logo
episode-header-image
Nov 2021
43m 45s

A Turning Point In The History Of Capita...

UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO PODCAST NETWORK
About this episode
Histories are often relegated to the sidelines of economic study. But what do we lose in our theories when we only focus on the math and models? In his new book, “Ages of American Capitalism”, University of Chicago historian Jonathan Levy looks at the turning points in the history of capitalism and what those moments can teach us about today. 
Up next
Today
Is Everyone Getting Adam Smith Wrong? - ft. Glory Liu
Most people associate Adam Smith with free markets and “the invisible hand”. But does this conventional narrative purposefully ignore Smith’s deep suspicions about monopolies and power? Georgetown assistant professor Glory Liu argues this narrow interpretation is actually a delib ... Show More
31m 3s
Mar 12
Why Human Progress Is Not Inevitable - ft. Carl Frey
We tend to view technological advancement as an unstoppable force that naturally improves our living standards over time. From the printing press to the internet, modern society assumes that groundbreaking ideas will always find their way into the marketplace. However, beneath th ... Show More
41m 43s
Mar 5
The Hidden Economic Dangers Of Supreme Court Overreach - ft. Steve Vladeck
For decades, Americans viewed the Supreme Court as an impartial referee standing above the political fray. However, public trust in this vital institution has recently plummeted to historic lows. Many observers blame a surge in ideological rulings that align with the party of the ... Show More
50m 23s
Recommended Episodes
Jun 2021
Capitalism: What Is It?
What do we mean when we talk about capitalism? Our economic system might seem inevitable, but it's a construction project hundreds of years in the making and no part of it is natural or left to chance. This week, we kick off our series on the past, present and future of capitalis ... Show More
56m 53s
Feb 2015
The Wealth of Nations
Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss Adam Smith's celebrated economic treatise The Wealth of Nations. Smith was one of Scotland's greatest thinkers, a moral philosopher and pioneer of economic theory whose 1776 masterpiece has come to define classical economics. Based on his caref ... Show More
46m 5s
Feb 2015
The Wealth of Nations
Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss Adam Smith's celebrated economic treatise The Wealth of Nations. Smith was one of Scotland's greatest thinkers, a moral philosopher and pioneer of economic theory whose 1776 masterpiece has come to define classical economics. Based on his caref ... Show More
46m 5s
Sep 2022
What capitalism gets right -- and governments get wrong | Katherine Mangu-Ward
Is capitalism a good thing? Journalist Katherine Mangu-Ward makes the case that “weirdos” left alone to innovate and explore far-out ideas in a free market system are our best hope for the future. She asks us to reconsider our qualms about capitalism, failure and corporate death, ... Show More
11m 30s
Jan 2000
Economic Rights
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss economic rights. Is democracy the truest conduit of capitalism, or do the forces that make us rich run counter to the democratic institutions that safeguard our rights? The economist Milton Friedman once said, “If freedom weren’t so economically ef ... Show More
27m 41s
Apr 2023
Mercantilism
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss how, between the 16th and 18th centuries, Europe was dominated by an economic way of thinking called mercantilism. The key idea was that exports should be as high as possible and imports minimised. For more than 300 years, almost every ruler and po ... Show More
57m 33s
Apr 2023
Mercantilism
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss how, between the 16th and 18th centuries, Europe was dominated by an economic way of thinking called mercantilism. The key idea was that exports should be as high as possible and imports minimised. For more than 300 years, almost every ruler and po ... Show More
57m 33s
Mar 2023
Maarten Prak and Jan Luiten van Zanden, "Pioneers of Capitalism: The Netherlands 1000–1800" (Princeton UP, 2022)
During the Middle Ages, the Netherlands played a significant role in the emergence of capitalism, which led to the impressive Dutch Golden Age and paved the way for long-term economic growth across Europe.  Pioneers of Capitalism: The Netherlands 1000-1800 (Princeton University P ... Show More
55m 8s
Jul 2020
The Marxist view of history: Historical materialism
In this talk from Socialist Appeal's "Marx in a Day" event in 2018(which celebrated Karl Marx's 200th birthday), Josh Holroyd discusses the contribution made by the great revolutionary thinker towards our understanding of history. With their ideas of "scientific socialism", Marx ... Show More
42m 34s