What does commerce have to do with civilization? More than economics.
In this episode of The Economist Next Door, Paul Mueller is joined by AIER President Sam Gregg and Senior Research Fellow Julia Cartwright to explore the deeper cultural and moral foundations of commercial society. Drawing on Adam Smith, Friedrich Hayek, and others, they discuss how markets, private property, the rule of law, social norms, and entrepreneurship have helped create the conditions for human flourishing.
The conversation also examines what makes a civilization flourish, why some societies experience remarkable "golden ages," and why those periods cannot simply be planned into existence. From eighteenth-century Scotland to early twentieth-century Vienna, the guests consider the institutions and habits that allow ideas, creativity, and commerce to thrive.
What can the past teach us about preserving and renewing a free society today, and can new technologies help create the conditions for another golden age?
