen Massey, a feminist geographer, notes, social relations are constructed across all spatial scales — from global finance to local communities — and these spaces, in turn, construct us. She writes,“'The spatial' then…can be seen as constructed out of the multiplicity of social relations across all spatial scales, from the global reach of finance and telecommunications, through the geography of the tentacles of national political power, to the social relations within the town, the settlement, the household and the workplace.”Having recently returned from New York and London last summer, I was surrounded by buildings and infrastructure designed to facilitate rapid decision-making and profit maximization. These financial districts are the birthplace of Homo Economicus, where competition, efficiency, and rationality are not only celebrated but engrained in the fabric of the city. But these aren't just neutral places where economic transactions happen — they were actively shaped by human identities to shape other human identities, constructing versions of selves.Yet, capitalism's steady beat doesn't stop at the thumping urban centers. It ripples outward, reshaping rural areas, natural landscapes, and global trade routes. In these spaces, a different identity might have flourished. For example, where I grew up in Iowa, rural areas are shaped by industrial agriculture where economic pressures push farmers to adopt monoculture practices, prioritizing profit over sustainability.My father worked for farm equipment maker, Massey Ferguson in the 1970s and 80s where the company had to respond to John Deere's introduction of industrial-sized articulated tractors sold to increasingly dominant large-scale farmers. Here, the track of Homo Ecologicus — the part of us that values balance and environmental stewardship — was quieted. Meanwhile, the relentless beat of industrial capitalism continues to drown it out.However, these tracks aren't erased. In more peripheral spaces — rural farms, local markets, and environmental movements — Homo Ecologicus still survives, embodying a different approach to the world, one that capitalism often suppresses.A 2023 study showed that if 25% of institutional buyers sourced fresh food from local farms, it could generate an $800 million impact on Iowa's economy, supporting over 4,200 mid-sized farms and creating numerous agricultural jobs. In 2024 alone, Organic Valley, a cooperative that supports organic farmers, brought 40 new family farms in just the first four months of the year and was expected to add 70 more by year-end.The geography of capitalism constructs these different forms of capitalism and the human identities behind them. Where we live and work reminds us that we are shaped by the spaces we occupy. Our identities are far from static — they are deeply influenced by the economic forces, choices, and physical landscapes we inhabit and navigate — the Interplace, if you will, the interaction of people and place.INDUSTRY INFLUENCED IDENTITIESAlthough capitalism has amplified Homo Economicus in both urban and rural spaces, other aspects of human nature persist. Social constructionism teaches us that while dominant systems shape our identities, they can also be resisted. And in moments of rebellion or creativity, tracks like Homo Ecologicus and Homo Absurdum emerge, reminding us of the full spectrum of the human experience.Homo Ecologicus embodies our connection to nature and the desire for harmony with the environment. In communities focused on re-greening — whether through small urban efforts, rural sustainability, or the traditional ecological practices of the Coast Salish, which I've explored previously — these identities resurface. The Coast Salish, like many Indigenous cultures, emphasize balance and stewardship, a mindset echoed in the research of architect and sustainable urbanist, Steffen Lehmann. For example, Lehmann highlights ‘nature-based solutions', as defined by the EU, are “‘inspired and supported by nature, which are cost-effective, simultaneously provide environmental, social and economic benefits and help build resilience (…) and bring more, and more diverse, nature and natural features and processes into cities, landscapes and seascapes, through locally adapted, resource-efficient and systemic interventions'.” Both Lehmann's findings and the Coast Salish practices show that environmental stewardship and economic growth can coexist, challenging the dominance of Homo Economicus.Homo Absurdum, the playful and imaginative side of human nature, similarly pushes back against the rigid logic of capitalism. My recent piece featuring DEVO, for example, showed how embraced absurdity, irony, and satire could form a critique of conformity and dehumanization wrought by modern capitalist society. DEVO's music wasn't just about self-expression — it was an act of resistance. They reminded us that creativity and play are as fundamental to human nature as rationality and profit-seeking. Homo Absurdum thrives in moments of rebellion, where we reject the idea that our worth is tied solely to economic productivity.Even Adam Smith, the so-called father of modern economics, understood that human identity was more complex than the rational self-interest of Homo Economicus. In The Theory of Moral Sentiments, Smith emphasized empathy and care, reminding us that“How selfish soever man may be supposed, there are evidently some principles in his nature which interest him in the fortune of others, and render their happiness necessary to him.”Smith was also a product of his time, and his economic theories were socially constructed, shaped by the social and political environment of 18th-century Scotland, including the strong influence of Protestant religious values, which emphasized moral responsibility, hard work, and empathy toward others.This brings us to an important realization: Homo Economicus is not the inevitable endpoint of human identity. It's one track, amplified by the systems that hold power today. The human playlist is far more diverse, with room for care, play, connection, and environmental stewardship if we create the conditions to let these tracks play.Economics is more than just markets and numbers — it's a powerful force that shapes who we are. Through the lens of social constructionism, we see how economic systems construct certain identities, amplifying some parts of ourselves while suppressing others. In a world dominated by capitalism, Homo Economicus reigns supreme, but this doesn't mean other tracks of human nature — like Homo Ecologicus, Homo Absurdum, or Homo Communis — are lost. These tracks are still present, waiting to be heard and made part of our collective human experience.Immanuel Wallerstein, in his World-Systems Analysis, reminds us that historical moments like the French Revolution disrupted the structures that had previously determined the dominant identities of the time, legitimizing power in the hands of the people instead of monarchs or legislators.He writes,“The French Revolution propagated two quite revolutionary ideas. One was that political change was not exceptional or bizarre but normal and thus constant. The second was that ‘sovereignty' — the right of the state to make autonomous decisions within its realm — did not reside in (belong to) either a monarch or a legislature but in the ‘people' who, alone, could legitimate a regime.”In the same way, we too can challenge the dominant economic structures of today by reshaping the various ‘selves' that make ‘ourselves.'I agree with Brett Scott when he challenges us to remaster our economic tracks based on these potentialities. To bring forward the voices of care, creativity, and environmental consciousness, and let them play a stronger part of the mix. Homo Economicus may be the dominant track for now, but we have the power to remaster the mix. Let's strive for all the tracks of the human experience to play their part in creating a new, shared, and well-balanced harmony. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit interplace.io

Alex speaks with Elias Khalil about the influential ideas of Ibn Khaldun, delving into Khaldun's theories on the rise and fall of civilizations, the nature of political communities, and the importance of solidarity (Asabiyya). Khalil connects these insights to classical liberal thought and the works of Adam Smith, emphasizing Khaldun's impact on understanding political order as a product of social dynamics rather than divine intervention. References 1. "The Muqaddimah: An Introduction to History" by Ibn Khaldun, translated by Franz Rosenthal Link: https://www.amazon.ca/Muqaddimah-Introduction-History-Ibn-Khaldun/dp/0691166285 2. “Ibn Khaldoun and Adam Smith—Two Heroes of the Modern Age.” https://www.adamsmithworks.org/documents/ibnkhaldoun-and-adam-smith (Liberty Fund), 11 November 2020; 3. “Ibn Khaldûn on Property Rights, The Muqaddimah: An Introduction to History.” Journal of Institutional Economics, August 2007, 3:2, pp. 227-238. (It includes a long excerpt (pp. 233-238) from Ibn Khaldûn's The Muqaddimah: An Introduction to History.) http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S1744137407000677 4. "The Theory of Moral Sentiments" by Adam Smith Link: https://a.co/d/j7XuEp4 5. "The Wealth of Nations" by Adam Smith Link: https://www.amazon.ca/Wealth-Nations-Adam-Smith/dp/1505577128   

Beth Blum, Assistant Professor of English at Harvard, is the author of The Self-Help Compulsion (Columbia University Press 2019). In 2020, she spoke with John about how self-help went from its Victorian roots (worship greatness!) to the ingratiating unctuous style prescribed by the other-directed Dale Carnegie (everyone loves the sound of their own name) before arriving at the “neo-stoical” self-help gurus of today, who preach male and female versions of “stop apologizing!” You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll either help yourself or learn how to stop caring. Mentioned Dale Carnegie, How to Win Friends and Influence People (1936) Rachel Hollis, Girl, Stop Apologizing (2019) Mark Manson, The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F**k (2016) Richard Carlson, Don't Sweat the Small Stuff…. (1997) Alain de Botton, How Proust Can Change Your Life (2012) New Thought (philosophy? religious movement?) Samuel Smiles, Self-Help; with Illustrations of Character and Conduct (1859) Orison Swett Marden, How to Succeed (1896) David Riesman et al. The Lonely Crowd (1950) Dale Carnegie, How to Stop Worrying and Start Living (1945) Helen Gurley Brown, Having It All (1982) Micki McGee, Self-Help Inc. (2007; concept of”self-belabourment”) Tiffany Dufu, Drop the Ball: Achieving More by Doing Less Jenny Odell, How to Do Nothing (2019) Sarah Knight, The Life-Changing Magic Art of Not Giving a Fuck (2015) Recallable books Epictetus, Handbook (125 C.E.) Sheil Heti, How Should a Person Be (2012) Adam Smith, Theory of Moral Sentiments (1759) Joseph Conrad Nostromo (1904) Read Here: 38 Beth Blum on Self-Help from Carnegie to Today Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

