Smith Soc Treks are intellectual retreats for exploring critical issues in business, industry, and economic theory and create deeper connections among Smith Soc members from around the world.
The modern world looks entirely different from the pre-industrial era, with dramatic improvements in global prosperity and quality of life. What explains this change and its magnitude? How did it happen and what are the moral implications? What are some of the key issues concerning capitalism today? This three-part virtual trek will take a critical look at both theoretical and practical aspects of capitalism’s impact on the world, and the key thinkers and schools that explain the virtues of the free market.
- Session I: “How Capitalism Changed the World”—April 8, 8-10:00pm EDT*
- Session II: “The Morality of Capitalism and Its Contemporary Challenges”—April 15, 8-10:00pm EDT*
- Session III: “Reflection and Debrief”—April 22, 8-9:00pm EDT*
*Sessions I & II will include breakout discussion sections. Session III will be an opportunity for participants to reflect on the questions and ideas raised by the trek with their fellow participants.
Apply by Friday, February 26. Only paid Smith Soc members are eligible. Accepted applicants must be able to complete readings prior to trek and attend all virtual sessions. An Adam Smith Society Educational Award, including a stipend and other benefits, will be granted to those who successful complete requirements. Learn more about the benefits, requirements, and application.
Trek session leader:
- Professor Donald Boudreaux, professor of economics at George Mason University; Senior Fellow at Mercatus Center (Sessions I & II)
Speaker
Donald J. Boudreaux is a professor of economics at George Mason University, the Martha and Nelson Getchell Chair for the Study of Free Market Capitalism at the Mercatus Center, and a Mercatus Center Board Member. He specializes in globalization and trade, law and economics, and antitrust economics. He is the author of Hypocrites and Half-Wits: A Daily Dose of Sanity from Cafe Hayek and Globalization. His articles appear in such publications as the Wall Street Journal and U.S. News & World Report as well as numerous scholarly journals. He writes a blog (with Russell Roberts) called Cafe Hayek and a regular column on economics for the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. He has previously served as president of the Foundation for Economic Education and an associate professor of legal studies and economics at Clemson University. He also serves as an adjunct scholar at the Cato Institute.