"Those who expect to reap the blessings of freedom, must, like men, undergo the fatigue of supporting it."Â Â Â
-Thomas Paine
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We hope this finds you safe and healthy, and able to enjoy high summer. We have absolutely loved seeing so many of you in our reading groups this summer. (See below for more info on the next online group.) We have more Virtual Reading Groups planned in the coming months... we think you'll be pretty excited about the topics and discussion leaders. For those of you who were not able to join us in our current Bastiat group, we share the readings with you below. They are all available online.
So have a read, and let us know what you think. We'll be adding additional sessions of Virtual Reading Groups going forward, thanks to all the enthusiasm from YOU! Beyond reading groups, what else can we provide to interest you in the economic way of thinking? Drop us a line at [email protected]. We love to hear from you.
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EconLib Feature Articles, July 2020
The Danger of Benevolent Paternalism:
Socialization and the Role of Government by Gina Miller Johnson
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From the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, there have been calls from the American public for federal and state governments to combat the spread of the virus. These calls may seem quite innocuous and unsurprising, but they represent a dangerous trend in U.S. culture. Specifically, these calls for government action highlight a concerning belief among a wide portion of the American public that, when faced with an economic, social, or political problem, we should first look to the government to “do something” and that the government’s response will be in our best interest. These calls for action demonstrate not only Americans’ acceptance of paternalistic government practices, but our demand for more. Read More.
How Can Economists HELP? by Michael Davis
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The question of whether economists help people has been on my mind a lot lately. This is an extraordinary time... Most of us genuinely want to help. But we don’t know how to hook up a ventilator, we don’t have the local knowledge necessary to deliver fresh milk to the store and most of us wouldn’t even be very good at stocking the cooler once the milk arrives. Do economists have anything to offer?  Read More.
Appealing to Empathy to Overcome Polarization by Arnold Kling
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Philosopher and author Agnes Callard talks with EconTalk host Russ Roberts about the state of philosophy, the power of philosophy, and the search for wisdom and truth. This is a wide-ranging conversation related to the question of how we learn, how to behave ethically, and the role of religion and philosophy in encouraging good behavior. Listen Here.