Beth Blum, Associate Professor of English at Harvard, is the author of The Self-Help Compulsion (Columbia University Press 2019). In 2020, she spoke with John about how self-help went from its Victorian roots (worship greatness!) to the ingratiating unctuous style prescribed by the other-directed Dale Carnegie (everyone loves the sound of their own name) before arriving at the “neo-stoical” self-help gurus of today, who preach male and female versions of “stop apologizing!” You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll either help yourself or learn how to stop caring. Mentioned Dale Carnegie, How to Win Friends and Influence People (1936) Rachel Hollis, Girl, Stop Apologizing (2019) Mark Manson, The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F**k (2016) Richard Carlson, Don't Sweat the Small Stuff…. (1997) Alain de Botton, How Proust Can Change Your Life (2012) New Thought (philosophy? religious movement?) Samuel Smiles, Self-Help; with Illustrations of Character and Conduct (1859) Orison Swett Marden, How to Succeed (1896) David Riesman et al. The Lonely Crowd (1950) Dale Carnegie, How to Stop Worrying and Start Living (1945) Helen Gurley Brown, Having It All (1982) Micki McGee, Self-Help Inc. (2007; concept of”self-belabourment”) Tiffany Dufu, Drop the Ball: Achieving More by Doing Less Jenny Odell, How to Do Nothing (2019) Sarah Knight, The Life-Changing Magic Art of Not Giving a Fuck (2015) Recallable books Epictetus, Handbook (125 C.E.) Sheil Heti, How Should a Person Be (2012) Adam Smith, Theory of Moral Sentiments (1759) Joseph Conrad Nostromo (1904) Read Here: 38 Beth Blum on Self-Help from Carnegie to Today Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Beth Blum, Assistant Professor of English at Harvard, is the author of The Self-Help Compulsion (Columbia University Press 2019). In 2020, she spoke with John about how self-help went from its Victorian roots (worship greatness!) to the ingratiating unctuous style prescribed by the other-directed Dale Carnegie (everyone loves the sound of their own name) before arriving at the “neo-stoical” self-help gurus of today, who preach male and female versions of “stop apologizing!” You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll either help yourself or learn how to stop caring. Mentioned Dale Carnegie, How to Win Friends and Influence People (1936) Rachel Hollis, Girl, Stop Apologizing (2019) Mark Manson, The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F**k (2016) Richard Carlson, Don't Sweat the Small Stuff…. (1997) Alain de Botton, How Proust Can Change Your Life (2012) New Thought (philosophy? religious movement?) Samuel Smiles, Self-Help; with Illustrations of Character and Conduct (1859) Orison Swett Marden, How to Succeed (1896) David Riesman et al. The Lonely Crowd (1950) Dale Carnegie, How to Stop Worrying and Start Living (1945) Helen Gurley Brown, Having It All (1982) Micki McGee, Self-Help Inc. (2007; concept of”self-belabourment”) Tiffany Dufu, Drop the Ball: Achieving More by Doing Less Jenny Odell, How to Do Nothing (2019) Sarah Knight, The Life-Changing Magic Art of Not Giving a Fuck (2015) Recallable books Epictetus, Handbook (125 C.E.) Sheil Heti, How Should a Person Be (2012) Adam Smith, Theory of Moral Sentiments (1759) Joseph Conrad Nostromo (1904) Read Here: 38 Beth Blum on Self-Help from Carnegie to Today Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/literary-studies

Beth Blum, Assistant Professor of English at Harvard, is the author of The Self-Help Compulsion (Columbia University Press 2019). In 2020, she spoke with John about how self-help went from its Victorian roots (worship greatness!) to the ingratiating unctuous style prescribed by the other-directed Dale Carnegie (everyone loves the sound of their own name) before arriving at the “neo-stoical” self-help gurus of today, who preach male and female versions of “stop apologizing!” You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll either help yourself or learn how to stop caring. Mentioned Dale Carnegie, How to Win Friends and Influence People (1936) Rachel Hollis, Girl, Stop Apologizing (2019) Mark Manson, The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F**k (2016) Richard Carlson, Don't Sweat the Small Stuff…. (1997) Alain de Botton, How Proust Can Change Your Life (2012) New Thought (philosophy? religious movement?) Samuel Smiles, Self-Help; with Illustrations of Character and Conduct (1859) Orison Swett Marden, How to Succeed (1896) David Riesman et al. The Lonely Crowd (1950) Dale Carnegie, How to Stop Worrying and Start Living (1945) Helen Gurley Brown, Having It All (1982) Micki McGee, Self-Help Inc. (2007; concept of”self-belabourment”) Tiffany Dufu, Drop the Ball: Achieving More by Doing Less Jenny Odell, How to Do Nothing (2019) Sarah Knight, The Life-Changing Magic Art of Not Giving a Fuck (2015) Recallable books Epictetus, Handbook (125 C.E.) Sheil Heti, How Should a Person Be (2012) Adam Smith, Theory of Moral Sentiments (1759) Joseph Conrad Nostromo (1904) Read Here: 38 Beth Blum on Self-Help from Carnegie to Today Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/intellectual-history

Beth Blum, Assistant Professor of English at Harvard, is the author of The Self-Help Compulsion (Columbia University Press 2019). In 2020, she spoke with John about how self-help went from its Victorian roots (worship greatness!) to the ingratiating unctuous style prescribed by the other-directed Dale Carnegie (everyone loves the sound of their own name) before arriving at the “neo-stoical” self-help gurus of today, who preach male and female versions of “stop apologizing!” You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll either help yourself or learn how to stop caring. Mentioned Dale Carnegie, How to Win Friends and Influence People (1936) Rachel Hollis, Girl, Stop Apologizing (2019) Mark Manson, The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F**k (2016) Richard Carlson, Don't Sweat the Small Stuff…. (1997) Alain de Botton, How Proust Can Change Your Life (2012) New Thought (philosophy? religious movement?) Samuel Smiles, Self-Help; with Illustrations of Character and Conduct (1859) Orison Swett Marden, How to Succeed (1896) David Riesman et al. The Lonely Crowd (1950) Dale Carnegie, How to Stop Worrying and Start Living (1945) Helen Gurley Brown, Having It All (1982) Micki McGee, Self-Help Inc. (2007; concept of”self-belabourment”) Tiffany Dufu, Drop the Ball: Achieving More by Doing Less Jenny Odell, How to Do Nothing (2019) Sarah Knight, The Life-Changing Magic Art of Not Giving a Fuck (2015) Recallable books Epictetus, Handbook (125 C.E.) Sheil Heti, How Should a Person Be (2012) Adam Smith, Theory of Moral Sentiments (1759) Joseph Conrad Nostromo (1904) Read Here: 38 Beth Blum on Self-Help from Carnegie to Today Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/american-studies

Beth Blum, Assistant Professor of English at Harvard, is the author of The Self-Help Compulsion (Columbia University Press 2019). In 2020, she spoke with John about how self-help went from its Victorian roots (worship greatness!) to the ingratiating unctuous style prescribed by the other-directed Dale Carnegie (everyone loves the sound of their own name) before arriving at the “neo-stoical” self-help gurus of today, who preach male and female versions of “stop apologizing!” You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll either help yourself or learn how to stop caring. Mentioned Dale Carnegie, How to Win Friends and Influence People (1936) Rachel Hollis, Girl, Stop Apologizing (2019) Mark Manson, The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F**k (2016) Richard Carlson, Don't Sweat the Small Stuff…. (1997) Alain de Botton, How Proust Can Change Your Life (2012) New Thought (philosophy? religious movement?) Samuel Smiles, Self-Help; with Illustrations of Character and Conduct (1859) Orison Swett Marden, How to Succeed (1896) David Riesman et al. The Lonely Crowd (1950) Dale Carnegie, How to Stop Worrying and Start Living (1945) Helen Gurley Brown, Having It All (1982) Micki McGee, Self-Help Inc. (2007; concept of”self-belabourment”) Tiffany Dufu, Drop the Ball: Achieving More by Doing Less Jenny Odell, How to Do Nothing (2019) Sarah Knight, The Life-Changing Magic Art of Not Giving a Fuck (2015) Recallable books Epictetus, Handbook (125 C.E.) Sheil Heti, How Should a Person Be (2012) Adam Smith, Theory of Moral Sentiments (1759) Joseph Conrad Nostromo (1904) Read Here: 38 Beth Blum on Self-Help from Carnegie to Today Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/psychology

Beth Blum, Assistant Professor of English at Harvard, is the author of The Self-Help Compulsion (Columbia University Press 2019). In 2020, she spoke with John about how self-help went from its Victorian roots (worship greatness!) to the ingratiating unctuous style prescribed by the other-directed Dale Carnegie (everyone loves the sound of their own name) before arriving at the “neo-stoical” self-help gurus of today, who preach male and female versions of “stop apologizing!” You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll either help yourself or learn how to stop caring. Mentioned Dale Carnegie, How to Win Friends and Influence People (1936) Rachel Hollis, Girl, Stop Apologizing (2019) Mark Manson, The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F**k (2016) Richard Carlson, Don't Sweat the Small Stuff…. (1997) Alain de Botton, How Proust Can Change Your Life (2012) New Thought (philosophy? religious movement?) Samuel Smiles, Self-Help; with Illustrations of Character and Conduct (1859) Orison Swett Marden, How to Succeed (1896) David Riesman et al. The Lonely Crowd (1950) Dale Carnegie, How to Stop Worrying and Start Living (1945) Helen Gurley Brown, Having It All (1982) Micki McGee, Self-Help Inc. (2007; concept of”self-belabourment”) Tiffany Dufu, Drop the Ball: Achieving More by Doing Less Jenny Odell, How to Do Nothing (2019) Sarah Knight, The Life-Changing Magic Art of Not Giving a Fuck (2015) Recallable books Epictetus, Handbook (125 C.E.) Sheil Heti, How Should a Person Be (2012) Adam Smith, Theory of Moral Sentiments (1759) Joseph Conrad Nostromo (1904) Read Here: 38 Beth Blum on Self-Help from Carnegie to Today

