Pete Boettke

Peter Boettke discusses his ideas as to what caused the current financial crisis in the United States. He points out the monetary, fiscal, and regulation policies, among others, as the main causes for such crisis, commenting on the repercussions it has had for the citizens in that country and around the world. Boettke discusses with the students the difference between printing money and borrowing it, explaining who benefits from each activity. Finally, he comments on what the consequences of eliminating incentives for the Federal Reserve System would be like.

From Universidad Francisco Marroquín:

Some Insights on Economics and Evolutionary Psychology

Many economists tend to focus their attention only in the economic part of human action, excluding other elements that explain the reasons why individuals interact the way they do. In this conference, Peter Boettke talks about the situation of the economic science in the twentieth century and comments on how it came to be what it currently is. He explains the efforts of certain institutions around the world to keep economics in the right path; organizations that gave birth to some of the most significant and important literature in the liberal tradition. He mentions several of the most prominent thinkers in this field and describes how they came to develop their best ideas, especially among evolutionary psychology regarding the economic scope.

From Universidad Francisco Marroquín:

Pete Boettke: Institutions, Human Action, and Public Policy (Part II)

 

 

In the second part of this conference Peter Boettke has an interesting conversation with the attendees of the seminar. He discusses topics such as liberty, law, economics, and philosophy, based on the works of Ludwig von Mises, Ayn Rand, James M. Buchanan, and Murray Rothbard, amongst other personalities relevant to the Austrian School of Economics. Boettke explains the importance of values within every society in the development and growth processes in many different aspects. He tells about their interrelation and pragmatic characteristics, which cannot be separately explored. Happiness is one of the most important goals they approach, due to its significance from the liberal point of view. Both collective and individualistic systems are compared to determine which serves better to human beings, delimited mainly, by the human flourishing ideal.

Watch Institutions, Human Action, and Public Policy (Part I) here.

From Universidad Francisco Marroquín:

Institutions, Human Action, and Public Policy (Part I)

Despite the constant struggle of liberal ideas for becoming a mainstream philosophy, other tendencies seem to displace them from reaching this goal. Evolving elements prevent them from appealing governments and people, as well. In this conference, Peter Boettke explains the development of this historic process through the optic of the Austrian School of Economics. He describes a few actions and biases by which liberals have guided their own beliefs. He explains some of the necessary steps that must be taken to guide this view and contribute to the edification of science, not just mere opinion. Boettke, also explains the relationship between politics and economics, defining the true role of economists in these two different processes. Finally, he recommends literature regarding the topics of his lecture and points out his views on social change in modern world.

From our friends at Universidad Francisco Marroquín: 

Relevance of the Austrian School of Economics in the 21st Century

The Austrian School of Economics has prevailed through time given the relevance it has gained in understanding the way markets really work. Peter Boettke has a conversation with Luis Figueroa regarding the importance of the philosophy of economics and explains the value of its premises. They discuss the process of thinking and understanding life through an economics point of view, as a result of dynamic laws present in everyday situations. Finally, Boettke comments on the role of ethics in the Austrian School of Economics and portrays common misconceptions about these sciences.

Peter Boettke presents the key development schools of thought in the political and social sciences. He talks about the work of both Elinor and Vincent Ostrom, commenting on Elinor and her emphasis in the universal element of diversity, one which rules society and governance. Then, he explains the social cooperation process; stressing the division of labor, the importance of exchange and institutions, and the constitutional contracts. Finally, he comments on the implications of teaching policy analysis and explains Ostrom's multiple method methodology.

A roundup of this week's articles, essays, op-eds, and interviews by free market academics:

Bryan Caplan in the Deseret News: Parents spending more money on children, but does it make for happier, more successful kids?

Pete Boettke in The Browser: Austrian Economics

Steve Horwitz in The Freeman: Not Just What, But How

Matt Zwolinski in The Daily Caller: Stop worrying about Ron Paul (includes a great plug for IHS!)

Art Carden in Forbes: Dear Student: I Don't Lie Awake At Nighting Thinking of Ways to Ruin Your Life

Bryan Caplan on the Stossel Show: Everyone Must Vote?

It's been a while since we've done a good-ol' fashioned roundup here at Kosmos. Thomas J. Sargent and Christopher A. Sims won the Nobel Prize in Economics last week, and here's what some liberty-friendly academics have been saying about it:

Tyler Cowen does some link-bludgeoning at Marginal Revolution, introducing Sims and Sargent.

Alex Tabarrok also shares his thoughts at the same site.

David Henderson wrote a piece for The Wall Street Journal, "A Nobel for Non-Keynesians". He follows it up with some additional thoughts at EconLib.

Pete Boettke blogs on Coordination Problem that "both Sargent and Sims represent scientism run amok..."

Found any other good discussions about the Nobel Prize winners? Share in the comments!

• Peter Boettke in The European, "Free The Market"
• Steve Horwitz's weekly The Freeman column, "The Importance of Knowing the Other Side"
• Glenn Harlan Reynolds in The Washington Examiner about the legality of recording police
• Art Carden in Forbes, Risk and Reason Ten Years after 9/11