I'm Going to Honor Some Cause, or I'll Socialize With Friends More

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I think the idea that you bind yourself to the mast of the ulysses illusion is remarkably deep. A lot of the things worth having in life require some effort. And that means sacrificeng present concerns for these higher goods that are going to come to fruition later on. I i didn't go to the opera that dayyouknow, i stayed home. And i've regretted it ever since. It becomes habit form yo say, oh, you know, i just don't feel like going to day so i won't. And then you miss out on all these higher goods.

Author, economist, and theologian Mary Hirschfeld of Villanova University talks about her book, Aquinas and the Market, with EconTalk host Russ Roberts. Hirschfeld looks at the nature of our economic activity as buyers and sellers and whether our pursuit of economic growth and material well-being comes at a cost. She encourages a skeptical stance about the ability of more stuff to produce true happiness and/or satisfaction. The conversation includes a critique of economic theory and the aspect of human satisfaction outside the domain of economists.