Beth Blum, Assistant Professor of English at Harvard, is the author of The Self-Help Compulsion (Columbia University Press 2019). In 2020, she spoke with John about how self-help went from its Victorian roots (worship greatness!) to the ingratiating unctuous style prescribed by the other-directed Dale Carnegie (everyone loves the sound of their own name) before arriving at the “neo-stoical” self-help gurus of today, who preach male and female versions of “stop apologizing!” You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll either help yourself or learn how to stop caring. Mentioned Dale Carnegie, How to Win Friends and Influence People (1936) Rachel Hollis, Girl, Stop Apologizing (2019) Mark Manson, The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F**k (2016) Richard Carlson, Don't Sweat the Small Stuff…. (1997) Alain de Botton, How Proust Can Change Your Life (2012) New Thought (philosophy? religious movement?) Samuel Smiles, Self-Help; with Illustrations of Character and Conduct (1859) Orison Swett Marden, How to Succeed (1896) David Riesman et al. The Lonely Crowd (1950) Dale Carnegie, How to Stop Worrying and Start Living (1945) Helen Gurley Brown, Having It All (1982) Micki McGee, Self-Help Inc. (2007; concept of”self-belabourment”) Tiffany Dufu, Drop the Ball: Achieving More by Doing Less Jenny Odell, How to Do Nothing (2019) Sarah Knight, The Life-Changing Magic Art of Not Giving a Fuck (2015) Recallable books Epictetus, Handbook (125 C.E.) Sheil Heti, How Should a Person Be (2012) Adam Smith, Theory of Moral Sentiments (1759) Joseph Conrad Nostromo (1904) Read Here: 38 Beth Blum on Self-Help from Carnegie to Today Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/popular-culture

Hello Interactors,We've entered fall here in the northern hemisphere, and you know what that means — pumpkin spice everything, cozy sweaters, and … economics! That's right, as the leaves change color (at least for those above 40°N latitude), it's the perfect time to explore how the changing seasons mirror shifts in human interaction, from the flow of resources to the balance of power and progress. This week, it's time to cozy up with Adam Smith, Jeremy Bentham, and James Watt —three names you probably didn't expect to find together, but trust me, they make quite the trio. So grab your favorite fall beverage and join me on a journey through the Industrial Revolution, steam engines, and the forgotten role of moral feedback loops in economics. Let's find out why balancing wealth and well-being is harder than finding a public restroom in an old university. PURGING THE URGE FOR SYMPATHYI needed to pee. More specifically, the stretch receptors in the walls of my bladder, which monitor the volume of urine inside, became activated. That sent sensory signals to the spinal cord and brain through my pelvic nerves. The pons in the brainstem (which includes a dedicated urination control center) processed this information in coordination with my prefrontal cortex, which allowed for conscious control over my decision to urinate.It was a Sunday, and the campus was dead. Lucky for me a door was open, so I ducked in and began my search for a potty. The hallway was musty and narrow. The walls were old, but not as old as the 250-year-old structure surrounding it. There was no immediately visible sign for a restroom, but there were numerous potential doors and directions for me to attempt. As I approached one of them, the industrial grade door magically opened before I could even touch it. I cautiously inched forward half wondering if it would lock behind me.Now inside another chamber further in the interior, I was met with another set of mysterious doors. I stepped inside another narrower hallway that twisted suddenly to a sign above another door that read WC. Whatever Potter-esque ghosts had guided me here clearly had sympathy. And so did my parasympathetic nervous system. It simultaneously signaled the detrusor muscle of my bladder wall to contract and my urethral sphincter to relax. I stood there in relief wondering if I could find my way out.I was visiting the University of Glasgow, hoping to learn more about its famous figures, especially Adam Smith, whom I see as an important moral philosopher rather than just the “father of economics.” A few days later in Edinburgh, I tortured my family by leading them on a search for his gravestone. I was pleased to find it acknowledged his The Theory of Moral Sentiments, where sympathy balances self-interest, as well as his more popular The Wealth of Nations. Unsurprisingly, the nearby tourist plaque focused only on Wealth of Nations, reflecting the emphasis on economics over his broader moral philosophy.Adam Smith's moral philosophy was central to his life's work, with The Theory of Moral Sentiments being his enduring focus, while The Wealth of Nations but a brief but significant interlude. For Smith, economics was not just about market mechanics, but deeply intertwined with human nature, ethics, and the broader pursuit of communal well-being. He was more concerned with the motivations behind human actions than with the technical details of market forces, which came to dominate modern economics. Smith believed that the drive for self-betterment was not solely about personal wealth but was intrinsically linked to the well-being of communities, where self-interest was balanced by sympathy for others.In Smith's view, economic actions should be guided by moral virtues, such as prudence and justice, ensuring that individual efforts to improve one's own life would ultimately contribute to the greater good of society. His exploration of economics was always part of a larger moral framework, where community engagement and ethical behavior were essential for both individual and societal progress. Today, this broader moral context is often overlooked, but for Smith, economics was inseparable from philosophical inquiry into human behavior. He emphasized how the improvement of human life goes far beyond just the accumulation of material wealth.MORALS MEET MARKET MANIPULATIONMany conservatives today may brush this interpretation as being too ‘woke'. Well, some eventually did back then too. As the British economy was expanding in Smith's later years, he spoke in favor of capping interest rates with usury law. Usury is defined as the practice of making unethical or immoral loans that unfairly enrich the lender, often involving excessive or abusive interest rates. He believed exorbitant rates could lead to preying on the disadvantaged during a time of need resulting in growing disadvantages to the larger community.Historically, many societies including ancient Christian, Jewish, Islamic, and Buddhist communities considered charging interest of any kind as wrong or illegal. Smith was rooted in elements of Christian morals, but critics claimed he was being hypocritical. They pointed to examples in his publications, often out of context, of where he suggested government can't know better than individuals about their own risks, costs, and benefits and thus should not meddle.But even in The Wealth of Nations Smith was clear about three conditions necessary for an effective economy and with each he paired moral values also found in The Theory of Moral Sentiments:* State-Justice: Smith argued, “Commerce and manufacturers…can seldom flourish long in any state which does not enjoy a regular administration of justice,” emphasizing the need for laws that ensure security and regulate excessive accumulation of wealth.* Market-Liberty: He valued the “liberty of trade…notwithstanding some restraints,” while warning that monopolies “hurt…the general interest of the country.”* Community-Benevolence: Rooted in moral sentiments, Smith believed in a shared commitment to community, where “many reputable rules…must have been laid down and approved of by common consent.”Smith's main usury critic was the philosopher Jeremy Bentham, known for developing the philosophy of utilitarianism. A letter written to Smith in 1787 stated:“Should it be my fortune to gain any advantage over you, it must be with weapons which you have taught me to wield, and with which you yourself have furnished me…I can see scarce any other way of convicting you of any error or oversight, than by judging you out of your own mouth.”Bentham is most famous for the idea of “maximizing the greatest happiness for the greatest number” which helped promote legal reforms and social progress including welfare, equal rights for women, the separation of church and state, and the decriminalization of homosexual acts. But his ultimate focus of utilitarianism was on the practical outcomes of policies going so far as to develop mathematical formulas, called felicific calculus, to determine how much pleasure or pain must be inflicted in society to achieve the most happiness for the greatest number.He was also a staunch economic expansionist, believing, as verified in his calculus, that it would expand good for most. It would be his student, John Stuart Mill, who expanded on but also critiqued Bentham's utilitarianism later in the mid 1800s.“I conceive Mr. Bentham's writings to have done and to be doing very serious evil. It is by such things that the more enthusiastic and generous minds are prejudiced against all his other speculations, and against the very attempt to make ethics and politics a subject of precise and philosophical thinking.”Mill too was an expansionist, but acknowledged utilitarian reasoning could be used to defend exploitive and immoral colonial practices, including slavery. Mill believed slavery "effectually brutifies the intellect" of both slave and the enslaver and condemned the notion that certain races were inherently inferior and required subjugation.Nevertheless, early colonizers and imperialists, as well as modern day neo-liberals weaponized elements of utilitarianism much like they did with The Wealth of Nations. They used (and continue to use) select elements to justify laissez-faire economics, deregulation, and the exploitation of labor, often prioritizing economic efficiency over moral considerations such as fairness and social equity.For example, Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan both used utilitarian logic believing their policies would maximize overall economic growth and prosperity, benefiting society as a whole, even at the expense of rising inequality and social welfare. Their consequentialist approach justified market-driven reforms for a perceived greater good. Given today's historic wealth imbalances, the result of that calculus is less than convincing.Bentham also failed to convince Smith in that fateful letter, but to many it marked a notable shift in economic thinking and philosophy. Smith passed away three years after his exchange with Bentham and theoretical mathematical utilitarianism became the ultimate measure of right and wrong in governance and ethics in the UK and the US. Smith's morality, which emphasized moral virtues guiding economic actions, lost out to consequentialisms focus solely on outcomes, often justifying exploitation and suffering if it maximized societal gain and economic expansion for the expansionists — despite John Stuart Mill's, and countless others, objections.ECONOMIC ENGINES IN MORAL MACHINESDuring Adam Smith's lifetime, the Industrial Age rapidly emerged, transforming economies and wealth structures. Technological advancements, like the steam engine, fueled industrial capitalism, driving unprecedented economic growth and wealth accumulation. This focus on efficiency relied on maximizing productivity, whether through steam-powered machines, the exploitation of enslaved people, the working poor, or the displacement of Indigenous populations, prioritizing economic gain over human well-being.In 1783, while Smith and Bentham were debating economic philosophy, James Watt was at the University of Glasgow, focused on regulating unchecked power —specifically the excessive speed of steam engines which he helped to invent. To prevent mechanical failures from fluctuating steam pressure, Watt invented the centrifugal governor. This device used weighted iron balls that spun outward with centrifugal force as the engine's speed increased, raising a spindle that adjusted a valve to control steam flow. By automatically reducing steam when the engine ran too fast and increasing it when it slowed, the governor ensured safe and efficient operation. Watt's invention, introduced in 1788, was in full production by 1790, paving the way for innovations like the first steam locomotive in 1804.Watt's governor symbolized the need to impose limits on unchecked mechanical power, ensuring the engine operated within safe and efficient parameters. This technological innovation mirrored a broader theme of the Industrial Revolution — the balance between harnessing new, powerful technologies for economic growth while recognizing the risks of unregulated force, whether in machines or the rapid, unrestrained accumulation of wealth and resources in society. Watt's governor was an early acknowledgment that unchecked power, whether mechanical or economic, could lead to instability and disaster."I am never content until I have constructed a mechanical model of the subject I am studying. If I succeed in making one, I understand. Otherwise, I do not." – Lord KelvinOur brains also act as a kind of governor on the unchecked power of our kidneys, just as moral feedback loops serve as a governor on unchecked economic ambition. Like the stretch receptors in our bladder sensing when fluid volume builds, moral reasoning, as Smith envisioned, detects the social and ethical consequences of unfettered economic expansion. These signals, akin to the centrifugal force moving the governor's spindle, prompt individuals and society to regulate their actions, guiding decisions based not only on self-interest but on moral duty.In contrast, Bentham's utilitarian calculus, much like a theoretical mathematical model divorced from natural systems, ignores these ethical feedback loops. By relying solely on abstract calculations of happiness and efficiency, Bentham's approach, like a machine operating without awareness of its environment, risks distorting human and social behaviors. Where Smith's model calls for moral constraints on economic behavior, much like the body's signals to prevent overstretching, Bentham's framework lacks the necessary human safeguards, leading to potential exploitation and imbalance in pursuit of theoretical utility maximization.I do wonder what our economic systems would look like if, like our bodies, they were designed to self-regulate, ensuring that the pursuit of wealth doesn't come at the expense of human well-being? Just as our bodily functions rely on natural feedback loops to maintain equilibrium, why have we allowed our economies to run unchecked, often leading to exploitation and inequality? Adam Smith believed in moral constraints on ambition, yet today, much of our economic thinking prioritizes growth without those safeguards.As walked off campus that day, I reflected on Watt's governor regulating the steam engine and the moral feedback loops Smith envisioned. I wondered if Smith and Watt made the metaphoric connection in their encounters with one another, maybe even on their way to relieve themselves in the very building in which I found myself. Perhaps they each happened on this connection in their own thought experiments, which makes me wonder why more don't today? Surely there's a morally sound way to balance personal gain with the greater good — a bit like public restrooms. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit interplace.io

