reTHINK Capitalism & Equality: Reconciling the Moral Balance Sheet of Capitalism

James Otteson, joint professor of philosophy and economics at Yeshiva University, will discuss the relationships between capitalism, morality and equality.
When Feb 28, 2013
from 06:00 PM to 07:00 PM
Where Chao Auditorium, Ekstrom Library, University of Louisville
Contact Name
Contact Phone 502-852-8811
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As the recent Occupy Wall Street protests reminded us, one of the central objections to capitalism is the inequality that it enables. The gap between the top and the the bottom income earners can be large–very large. But the worry is not merely about differences in how much people can afford to buy: There seems to be deeper social problems associated with great inequality. What exactly is the nature of these deeper problems? Why should we care about them? Does capitalism offer some benefit that compensates for these problems? What is capitalism's final moral balance sheet?

James Otteson will address these discussions using his 2002 book, Adam Smith's Marketplace of Life, as a guide. Otteson's lecture will consider how Adam Smith's works on economics and morality applies to his understanding of markets, language and other social institutions.

The event is part of the McConnell Center's 2012-2013 "reTHINK" free and public lecture series.

About the Lecturer

James Otteson is a joint professor of philosophy (department chair) and economics at Yeshiva University and adjunct professor of economics at New York University. He is also a senior scholar at the Fund for American Studies in Washington, DC, a research professor in the Freedom Center and Department of Philosophy at the University of Arizona and a research fellow at the Independent Institute in California.

About the McConnell Center

The McConnell Center offers this Civic Education Program to the public free of charge. The non-profit, non-partisan program was established to assist Kentucky citizens develop a better understanding of the American Constitution and American history and encourage open and free discussion of perennial concerns that inform contemporary politics.