526. Was Adam Smith Really a Right-Winge...

In the final episode of our whale series, we learn about fecal plumes, shipping noise, and why Moby-Dick is still worth reading. (Part 3 of "Everything You Never Knew About Whaling.") SOURCES:Michele Baggio, professor of economics at the University of Connecticut.Mary K. Bercaw-E ... Show More

For years, whale oil was used as lighting fuel, industrial lubricant, and the main ingredient in (yum!) margarine. Whale meat was also on a few menus. But today, demand for whale products is at a historic low. And yet some countries still have a whaling industry. We find out why. ... Show More

Whaling was, in the words of one scholar, “early capitalism unleashed on the high seas.” How did the U.S. come to dominate the whale market? Why did whale hunting die out here — and continue to grow elsewhere? And is that whale vomit in your perfume? (Part 1 of “Everything You Ne ... Show More

Adam Smith, a moral philosopher and economist, was born in Scotland, the son of a customs officer. In 1776 he published a book called 'An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations’. Smith basically argued against the over regulation of commerce and said if peopl ... Show More

Der Philosoph und Ökonom Adam Smith (1723-1790) legte mit seinem Werk „Der Wohlstand der Nationen“ den Grundstein für ein besseres Verständnis von Marktwirtschaft und Kapitalismus. Das freie Spiel der Marktkräfte war für Smith allerdings kein Allheilmittel. Smith plädiert für den ... Show More

Sean Illing talks with Glory Liu, the author of Adam Smith’s America: How a Scottish Philosopher became an Icon of American Capitalism. Smith is most well-known for being the “father of capitalism,” but as Liu points out in her book, his legacy has been misappropriated — especial ... Show More

Adam Smith was a Scottish philosopher and author who is probably best known for writing a book titled “An Inquiry Into the Nature and Causes of … The Wealth of Nations!” This book effectively marked the beginning of economics as an academic discipline as Adam Amith, (now heralded ... Show More

On this episode of the podcast, we continue our discussion of Adam Smith. First, we look at two towns with the same name on opposite sides of the US-Mexico border, and consider why their residents have such markedly different standards of living. Next, we ask ourselves what deter ... Show More

Dr. Jordan B Peterson sits down with lawyer, state representative, and author Adam Smith. They discuss his new book “Lost and Broken: My Journey Back from Chronic Pain and Crippling Anxiety.” From this they explore the differences between cognitive and behavioral therapy, the dog ... Show More

Breht recently went on The Sensible Socialist podcast to confront, analyze, and dismantle the laughable misrepresentations of Marxism and the shallow anti-communism of James Lindsay.  In the process, we clarify core concepts within Marxism, respond to various arguments against so ... Show More

Your opponents are lower than vermin. Politics is a righteous battle of absolute good against absolute evil. A secret cabal controls everything. And only a return to a past Eden can solve our problems. Why do these simplistic myths grip the Left so strongly, and can Labour ever f ... Show More

Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Steven Pearlstein drops by to talk with Kate & Luigi about the incredible shrinking newspaper -- especially the business section -- and why that's bad for the economy. His new book "Can American Capitalism Survive?" argues that the mantra of “max ... Show More

By cataloging the steady march of human progress, the Harvard psychologist and linguist has become a very public intellectual. But the self-declared “polite Canadian” has managed to enrage people on opposite ends of the political spectrum. Steve Levitt tries to understand why.