Matt speaks with Jeffrey Miron about the justice and effectiveness of "sin taxes," evaluating whether taxes on goods like alcohol, tobacco, and sugary drinks achieve their intended public health goals or whether they unfairly restrict individual choice. The conversation explores the ethical implications of using taxation as a tool for social engineering and questions the actual impact these policies have on behavior. References "Should Governments Try to Reduce Sin?" by Jeffrey Miron Link: https://scholar.harvard.edu/miron/publications/should-governments-try-reduce-sin "The Time Travelling Dietitian" (YouTube Video) Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Ua-WVg1SsA "Nudge: Improving Decisions About Health, Wealth, and Happiness" by Richard H. Thaler and Cass R. Sunstein Link: https://www.amazon.ca/Nudge-Improving-Decisions-Health-Happiness/dp/014311526X "The Ethics of Taxation" by Jane G. Gravelle Link: https://www.amazon.ca/Ethics-Taxation-Jane-Gravelle/dp/XXXXX "The Theory of Moral Sentiments" by Adam Smith Link: https://www.amazon.ca/Theory-Moral-Sentiments-Adam-Smith/dp/XXXXX "For Your Own Good: The Anti-Smoking Crusade and the Tyranny of Public Health" by Jacob Sullum Link: https://www.amazon.ca/For-Your-Own-Good-Public/dp/0684849520 "The Constitution of Liberty" by Friedrich Hayek Link: https://www.amazon.ca/Constitution-Liberty-Friedrich-Hayek/dp/0226320847 Thanks to our patrons including: Amy Willis, Kris Rondolo, and Christopher McDonald. To become a patron, go to patreon.com/curioustask

Much of the field of economics derives its theories from a subset of Adam Smith's philosophy found in the Wealth of Nations. But are economists overlooking other parts of Adam Smith's teachings that could explain more about human behavior and economics?  Nobel-prize winning economist Vernon L. Smith is an emeritus professor of economics and law at Chapman University. His books like Rationality in Economics: Constructivist and Ecological Forms and Humanomics: Moral Sentiments and the Wealth of Nations for the Twenty-First Century explore how human behavior shapes economics.Vernon and Greg discuss the role Adam Smith's Theory of Moral Sentiments plays in understanding behavioral economics, Vernon's early supply and demand experiments, and how his work shaped the field of experimental economics. *unSILOed Podcast is produced by University FM.*Show Links:Recommended Resources:Adam Smith StoicismAlfred MarshallEdward ChamberlinMilton FriedmanKevin A McCabeCharles HoltBetsy HoffmanGuest Profile:Faculty Profile at Chapman UniversityNobel Prize Winner BioHis Work:Economics of Markets: Neoclassical Theory, Experiments, and Theory of Classical Price DiscoveryRationality in Economics: Constructivist and Ecological FormsHumanomics: Moral Sentiments and the Wealth of Nations for the Twenty-First Century A Life of Experimental Economics, Volume I: Forty Years of DiscoveryA Life of Experimental Economics, Volume II: The Next Fifty YearsEpisode Quotes:Do humans learn economics through experience, not theory?39:09: People don't get the economics right by thinking about it. They get it right by actually participating in markets and getting a feel for what's going on. And I argue that humans are very good, once they do that. Sure, they can be fooled. And they do a lot of crazy things in a new market before they've acquired experience, but they adapt very well. And so, that equilibrium concepts are relevant. But the behavior is very much experience-oriented. And so, they get there through experiential learning. You see more than just abstract analysis and thinking about it.Perspective is at the foundation of the theorem of moral sentiments12:29: [The relationship] Perspective is at the foundation of the Theory of Moral Sentiments. That's what he's [Adam Smith] talking about—sentiments. An important part of it is fellow feeling.Gratitude influences sacrifice and motivates cooperation48:16: Gratitude creates indebtedness. And so people may have self-interested motivations, but they also have this motivation to get along with others. And so this proposition predicts, in the trust game, that people are sacrificing; they're taking less reward in order to do what they believe is right, to treat this person.Why is Vernon championing Adam Smith's principles in the modern way of thinking about economics?56:45: So that's why I'm a champion of trying to get that pattern of thinking and Adam Smith's principles into the modern way of thinking in economics. Economics and psychology, and in economics, because the Theorem of Sentiments was a contribution to social psychology that just never took hold. It was another hundred years, you see, before psychology started to do anything. And it was the beginning of the 20th century before psychology became very prominent. And then it was individual psychology, not social psychology. I think Adam Smith would find that strange.

In a money-hungry world that's focused on profits, ethical impact investing seeks to re-introduce compassion and benevolence to our system of buying, selling and money-making.Sam Richards is the Managing Director of Brightlight, an investment firm that seeks to do more than simply make money. Brightlight - along with a growing number of family offices and individual investors - seeks to use financial markets to improve social and environmental outcomes for real people in real communities. In this interview with Life & Faith, Sam offers us a glimpse into the world of ethical investing - its motivations, its challenges, its inner workings and its growing impact.---Explore: Brightlight website CPX Podcast Episode: The Ethics of What We Eat Adam Smith's ‘Theory of Moral Sentiments'

Sean Illing talks with Glory Liu, the author of Adam Smith's America: How a Scottish Philosopher became an Icon of American Capitalism. Smith is most well-known for being the “father of capitalism,” but as Liu points out in her book, his legacy has been misappropriated — especially in America. They discuss his original intentions and what we can take away from his work today. Host: Sean Illing (@seanilling), host, The Gray Area Guest: Glory Liu (@miss_glory), author; lecturer, Harvard University References: Adam Smith's America: How a Scottish Philosopher became an Icon of American Capitalism by Glory Liu (Princeton; 2022) Adam Smith: An Enlightened Life by Nicholas Phillipson (Yale; 2012) Free to Choose: A Personal Statement by Milton & Rose Friedman (Harcourt; 1980) “Adam Smith's ‘History of Astronomy' and view of science” by Kwangsu Kim (Cambridge Journal of Economics v. 36; 2012) Works by Adam Smith: The Wealth of Nations (1776) Theory of Moral Sentiments (1759) Lectures on Jurisprudence (1763) Enjoyed this episode? Rate The Gray Area ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and leave a review on Apple Podcasts. Be the first to hear new episodes of The Gray Area by following us in your favorite podcast app. Links here: https://www.vox.com/the-gray-area Support The Gray Area by making a financial contribution to Vox! bit.ly/givepodcasts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The digital realm is rife with invisible threats, and this episode doesn't shy away from the gritty realities of ransomware and the burgeoning industry of cyber insurance. We tackle the conundrum: How do these defensive expenditures impact our economy when they don't actually produce anything tangible? From the early days of cyber insurance to the ongoing battle against hackers, learn how organizations across the board—from the halls of government to the frontlines of business—are fortifying their defenses against a barrage of cyber threats, each with their own unique strategies and vulnerabilities.Wrapping up with a human touch, our conversation turns to the pivotal role individuals play in the security of networks and the negotiation tactics employed once defenses have been breached. And because all work and no play makes for a dull podcast, we round off the session with a sprinkling of economic humor, answering listener queries with a blend of wit and wisdom. Don't forget, for those hungry for more knowledge, I've got some book recommendations to deepen your understanding of the legendary thinker Adam Smith. Links:Anja Shortland Website:  https://www.kcl.ac.uk/people/anja-shortland-1Duke CHOPE Hayek Lecture with Dr. Shortland:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Czs2EYDo2sIBooks:Arthur Herman: How the Scots Invented the Modern World https://www.amazon.com/How-Scots-Invented-Modern-World/dp/0609809997James Otteson: Adam Smith's Marketplace of Life https://www.amazon.com/Adam-Smiths-Marketplace-James-Otteson/dp/0521016568/ref=monarch_sidesheetAdam Smith: The Theory of Moral Sentiments  https://www.libertyfund.org/books/the-theory-of-moral-sentiments/EconTalk Book Club (six episodes):  https://www.econtalk.org/klein-on-the-theory-of-moral-sentiments-episode-1-an-overview/If you have questions or comments, or want to suggest a future topic, email the show at taitc.email@gmail.com ! You can follow Mike Munger on Twitter at @mungowitz

