7 Deadly Economic Sins

You have heard of the Seven Deadly Sins: pride, greed, lust, envy, gluttony, wrath, and sloth. Each is a natural and recurring human weakness that impedes happiness. In addition to these vices, however, there are deadly economic "sins" as well. They, too, wreak havoc both in our personal lives and in society. They can seem intuitively compelling, yet lead to waste, loss, and forgone prosperity. Drawing on Otteson’s recent book Seven Deadly Economic Sins, this lecture will explore a handful of these economic "sins" and explain not only why they persist but why it is important to exorcize them from our thinking—and from our policy.

Course Year:

2022

Instructor