Bart J. Wilson
H-index:
37
We never see “anti-self” or “self-sacrificial” models in economics because they’d break the discipline’s moral boundary, namely that every act, however generous, must still fit inside the logic of self-interested utility.
Economists love the term “prosocial.” It sounds generous, but notice we never say “self-sacrificing.” The word smuggles in an optimism that helping others can be good for them without ever really being bad for you.
"Wilson wants economists to reject narrow cause-and-effect arguments because they obscure human purpose and meaning behind action."
www.independent.org/tir/2025-fal...
www.independent.org/tir/2025-fal...
Book Review: Meaningful Economics: Making the Science of Prosperity More Human, Bart J. Wilson
When economists analyze human conduct exclusively in terms of scarcity, they ignore the complexity of the human mind. In the twentieth century, economists
www.independent.org
Here's the link:
papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....
papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....
Constrained Optimization or Observation? On What Economists Take as Primary
Economists differ on what they take as primary when constructing the problem of a rational economic order: constrained optimization or observation. The general
papers.ssrn.com
I’ve written a short essay on the philosophy of economic science, titled “Constrained Optimization or Observation? On What Economists Take as Primary.” This is just a beginning, and I’m keen to hear counterpoints as I continue down this path.
Reposted by Bart J. Wilson
Reposted by Bart J. Wilson
digressionsimpressions.substack.com/p/on-whether...
On whether Economists should read Marx, and Adam S. HT @ingridrobeyns.bsky.social. With shout outs to Vernon L. Smith and a number of others.
On whether Economists should read Marx, and Adam S. HT @ingridrobeyns.bsky.social. With shout outs to Vernon L. Smith and a number of others.
On whether Economists should read Marx, and Adam S.
When I was a PhD student, I got invited to a Summer program at GMU and over the years got to know James (‘Jim’) Buchanan (and, lest we forget, Gordon Tullock) on a first name basis.
digressionsimpressions.substack.com
Reposted by Bart J. Wilson
Monkeys, markets, and human nature — I join The Great Antidote with Juliette Sellgren to talk about how deep the roots of economics really are.
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loom.ly/I6Gdk3Q
What Monkeys Teach Us About Economics with Bart Wilson - The Great Antidote
What if modern economics has overlooked what truly makes us human?In this episode, Bart Wilson joins us to explore humanomics—an approach to economics that reintroduces meaning, culture, and moral jud...
loom.ly
I would add that the calling of the university isn’t just about witnessing truth, but also discovering what’s good and beautiful about the human condition. These three distinct values compose a trinity that is necessary to be faithful and courageous to the calling.
crookedtimber.org/2025/03/22/o...
crookedtimber.org/2025/03/22/o...
On the Predicament of the Richly Endowed University and Liberal Society — Crooked Timber
crookedtimber.org