Most governments around the world – whether democracies or autocracies – face at least some pressure to respond to citizen concerns on some social problems. But the issues that capture public attention — the ones on which states have incentives to be responsive – aren't always the issues on which bureaucracies, agents of the state, have the ability to solve problems. What do these public agencies do when citizens' demands don't line up with either the supply of state capacity or the incentives of the central state?Our guest, Dr. Iza Ding, an Associate Professor of Political Science at Northwestern University, examines one way in which bureaucrats try to square this circle. In her recent book The Performative State: Public Scrutiny and Environmental Governance in China, Iza argues that state actors who need to respond but lack substantive capacity can instead choose to perform governance for public audiences. Iza explores the puzzling case of China's Environmental Protection Bureau or the EPB, a bureaucratic agency set up to regulate polluting companies. This issue of polluted air became a national crisis during the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics when athletes were struggling to breathe let alone compete. Since then, Chinese citizens have been directing their pollution-related complaints to the EPB, which Iza found, has been given little power by the state to impose fines or shut down polluting factories. But that doesn't mean the civil servants working in this agency do nothing. Instead, Iza documents how and why they routinely deploy symbols, language, and theatrical gestures of good governance to give the appearance of dynamic action – all while leaving many environmental problems utterly unaddressed. We talk with Iza about how she uncovered these performative dynamics through months of ethnographic research in which she was embedded within a Chinese environmental protection agency. She also tells us about how she tested her claims using original media and public opinion data. Finally, we talk about how her findings about performative governance in the environmental space translates to China's COVID-19 response.Works cited in this episode:Beraja, Martin, et al. "AI-Tocracy." The Quarterly Journal of Economics, Vol. 138, No. 3, 2023, pp. 1349-1402.Dimitrov, Martin K. Dictatorship and Information: Authoritarian Regime Resilience in Communist Europe and China. Oxford University Press, 2023.Fukuyama, Francis. State Building: Governance and World Order in the 21st Century. London: Profile Books, 2017.Goffman, Erving. “On Face-Work.” In Interaction Ritual: Essays in Face-to-Face Behav­ior, edited by Erving Goffman, pp. 5–45. Chicago: Aldine Transaction, 1967.Marx, Karl and Friedrich Engels. The Communist Manifesto. Edited by Jeffrey C. Isaac. New Haven: Yale University Press, 2012.Smith, Adam. The Wealth of Nations [Book IV-V]. New York: Penguin Books, 2000.Smith, Adam. The Theory of Moral Sentiments. New York: Penguin 2010.Walder, Andrew G. Communist Neo-Traditionalism: Work and Authority in Chinese Industry.  Berkeley: University of California Press, 1988.Weber, Max. “The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism.” In The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism and Other Writings, edited by Peter Baehr and Gordon C. Wells. New York: Penguin Books, 2002.Weber, Max. “Politics as a Vocation.” In From Max Weber: Essays in Sociology , edited and translated by H. H. Gerth and C. Wright Mills, 77–128. New York: Oxford University Press, 1946.

Kristen Collins interviews Eric Schliesser on playing, liberty, and the Das Adam Smith Problem. In their conversation, they discuss the "Das Adam Smith Problem" which addresses the perceived inconsistency between Smith's works, "Wealth of Nations" and "The Theory of Moral Sentiments," as well as other topics including Smith's critique of Stoicism, how Smith's ideas still apply today in the modern era of AI technology, the invisible hand and its reinterpretation, and the division of labor and the side affects of social alienation. They converse on the role of childhood play and innovation on liberalism and building a sense of togetherness in society, and more!Eric Schliesser is a Professor of Political Science at the University of Amsterdam. He is the author of Adam Smith: Systematic Philsopher and Public Thinker (Oxford University Press, 2017), and he received his PhD in Philosophy from the University of Chicago. Eric runs a substack called "Digressions Impressions."Read more work from Kristen Collins.If you like the show, please subscribe, leave a 5-star review, and tell others about the show! We're available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and wherever you get your podcasts.Follow the Hayek Program on Twitter: @HayekProgramLearn more about Academic & Student ProgramsFollow the Mercatus Center on Twitter: @mercatus

Chapter 1 Interpret what the Literary work The Theory Of Moral Sentiments is about"The Theory of Moral Sentiments" is a book written by Adam Smith, first published in 1759. It is considered one of the foundational texts in the field of moral philosophy. In this work, Smith explores the nature of morality and the mechanisms behind human ethical behavior. Smith argues that moral sentiments, such as sympathy and empathy, are inherent to human nature and shape our moral judgments. He emphasizes the importance of social interactions and the role of fellow-feeling in developing a moral sense. Smith's ideas on morality laid the groundwork for his later work on economics and his influential book "The Wealth of Nations."Chapter 2 Is the Literary work The Theory Of Moral Sentiments A Good BookMany scholars and readers consider Adam Smith's "The Theory of Moral Sentiments" to be a significant and influential work in the field of moral philosophy. It explores the role of moral sentiments and emotions in human behavior, emphasizing the importance of sympathy, justice, and virtue. The book delves into various topics such as moral judgments, the role of conscience, and the influence of social institutions on moral behavior.Whether it is a good book or not depends on your personal interests and preferences. If you are interested in moral philosophy, ethics, and the exploration of human nature, you will likely find it insightful and thought-provoking. However, if you are not particularly interested in these topics or prefer a different writing style, you may not enjoy it as much.Ultimately, the book's reputation and contributions to moral philosophy make it a worthwhile read for those interested in understanding how moral sentiments shape human behavior and society.Chapter 3 Key Features of the Literary work The Theory Of Moral Sentiments"The Theory of Moral Sentiments" is a philosophical and psychological work written by Adam Smith, best known for his pioneering work in economics and capitalism. Published in 1759, it explores human nature, ethics, and the concept of moral sentiments.Smith argues that moral judgments are not solely based on reason or self-interest but are deeply rooted in human emotions and empathy. He proposes that humans have an innate desire for approval and sympathy from others, which leads them to consider the perspectives and well-being of others when making moral decisions.According to Smith, moral values and virtues are shaped by the sympathy we feel towards others. He suggests that sympathy is a natural human instinct that allows individuals to understand and share the sentiments and emotions of others. Smith argues that this empathy and ability to put oneself in others' shoes are the basis for moral judgment and social cohesion.Smith further explores the role of self-interest and the relationship between individual and societal interests. He argues that while self-interest is a powerful motivator, individuals also recognize the importance of acting in accordance with moral principles to gain social approval and maintain harmonious relationships within society.The book also delves into the concept of justice and how it relates to empathy and sympathy. Smith suggests that justice is based on the moral sentiments of fairness and impartiality. He posits that individuals have a natural sense of justice that allows them to engage in mutually beneficial cooperation and establish social order.Overall, "The Theory of Moral Sentiments" presents a moral theory grounded in human emotions and empathy. Smith challenges the prevailing theories of his time,...

"...our first moral criticisms are exercised upon the characters and conduct of other people; and we are all very forward to observe how each of these affects us..."This week, I'm reading a quote from The Theory of Moral Sentiments by Adam Smith, published in 1759.Reflection question:In your network of influence, perhaps in your family or friends, how are you sharing the joy of giving as a model to the younger generation?To read: The Theory of Moral Sentiments by Adam Smith.Copyright expired. This work has entered the public domain.To explore fundraising coaching deeper and to schedule an exploratory session, visit ServingNonprofits.com.Music credit: Woeisuhmebop

