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Econlib Newsletter
December 2022

 

It's hard to believe we've reached the end of another year! (It always sneaks up on us!) We're not ready to think about resolutions yet- perhaps next month. But we are thinking of slowing down, catching up, and enjoying some hygge downtime. If that sound good to you, too, then we have plenty of suggestions for you!

Today also happens to be "Repeal Day" here in the US- the anniversary of the repeal of Prohibition. Among other things, this reminded us of John Alcorn's EconLog series on the economics of prohibition this time in 2019. Here's a link for those who missed, or those who want to revisit. 

For all of you who continue to follow Arnold Kling's monthly Book Reviews, we hope you'll join us for his upcoming webinar on his November choice, Paper Belt on Fire. We'll gather this Wednesday, December 7 at 1pm EST. Participation is free and open to all,. though we do require pre-registration. You can also find recordings of Arnold's previous webinars on our YouTube channel.


In addition to the NEW Articles you'll find below, you can view new content every day at EconLog. Stop by to see the latest and enter the conversation in our moderated comments section. We love to hear from you! And if that's not enough, we hope you might consider adding The Reading Room and Speaking of Smith to your blogrolls, too. Finally, next month we'll start highlighting some of the Substacks we follow. Help us collect all the best ones; drop us a line at [email protected] and share your favorites with us.
 

Until next month, stay well, and stay curious.

 
NEW Econlib Articles
December 2022
The Economics of Quiet Quitting: Taking Stock and Looking Ahead
By Rosolino Candela
 
According to Rosolimo Candela, "...what is known today as “quiet quitting” is simply a new manifestation of labor market turnover, and therefore a difference of degree, rather than of kind, in labor market trends." He insists that if we focus on the economics rather than the psychology of this phenomenon, it becomes both more clear and less concerning. Read More.
Economics and the Art of Education
By Richard Gunderman
 
“What if, in our zeal to ensure that we prepare students for the job market of the future, we risk losing sight of venerable and in fact permanent benefits of education that have nothing to do with economic competitiveness, beyond the fact that people so educated would be unlikely to regard themselves first and foremost as members of the species Homo economicus?” Richard Gunderman continues his occasional series on the challenges of education today, using the life of Vincent Van Gogh to illustrate some of the challenges of living by the market alone. Read More.
Some Unpleasant Thoughts: Refugees and Wealth
By Kwok Ping Tsang
 
In his new book, Alexander Betts channels his inner Adam Smith, arguing, "let refugees make their own choices and pursue their own interests, and the outcome is likely to be good for both the refugees and the host country." Yet in the world today, the relocation of refugees from war-torn countries is no simple task. Kwok Ping Tsang explores these challenges, and proposes a new research question for new work. Read More.
The Boys Under the Bus
By Arnold Kling

The challenges faced by men and boys today are receiving increased attention. From our educational system, to the labor market, and beyond, Richard Reeves offers data, diagnoses and proposed solutions. Arnold Kling takes them all on in his new Book Review. Read More.
EconTalk: Conversations for the Curious
Patrick House on Consciousness
 
How does the mind work? What makes us sad? What makes us laugh? Despite advances in neuroscience, the answers to these questions remain elusive. Neuroscientist Patrick House talks about these mysteries and about his book Nineteen Ways of Looking at Consciousness with EconTalk host Russ Roberts. House's insights illuminate not just what we know and don't know about our minds--he also helps us understand what it means to be human. Explore more.
 
More Recent Episodes:
 
Now that we have you hooked on The Great Antidote podcast at AdamSmithWorks, here are some recent episodes:
Upcoming Virtual Reading Groups
 

Time Travel and Adam Smith: Social and Moral Considerations in Science Fiction


 

If you ask “What would happen if Adam Smith could travel forward in time?” you get some great answers. We will never know if he would have wanted to see how his economic theories turned out.  However, in this Virtual Reading Group, we will examine time travel throughout science fiction and explore the moral, ethical, and social quandaries involved in moving through time.  Can you right wrongs? Should you?  What impact do the moral decisions in your life have on the future? 

In the classic novel, The Time Machine, H.G. Wells allegorically shares his views about the Industrial Revolution, progress, and social equality. In Ray Bradbury’s short story, "The Sound of Thunder," we examine the implications of cause and effect when it comes to the past and future. And in Heinlein’s novella The Door into Summer, we explore the fantasy of righting wrongs using time. We’ll also discuss a well-known episode of Doctor Who which delves into the personal aspects of understanding your impact on the future. Pre-registration is required.

The Messiness of Progress: Hilary Mantel’s Wolf Hall and David Hume’s Essays and Histories


Hilary Mantel’s modern masterpiece Wolf Hall tells the story of the rise of Thomas Cromwell, King Henry VIII’s notorious minister and fixer. Usually cast as the villain in Tudor historical fiction, Cromwell instead emerges from Mantel’s account as a deeply sympathetic striver. We meet him first as a desperately poor and abused child, and follow his journey as a banker, a lawyer, the most useful and beloved servant of Cardinal Thomas Wolsey, and, finally, as the man who will arrange England’s break from Rome, battling the hatred and scorn of Henry’s noble and conservative courtiers. Mantel’s Cromwell is a financial, religious, and intellectual visionary in the great Whig history tradition—which will make it especially fruitful to read Mantel’s novel alongside Hume’s essays on history and the rise of the modern liberal state. We will read for similarities and dissonances in Hume’s and Mantel’s accounts of the Tudor period, and with a view towards seeing the messiness, non-linearity, and occasional tragedies of progress. Pre-registration is required.
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