Angus Deaton, a Nobel prize-winning economist and Professor at Princeton, joins Gillian Tett, an award-winning journalist and Provost of King's College Cambridge. They tackle the intricate relationship between economics and philosophy, critiquing the blind spots that leave many behind in a seemingly thriving economy. Deaton discusses 'deaths of despair,' the rise of populism driven by economic discontent, and the need for a more holistic approach to well-being. The conversation also navigates the tension between societal optimism and the looming challenges posed by crises like climate change.
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insights INSIGHT
Economics Lost Its Philosophical Touch
Economics has lost sight of its philosophical roots, focusing narrowly on money and consumption.
This narrow view has led to ignoring deeper human welfare aspects, causing significant problems.
insights INSIGHT
Material Wealth Isn't Enough
Economic growth alone fails to account for well-being when people are dying in large numbers.
Health, family, and community matter deeply, beyond just material wealth.
insights INSIGHT
Economics Is Slowly Broadening
The economics profession is evolving to incorporate broader social issues like deaths of despair.
Why Making More Money Doesn't Mean You Have to Pay More on Taxes
Eric Pierre
Enlightenment Now
Steven Pinker
In 'Enlightenment Now', Steven Pinker presents a comprehensive argument that the values of the Enlightenment—reason, science, and humanism—have been instrumental in the progress of human society. He challenges the prevailing pessimism in modern discourse by presenting empirical evidence that life, health, prosperity, safety, peace, knowledge, and happiness are on the rise globally. Pinker uses data and graphs to illustrate improvements in various aspects of human life, such as increased life expectancy, reduced child and maternal mortality, and advancements in medicine and technology. He also addresses the psychological biases that lead people to underestimate these improvements and emphasizes the importance of continuing to uphold Enlightenment ideals to ensure further progress.
Deaths of Despair
Angus Deaton
Anne Case
The economy is a vital part of the way we understand our lives and our politics more generally. But after years of growth, development, and progress, on the surface everything is rosy. But as Nobel Laureate Angus Deaton argues, behind the big picture many people have been left behind by the modern economy, and this is precisely because of the blindspots of modern economics. Join Deaton as he explores the ways economics needs to take from philosophy. Interviewed by the FT's Gillian Tett.
Sir Angus Deaton is the Senior Scholar and Professor of Economics at the Princeton School of Public Affair and a Nobel prize-winner.
Gillian Tett is an award-winning author, journalist, Provost of King's College Cambridge, and U.S. editor at large at the Financial Times.
Email us at podcast@iai.tv with your thoughts or questions on the episode!
Philosophy For Our Times 