None Wiser than the Law is a miniseries of in-depth conversations with Justice MN Venkatachaliah, providing an intimate exploration of the legal realm, his life journey, political insights, and the Indian constitution. The title of this podcast draws inspiration from Aristotle, who said to seek to be wiser than the law is the very thing which is by good laws forbidden. Justice Venkatachaliah, a distinguished figure in the realm of jurisprudence, acknowledges this aphorism in one of his landmark judgments, setting the tone for this series of conversations. The host, Alok Prasanna Kumar, a co-founder of the Vidhi Centre for Legal Policy, spoke to former Chief Justice of India MN Venkatachaliah in August 2023. Their discussion spans an array of topics, encapsulating the Justice's journey from a young lawyer to a Supreme Court judge, his landmark judgments, and his insights on the ever-evolving legal landscape and society. With over seventy years of experience as a lawyer, judge and public figure, Justice Venkatachaliah has seen it all - the birth of indepedendent India, the tenures of multiple Prime Ministers, the rise of social movements, secession, deep social conflicts and their resolutions.  What does he make of India and the journey it has taken over the last 75 odd years?  In this episode, we will be hearing from Justice Venkatachaliah on his perspectives on the state of the Indian judiciary, what the legal profession ought to be like and where legal education should go.  Subscribe to the BIC Talks Podcast on your favourite podcast app! BIC Talks is available everywhere, including iTunes, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Castbox, Overcast and Stitcher.   Cases DPP v. Shaw [1961] UKHL 1 (04 May 1961) https://judicialacademy.nic.in/sites/default/files/1453024387_Shaw%20v%20DPP%201961.pdf In re, Erada Padinharedil Govindan Nair v. State , May 4, 1992 https://www.casemine.com/judgement/in/56e138de607dba3896624e18 Ameer Khan case (1870), https://frontline.thehindu.com/the-nation/the-habeas-corpus-case-1870/article10107326.ece, for a larger discussion on the larger principles : https://deepakmiglani.com/writ-jurisdiction-of-the-high-courts/ Legislation The Bill of Rights, 1689, UK https://www.parliament.uk/about/living-heritage/evolutionofparliament/parliamentaryauthority/revolution/collections1/collections-glorious-revolution/billofrights/ US Patriots Act, https://www.justice.gov/archive/ll/what_is_the_patriot_act.pdf Books Responsa: Selected Legal Opinions by Sir Tej Bahadur Sapru, 1976 https://books.google.co.in/books/about/Responsa.html?id=zIBRAQAAIAAJ&redir_esc=y The theory of Moral Sentiments, Adam Smith 1790. https://www.ibiblio.org/ml/libri/s/SmithA_MoralSentiments_p.pdf

This week on the Mixtape with Scott, I have a very special guest. Adam Smith, the so-called founder of economics, and author of two best selling books, The Theory of Moral Sentiments published in 1759 and An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations (buy it now for $2800 here at eBay!) published in 1776. I know what you're thinking. “But Scott, that would make Adam Smith very old, even probably dead, wouldn't it?” And you're right on both counts! Adam Smith was a moral philosopher born in 1723 in Scotland so it literally makes him 300 years old, and yes, very dead. But I decided to push through that anyway and a few months ago asked ChatGPT-4 to essentially pretend to be Adam Smith for my podcast without any awareness or surprise. This podcast is somewhere between a seance and a play. It is the ghost in the machine — literally. I did a one hour interview with ChatGPT-4 who played the part of Adam Smith using the same style of interviewing I do with all the economists on the show — personal stories. This was all done in the ChatGPT-4 browser, and it was then recorded using Amazon AWS Polly “text to voice” using a British male's voice named “Arthur”. This is part of a class assignment I have been doing this semester at Baylor University in my History of Economic Thought class. I got the idea to do this earlier this summer when I saw that the economist, Tyler Cowen, had interviewed Jonathan Swift using ChatGPT-4. So I decided to build into my classes an assignment where the students had to do it too. My students had to interview four 18th to early 20th century economists, with the final project being a recorded interview much like I did, and to show them it could be done, I interviewed Adam Smith. And boy was it fun. It was fun because of how novel it was, but it was also fun because of how thought provoking it was for me to learn about Smith's first book Theory of Moral Sentiments, and listening to ChatGPT-4 speculate about the book's connections to other ideas. I was mesmerized by the entire experience and really didn't know what to make of it. After all, language models hallucinate; I already knew this. But then it dawned on me — this entire interview is a hallucination. What does it mean for a large language model to “be” Adam Smith when in fact Adam Smith never said any of these words? It means for ChatGPT-4 to hallucinate. Question is, though: is this a good hallucination or is it a bad one, and how to we judge that and should we even care? I wonder if hallucinating is a feature, not a bug, of ChatGPT-4. Is this any good? Is it something useful? I think so. Students seemed to have gotten a lot out of it. It requires the suspension of disbelief but then so does watching fantasy, or ready science fiction. Your mileage may vary on how much you enjoy it, and maybe the things we discuss aren't so profound but I didn't know a lot about him before doing this. So it was just nice to listen and learn more about the man, though a Smith scholar will need to tell me what's accurate and what isn't (as I said, technically it's inaccurate from start to finish by definition).My PhD student, Jared Black, is in my history of economic thought class and has enjoyed being able to interrogate these old economists and their ideas. He decided to create his own GPT chatbot using OpenAI's builder environment and said I could share it. https://chat.openai.com/g/g-GJeexE26G-ask-an-economist Ask to talk to Bentham or Nassau or Senior or Say or Marx. Just remember to be polite. A recent RCT found that if you're nice to ChatGPT-4, it tends to perform tasks better. I swear I saw that study, but now I can't find it, but it seems true so I'm going to cite it. Thanks again for tolerating me on this podcast. Even though this may seem gimmicky, in a way it is fully consistent with the shows premise. The show is about the personal stories of economists and the hope that by simply listening to economists' stories, we can better understand our own story. The hope, too, is that in the long run, we hear a story of the profession itself. After all, we use stories to navigate our lives, and though stories like models are in some sense “wrong”, sometimes they are useful. This story is wrong, too, but maybe it'll be useful. Peace!Scott's Substack is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to Scott's Substack at causalinf.substack.com/subscribe

Belief in big government is almost uncontroversial on the political left. But is the state really the best means to achieve leftist ends? On this episode, Communications Officer Harrison Griffiths speaks with George Mason University Professor Peter Boetkke to discuss the work of Don Lavoie. In his books National Economic Planning: What is Left? and Rivalry and Central Planning, Lavoie made the left-wing case for individual liberty and free markets. National Economic Planning: What is Left? https://www.mercatus.org/hayekprogram/research/books/rivalry-and-central-planning Rivalry and Central Planning https://www.mercatus.org/hayekprogram/research/books/national-economic-planning#:~:text=National%20Economic%20Planning%3A%20What%20Is%20Left%3F%20is%20as%20comprehensive%20as,policymakers%20of%20every%20political%20persuasion.

With national conservatism on the rise, has the political Right abandoned freedom? On this week's episode of Moral Sentiments, IEA Communications Officer Harrison Griffiths speaks to IEA Senior Research Fellow Jamie Whyte about the ideology behind the creeping authoritarianism within conservatism.

"This disposition to admire, and almost to worship, the rich and the powerful, and to despise, or, at least, to neglect persons of poor and mean condition... is... the great and most universal cause of the corruption of our moral sentiments. That wealth and greatness are often regarded with the respect and admiration which are due only to wisdom and virtue; and that the contempt, of which vice and folly are the only proper objects, is often most unjustly bestowed upon poverty and weakness, has been the complaint of moralists in all ages..."This week, I'm reading a quote from The Theory of Moral Sentiments by Adam Smith. Published in 1759.Reflection question:How are you reminding yourself, as you lift up the neglected and the vulnerable, that you are taking the road of character of wisdom, virtue, and justice?To read: The Theory of Moral Sentiments by Adam Smith.Copyright expired.To explore fundraising coaching deeper and to schedule an exploratory session, visit ServingNonprofits.com.Music credit: Woeisuhmebop

David Schmidtz discusses the inseparability of successful communities and successful lives.Follow @IdeasHavingSexxToday's Book: Living Together: Inventing Moral ScienceDavid's university page & author pageDiscussed and recommended: The Nicomachean Ethics by Aristotle; The Theory of Moral Sentiments by Adam Smith; A Treatise of Human Nature by David Hume; Anthropology from a Pragmatic Point of View by Immanuel Kant; Honorable Business: A Framework for Business in a Just and Humane Society by James Otteson;

Adam Smith, born in 1723 and the father of modern economic theory, remains one of the most influential writers on markets development and state formation.  He is also the author of Theory of Moral Sentiments, an examination of how people relate to one another.  Peter S. Onuf, the Thomas Jefferson Memorial Foundation Professor emeritus at the University of Virginia, prolific scholar of the life and thought of Thomas Jefferson, joins us to talk about Adam Smith, the Scottish enlightenment, and Revolutionary America. 

Austerity is a potent weapon of class warfare. Political economist David Fields talks with Steve about the ways austerity serves to discipline labor, as it has been doing since the Bolshevik revolution. They touch on the reasons capitalism cannot risk full employment, as explained by both Karl Marx and Michal Kalecki.David wants people to read Adam Smith's The Wealth of Nations or The Theory of Moral Sentiments. Even Smith, the father of the “invisible hand,” said government is instituted for the security of property — for the rich against the poor.The discussion touches on the current inflation, comparing the true causes to the mainstream narrative.“There's been a very coordinated, calculated campaign with well-known economists. Call it neoliberalism. Call it what you want, financialization... The concepts, terms, economic principles that we take for granted are not value-neutral.”We are embedded in a system of winners and losers and we're meant to believe there's no other way. Workers must be prevented from understanding the trifecta of austerity – fiscal, monetary, and industrial.Bio: David M. Fields, Political Economist, Utah. From a critical realist & genetic structuralist ontology & epistemology, David's scholarly work centers on the intricacies concerning the interactions of foreign exchange & capital flows with economic growth, fiscal & monetary policy, and distribution, whereby attention is paid to the nature of money and international political economy. He has published in the following journals: Review of International Political Economy, Review of Political Economy, American Review of Political Economy, the Review of Keynesian Economics, and the Review of Radical Political Economics. Additionally, he has provided book chapter contributions to The Encyclopedia of Post-Keynesian Economics, The Encyclopedia of Central Banking, and the Wiley-Blackwell Encyclopedia of Globalization. David received his graduate degree from the University of Utah; his bachelor's from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.@ProfDavidFields on Twitter

