Classical Education
The Importance of Civics and Economics Education for Hearts and Minds (republish S1E16)
Episode guests
Podcast summary created with Snipd AI
Quick takeaways
- Cooperation fuels economic development and allows for the growth of societies and recognition of comparative advantage.
- The family plays a crucial role in moral education and the development of highly trustworthy individuals, teaching important economic concepts such as cooperation and the division of labor.
- Self-discipline, virtues, love, and gratitude are crucial for a wholesome life and contribute to economic success, alongside economic factors.
Deep dives
The Definition of Civics and Economics
Civics is defined as the study of the rights and responsibilities of citizens in good standing in a society, with a focus on moral and scientific beliefs. Economics is the study of conscious human action in a world of limited resources, exploring topics such as prices, markets, and profit motive.
Cooperation in Economics
Cooperation is central to economics and human behavior. Humans excel at communication and working together, which leads to gains from cooperation. The value of cooperation is greater than the sum of individual contributions. Cooperation fuels exchange and economic development, allowing for the growth of societies and recognition of comparative advantage.
The Importance of Culture and Family in Economic Education
The family plays a crucial role in moral education and the development of highly trustworthy individuals. Parents are responsible for teaching right from wrong and instilling moral values in children from a young age. A strong ethical character supports high trust societies and enables cooperation. Stories are an effective tool for teaching morality, as they leave a lasting impact on children. The family also serves as a foundation for understanding economics, as it allows for the inculcation of important economic concepts such as cooperation and the division of labor.
The Importance of Economics and Self-Discipline
The podcast explores the relationship between economics and human behavior. While economics plays a significant role in explaining conscious decisions related to trade and engagement with others, it should not be viewed as the sole determinant of human life. Other aspects such as self-discipline, virtues, love, respect, and gratitude are crucial for a wholesome life. Self-discipline, in particular, is emphasized as an important trait that contributes to economic success. Additionally, gratitude is highlighted as a vital practice that not only enhances one's well-being but also cultivates an understanding that good things in life are often a result of others' involvement.
The Role of Moral Virtue and Self-Governance
The podcast discusses the importance of moral virtue, character, and self-governance in a free society. The cultivation of virtues like prudence and the ability to govern oneself is essential for the functioning of a well-ordered society. The podcast suggests that teaching practical examples of virtuous individuals throughout history can help instill these values in students. Furthermore, it emphasizes that self-governance is a necessary aspect of life; if individuals do not govern themselves, they will be governed by external forces. The role of strong families in fostering self-governance is also highlighted, noting that families, rather than top-down governance, should play a primary role in shaping individuals' conduct.
About our Guests
Dr. Dave Rose is a Professor of Economics at the University of Missouri-St. Louis. He received his Ph.D. in Economics in 1987 from the University of Virginia. His primary areas of research interest are behavioral economics, political economy, and organization theory. He has published scholarly articles in a wide range of areas. His work has been funded by the National Institute of Mental Health, the Weldon Spring Foundation, the HFL Foundation, the Earhart Foundation, and the John R. Templeton Foundation. He is currently in his second term on the U.S. Civil Rights Commission. In 2008 he received the St. Louis Business Journal’s Economic Educator of the year award. His book, The Moral Foundation of Economic Behavior, was selected one of CHOICE’s outstanding titles of 2012. His newest book, Why Culture Matters Most, is also from Oxford University Press. He frequently contributes to policy debates through radio and television interviews as well as in Op-Eds on topics ranging from social security, monetary policy, fiscal policy, judicial philosophy, education reform, healthcare reform, and freedom of speech.
Dr. Lawrence W. (“Larry”) Reed became President of the Foundation for Economic Education (FEE) in 2008 after serving as chairman of its board of trustees in the 1990s and both writing and speaking for FEE since the late 1970s. He previously served for 21 years as President of the Mackinac Center for Public Policy in Midland, Michigan (1987-2008). He also taught economics full-time from 1977 to 1984 at Northwood University in Michigan and chaired its department of economics from 1982 to 1984.
In May 2019, he retired to the role of President Emeritus at FEE and assumed the titles of Humphreys Family Senior Fellow, and Ron Manners Global Ambassador for Liberty.
He holds a B.A. in economics from Grove City College (1975) and an M.A. degree in history from Slippery Rock State University (1978), both in Pennsylvania. He holds two honorary doctorates, one from Central Michigan University (public administration, 1993) and Northwood University (laws, 2008).
Show Notes
Dr. Rose and Dr. Reed join Adrienne and Trae to discuss the foundation of a good education in civics and economics: cooperation and trust rooted in moral beliefs and lived out by ethical people in the family and society.
We delve into the role of stories in economics class, preserving traditional practices and restoring home economics.
For the civics and economics teachers, our guests help us see why preferring old stories to current events is best and why it's not necessarily the classroom teacher’s job to show students how to balance their checking accounts.
Some topics in this episode include:
The Relationship between Parenting, Culture, Civics, and Economics
Framing Economics as Cooperation
Self-governance in Classical Education
The Family and Home Economics
Moral Believes and Trust in the Family and Society
The Role of Stories in Moral Education
Humane Economics and Traditional Practices
Gratitude and Service to Others
Prudence and Democracy
The Value of Failure
How to Avoid “Bumper Sticker Pedagogy”
Resources and Books & Mentioned In This Episode
Why Culture Matters, David Rose
Real Heroes, Lawrence Reed
Economics in One Lesson, Henry Hazlitt
Basic Economics, Thomas Sowell
Cinderella Man, Ron Howard (Director)
The Whistle, Benjamin Franklin
Aesop’s Fables, Aesop
“The Economics of Splitting Wood By Hand,” John Cuddeback
A Conflict of Visions, Thomas Sowell
Passion’s Within Reason, Robert H. Frank
The Memory Book, Harry Lorayne and Jerry Lucas
Favorite Books and Quotes
Dr. Rose’s book that he wishes he had read sooner:
A Conflict of Visions, Thomas Sowell
Dr. Reed’s favorite quote (corrected):
“The curious task of economics is to demonstrate to men how little they really know about what they imagine they can design.” - David Hayek
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