Workforce preparation is a crucial task that all community institutions – from families, to schools, to civic organizations – contribute to. It takes a village to make a good employee. However, few organizations, educational institutions, and nonprofits have adopted as well-rounded of an approach as the Urban Assembly, a nonprofit that equips schools to deliver social-emotional learning to students.In this episode of Hardly Working, I speak with David Adams, CEO of Urban Assembly as he explains his journey of moral and vocational formation, including how it sparked his passion for the social-emotional and educational success of students. In doing so, he describes some of the unique initiatives that have made Urban Assembly successful, despite the numerous challenges public education experiences today. Our conversation also illuminates policy options for improving opportunity and equity across racial and socioeconomic divides. Mentioned in the EpisodeDavid AdamsSocial and Emotional Learning – The Urban AssemblyTheory of Moral Sentiments by Adam SmithUrban AssemblyWhite House Recognizes International Social Emotional Learning DaySELday – Social Emotional Learning Day Urban Assembly School for Collaborative HealthcareEnlightenment Now by Steven PinkerHillbilly Elegy William Julius Wilson solving Black inner-city poverty Brown v. Board of EducationNeil Postman

Sean Illing talks with Glory Liu, the author of Adam Smith's America: How a Scottish Philosopher became an Icon of American Capitalism. Smith is most well-known for being the “father of capitalism,” but as Liu points out in her book, his legacy has been misappropriated — especially in America. They discuss his original intentions and what we can take away from his work today. Host: Sean Illing (@seanilling), host, The Gray Area Guest: Glory Liu (@miss_glory), author; lecturer, Harvard University References:  Adam Smith's America: How a Scottish Philosopher became an Icon of American Capitalism by Glory Liu (Princeton; 2022) Adam Smith: An Enlightened Life by Nicholas Phillipson (Yale; 2012) Free to Choose: A Personal Statement by Milton & Rose Friedman (Harcourt; 1980) “Adam Smith's ‘History of Astronomy' and view of science” by Kwangsu Kim (Cambridge Journal of Economics v. 36; 2012) Works by Adam Smith: The Wealth of Nations (1776) Theory of Moral Sentiments (1759) Lectures on Jurisprudence (1763)   Enjoyed this episode? Rate The Gray Area ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and leave a review on Apple Podcasts. Subscribe for free. Be the first to hear the next episode of The Gray Area. Subscribe in your favorite podcast app. Support The Gray Area by making a financial contribution to Vox! bit.ly/givepodcasts This episode was made by:  Producer: Erikk Geannikis Editor: Amy Drozdowska Engineer: Patrick Boyd Editorial Director, Vox Talk: A.M. Hall Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

You have heard of the Seven Deadly Sins: pride, greed, lust, envy, gluttony, wrath, and sloth. Each is a natural human weakness that impedes happiness. In addition to these vices, however, there are economic sins as well. And they, too, wreak havoc on our lives and in society. They can seem intuitively compelling, yet they lead to waste, loss, and forgone prosperity. James Otteson, the John T. Ryan Professor of Business Ethics at the University of Notre Dame, is the author of Seven Deadly Economic Sins. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FxZ8_rxEbyI In this thoughtful and compelling book, James Otteson tells the story of seven central economic fallacies. He explains why believing in these fallacies leads to mistakes and loss, and how to avoid costly errors. This, ultimately, enables us to live in peace and prosperity. Today, on the podcast, we discuss: What economists agree about Why wealth creation is positive-sum, not zero-sum How market economies have enabled more prosperity than any other system of economics Why business can be moral and honorable If you want a conversation about economics, philosophy, and how nations prosper… tune in now! Table of contentsFrom Philosophy to EconomicsTeaching Business EthicsWho is James Otteson's Seven Deadly Economic Sins For? Is Wealth a Zero Sum?The Morality of BusinessAbout James OttesonOtteson at Notre DameBook A Strategy Call From Philosophy to Economics In the blink of an eye, James Otteson found his path changed from medicine to philosophy, thanks to a required college course. [7:40] “I thought if you went to college, you should either become a medical doctor or a lawyer. I thought those were the two things you became. So I was going to be a medical doctor, and I just happened to take a course that I was required to take, that was taught by a Classics professor… It led me into the great books program at Notre Dame.” He notes that when he was in grad school in Chicago, one of his philosophical heroes was David Hume. In particular, he wanted to write his thesis on Hume's moral theory. His research eventually led him to Adam Smith and his book, The Theory of Moral Sentiments, which was a pivotal moment in Otteson's career and became the new subject of his dissertation. What he discovered was that very few people had really written on or responded to Smith's book, and Otteson viewed it as an untapped well. It was Smith's ideology on morals that sparked Otteson's initial interest in the economy and politics. Teaching Business Ethics After teaching courses on the history of economic thought for some time, Otteson was asked to teach a course on business ethics. When working on the course and how he would approach it, Otteson learned there was very little consensus on how a business ethics course ought to go.  [11:41] “I thought it might be more interesting and maybe more productive, if instead of just looking at all the ways that business could go wrong, instead turning it around a little bit and asking: “Is there some kind of moral purpose that a life in business could actually serve?”  By reframing the class slightly, he could have students think through whether it is possible to be fully engaged in a business and also be a virtuous person.  Who is James Otteson's Seven Deadly Economic Sins For?  James Otteson's research heavily influenced his latest book, Seven Deadly Economic Sins. The book was written with an intelligent audience in mind, specifically, those who are not economists yet are interested in working well within the existing economy.  [14:10] “We all have our opinions about politics. But we also, many of us, have very strong opinions about economic matters even though, curiously, many of us have not studied economics.” So while everyone may have an opinion about something like minimum wage, not everyone has read the academic literature on the topic. And in fairness, as Otteson shares,

How can liberal society respond to current demands on economics and society? Smith addresses far more than economics and, in fact, wrote extensively on morality and moral judgments in interpersonal and social relations. What did he believe and what can we learn from him, and from his two books The Theory of Moral Sentiments (1759) […]

How can liberal society respond to current demands on economics and society? Smith addresses far more than economics and, in fact, wrote extensively on morality and moral judgments in interpersonal and social relations. What did he believe and what can we learn from him, and from his two books The Theory of Moral Sentiments (1759) and The Wealth of Nations (1776)? Smith posits that moral sentiments are a two-way street, and that we can't help but, as we interact with others, “feel” with others - to put ourselves in others' shoes. Smith also discusses what he believes makes nations wealthy, and the tension between efficiency and human dignity.Host: Jeff SikkengaExecutive Producer: Greg McBrayerProducer: Jeremy GyptonApple Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/3jcrp73mGoogle Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/2p9n67aSpotify: https://tinyurl.com/ysw8xjtkAmazon Music: https://tinyurl.com/ytp6jwnzRSS Feed: https://tinyurl.com/2p9u2bveYouTube: https://tinyurl.com/3wwdre3a

Society cannot be designed in a top-down way. Central planning was a historic blunder that harmed India -- even though it was conceived by great men with good intentions. Nikhil Menon joins Amit Varma in episode 306 of The Seen and the Unseen to talk about the flawed genius PC Mahalanobis, the planning commission, and his own life as a scholar. (For full linked show notes, go to SeenUnseen.in.) Also check out: 1. Nikhil Menon on Amazon and University of Notre Dame. 2. Planning Democracy: How A Professor, An Institute, And An Idea Shaped India -- Nikhil Menon. 3. The Evolution of Everything -- Episode 96 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Matt Ridley). 4.  The Use of Knowledge in Society — Friedrich Hayek. 5. Sherlock Holmes, Ramayana and Mahabharata. 6. The Rooted Cosmopolitanism of Sugata Srinivasaraju — Episode 277 of The Seen and the Unseen. 7. Religion and Ideology in Indian Society — Episode 124 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Suyash Rai). 8. Political Ideology in India — Episode 131 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Rahul Verma). 9. The Decline of the Congress -- Episode 248 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Rahul Verma). 10. The Intellectual Foundations of Hindutva — Episode 115 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Aakar Patel). 11. Aakar Patel Is Full of Hope — Episode 270 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Aakar Patel). 12. The Gita Press and Hindu Nationalism — Episode 139 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Akshaya Mukul). 13. The Discovery of India -- Jawaharlal Nehru. 14. The Collected Writings and Speeches of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar. 15. Caste, Capitalism and Chandra Bhan Prasad -- Episode 296 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Chandra Bhan Prasad). 16. John Locke on Wikipedia, Britannica and Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. 17. John Dewey on Wikipedia, Britannica and Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. 18. The Ideas of Our Constitution — Episode 164 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Madhav Khosla). 19. Friedrich Hayek on Wikipedia, Britannica, Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy and Econlib. 20. The Fatal Conceit: The Errors of Socialism -- Friedrich Hayek..  21. ये लिबरल आख़िर है कौन? — Episode 37 of Puliyabaazi (w Amit Varma, on Hayek). 22. The Importance of the 1991 Reforms — Episode 237 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Shruti Rajagopalan and Ajay Shah). 23. India's Lost Decade — Episode 116 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Puja Mehra). 24. The Forgotten Greatness of PV Narasimha Rao — Episode 283 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Vinay Sitapati). 25. The Life and Times of Montek Singh Ahluwalia -- Episode 285 of The Seen and the Unseen. 26. The Gentle Wisdom of Pratap Bhanu Mehta -- Episode 300 of The Seen and the Unseen. 27. On Exactitude in Science (Wikipedia) — Jorge Luis Borges. 28. What is Libertarianism? — Episode 117 of The Seen and the Unseen (w David Boaz). 29. India's Greatest Civil Servant — Episode 167 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Narayani Basu, on VP Menon). 30. Angus Deaton, John von Neumann, Albert Einstein and Howard Aiken. 31. The Life and Times of Vir Sanghvi — Episode 236 of The Seen and the Unseen. 32. Les Misérables -- Victor Hugo. 33. Hardy Boys on Amazon. 34. One Hundred Years of Solitude -- Gabriel Garcia Marquez. 35. Love in the Time of Cholera -- Gabriel Garcia Marquez. 36. Midnight's Children -- Salman Rushdie. 37. Fixing Indian Education — Episode 185 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Karthik Muralidharan). 38. Shahid Amin and Sunil Kumar. 39. 300 Ramayanas -- AK Ramanujan. 40. Nehru's Debates — Episode 262 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Tripurdaman Singh and Adeel Hussain.) 41. Whatever happened To Ehsan Jafri on February 28, 2002? — Harsh Mander. 42. Who Broke Our Republic? — Episode 163 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Kapil Komireddi). 43. John McPhee on Amazon. 44. Mumbai Fables -- Gyan Prakash. 45. Emergency Chronicles — Gyan Prakash. 46. Gyan Prakash on the Emergency — Episode 103 of The Seen and the Unseen. 47. Delhi Reborn: Partition and Nation Building in India's Capital -- Rotem Geva. 48. A People's Constitution — Rohit De. 49. Jugalbandi: The BJP Before Modi — Vinay Sitapati. 50. The BJP Before Modi — Episode 202 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Vinay Sitapati). 51. India After Gandhi: The History of the World's Largest Democracy -- Ramachandra Guha. 52. Roam Research. 53. Zettelkasten on Wikipedia. 54. Linda Colley on Amazon and Princeton. 55. Gandhi as Mahatma -- Shahid Amin. 56. Tanika Sarkar, Neeladri Bhattacharya and Janaki Nair. 57. The Great Man Theory of History. 58. Pramit Bhattacharya Believes in Just One Ism — Episode 256 of The Seen and the Unseen. 59. Demystifying GDP — Episode 130 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Rajeswari Sengupta). 60. Milton Friedman on Amazon, Wikipedia, Britannica and Econlib. 61. The Man of System — Adam Smith (excerpted from The Theory of Moral Sentiments). 62. The Idea of India — Sunil Khilnani. 63. The Rocking-Horse Winner -- DH Lawrence. 64. Taylor Sherman and Niraja Gopal Jayal. 65. Kamyab Hum Karke Rahenge -- Lata Mangeshkar and Mohammed Rafi on central planning. 66. Naya Daur -- BR Chopra. 67. Chhodo Kal Ki Baatein -- Song from Hum Hindustani. 68. Char Dil Char Raahein -- KA Abbas. 69. Jhootha Sach (Hindi) (English) -- Yashpal. 70. Marxvaad Aur Ram Rajya — Karpatri Maharaj. 71. Narendra Modi takes a Great Leap Backwards — Amit Varma. 72. The Importance of Data Journalism — Episode 196 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Rukmini S). 73. Rukmini Sees India's Multitudes — Episode 261 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Rukmini S). 74. Circe -- Madeline Miller. 75. The Song of Achilles -- Madeline Miller. 76. The Thursday Murder Club -- Richard Osman. 77. Only Murders in the Building. Check out Amit's online course, The Art of Clear Writing. And subscribe to The India Uncut Newsletter. It's free! Episode art: ‘Central Planning' by Simahina.

Learn Speak Teach #32 w/ Blaine Bartlett Watch the full episode: https://youtu.be/kQFZvheVpRA - The soul of anything is the spark that gives it life and meaning. The soul of business is what keeps the organization vibrant. This can be seen in a number of ways, such as innovation, creativity, and motivation. When an organization has a healthy soul, it will always be able to achieve its goals and objectives and produce the best possible results. Join this conversation with Blaine Bartlett and learn how you can discover the soul of your business through compassionate capitalism. Blaine Bartlett is an entrepreneur, author, executive & leadership coach, and host of Soul of Business with Blaine Bartlett Podcast. Blaine consults, advises, and coaches some of the top achieving businesses worldwide. Blaine has personally delivered programs to more than a quarter of a million individuals and directly impacted millions of people. He's CEO of Avatar Resources, an Adjunct Professor at Beijing University, Founder of the Institute for Compassionate Capitalism, and a member of the Transformational Leadership Council. Blaine is a best-selling author of five books, including the #1 international best-seller Compassionate Capitalism: A Journey to the Soul of Business, Discover Your Inner Strength, Three-Dimensional Coaching, Tapping Into The Soul of Business: The Key to Employee Engagement, and The Leadership Mindset Weekly. Let's tap into some of his wisdom. Tune in! During this episode, you will learn about; [00:00] Pre-show [02:26] Episode intro and a quick bio of our guest; Blaine Bartlett [03:35] What is “the Soul of Business.” [05:34] Does each business have its own character traits and soul? [07:47] Blaine's journey in defining his business values [10:08] Incremental growth [18:38] Case Studies [27:47] All business behaviors are organized around meaning [28:48] Differences between conscious capitalism vs. compassionate capitalism [33:01] Business is not only for human beings [35:47] Curiosity to achieve utopia [37:00] Connect with Blaine and get free resources [38:03] Blaine's podcast and what you expect once you subscribe [40:52] Rapid Fire Round and wrap up Notable Quotes ~ “The soul of anything is the spark that gives it life and meaning. The soul of business is what keeps the organization vibrant. It's not the numbers, not the goals, or the objectives.” ~ “Obstacles are a part of life. If you don't have obstacles, you are not stressed, and if you are not stressed, you are not growing.” ~ “Most organizations aren't set up to flourish because they don't provide the mechanisms by which that happens.” ~ “A leader's job largely is to ensure that their people find ways to emotionally connect with the organization's goals and objectives- Its soul.” ~ “The purpose of business is to uplift the experience of living on this planet. It is not to make money. Making money is a consequence of doing things well.” Blaine's Book and Other Resources Mentioned Compassionate Capitalism: A Journey to the Soul of Business by Blaine Barlett: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01GOUOWFS/ Conscious Capitalism: Liberating the Heroic Spirit of Business by John Mackey: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00A9WE10Y/ The Theory of Moral Sentiments by Adam Smith: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002V1IOK4/ The Unstoppable Foundation: https://unstoppablefoundation.org/ A Conversation with Jevon McCormick: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=StW9UphcEuc Keep In Touch with Blaine Bartlett Personal Website: https://www.blainebartlett.com/ Company's Website: https://www.avatar-resources.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/blainebartlett/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/blainebartlett YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/blainebartlett1 Join Blane's Leadership Mindset Mastermind: https://learn.blainebartlett.com/lmm

Daniel Epstein is one of the most impactful leaders of our generation. He is the Founder and CEO of Unreasonable Group, a company that takes a unique approach to accelerating the scaling of growth-stage companies solving the world's biggest problems. Unreasonable Group does a lot of things, as Daniel says, “It's hard to describe exactly what Unreasonable Group is. It's a company. A portfolio of initiatives. A rallying cry. An investment firm. A family. But to try to fully define it would mean to put it in a box, potentially jeopardizing its multifaceted uniqueness.”   Today, their community of 324 Unreasonable Fellows is positively impacting over 1.4 billion individuals in more than 180 countries, and they have raised 8.9b in financing and generated $7.9 in revenue. Unreasonable Group believes that community is everything. Standing by that belief, the Unreasonable Fellows have lifetime support from their fellow peers, and a community of top-notch mentors ranging from Nobel Laureates to renowned executives and policymakers.     In this episode we discuss: How Unreasonable Group is re-purposing capitalism (the most powerful tool of our age) The importance of mentorship and peer support at any stage in a CEO's journey What business and a hammer have in common (you might be surprised!) The important life lesson we can all learn from a little-known parable   Key Takeaways: I loved Daniel's logical approach, rooted in his philosophy background, to business. “What do all entrepreneurs have in common? All entrepreneurs design solutions to problem sets. I can choose the nature of the problem sets I want to solve. Therefore, I'm only going to work on problem sets worthy of my life's work.” Take a moment to consider, is your organization working on problem sets that are worthy of your life's work? Never underestimate the magnetic power of making a difference. I am blown away by the caliber of mentors Unreasonable Group has, from Nobel Laureates to renowned executives and policymakers. It was refreshing to hear Daniel explain how they got these top-notch, unpaid mentors onboard. Unreasonable Group humbly offered them a chance to use their expertise where it's needed, with a chance to contribute to world-changing enterprises. That offer is compelling. It's not transactional. It taps into our deeply wired intrinsic motivation to contribute to something bigger than ourselves. There is power and freedom in shifting thinking from harnessing a competitive advantage, to nurturing a collaborative advantage in business. The very definition of a competitive advantage builds off a scarcity mindset. There isn't enough to go around, so hone your niche as well as possible while you fortify the walls of your castle in order to take an increasing slice of the limited pie. This mindset is insular, creating a divide of “us” and “them”, and a winner-takes-all world. But a collaborative advantage creates a cooperative world full of abundant possibilities. Your business can still be an expert in something, but you are liberated to lift your gaze to see how your expertise can be combined with another expert, and another, to create a collaborative impact that would never be possible from a single entity. You start building an “us” world, where you're playing on the same team, each position working together like a championship basketball team. Instead of being rooted in scarcity and fear, you're rooted in collaboration and possibility.   References: Connect with Daniel on LinkedIn   Unreasonable Group Unreasonable Change Unreasonable Collective (Mention the Purpose and Profit podcast on your wait list application for a prioritized review.)   The Theory of Moral Sentiments by Adam Smith The Wealth of Nations by Adam Smith Air Protein Accenture The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals   Connect & Share: If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes? It takes less than 60 seconds, and it really makes a difference in helping to convince hard-to-get guests. I also love reading them!   If this episode resonated with you, I ask you to send it to a friend. Help bring even more visibility to these leaders that are using business as a force for good!   Subscribe to the Purpose and Profit newsletter to make sure you don't miss future episodes.   This podcast is for you, the listener. I'd love to hear what resonated with you, or if you have a suggestion on who would be a great guest for this show. Please send me a note at info@KathyVarol.com.