Adam Smith was a Scottish economist and philosopher who was a pioneer in the field of political economy and key figure during the Scottish Enlightenment. Seen by many as the "father of economics", or the "father of capitalism", he is primarily known for two classic works: The Theory of Moral Sentiments (1759) and An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations (1776). The latter, often abbreviated as The Wealth of Nations, is regarded as his magnum opus, marking the inception of modern economic scholarship as a comprehensive system and an academic discipline.
Prof. Russ Roberts is President of Shalem College in Jerusalem. An economist, writer, and teacher, he is also a Visiting Fellow at Stanford University’s Hoover Institution and the founder of EconTalk: Conversations for the Curious, an award-winning weekly podcast with more than 1000 episodes and millions of unique downloads. Past EconTalk guests include Milton Friedman, Susan Cain, Christopher Hitchens, Emily Oster, Michael Lewis, Bill James, Jill Lepore, and Sam Harris.
His latest book is Wild Problems: A Guide to the Decisions That Define Us (Portfolio/Penguin, 2022), a guide to facing crucial life decisions when data and algorithms are of little help.
When you register for the online briefing, or at the conclusion of the briefing, you will be given an opportunity to make a donation to the Scholarship Fund at Shalem College in memory of Amir Sekori, a Shalem student who died fighting Hamas on October 7th. IPI will also be making a donation to the Scholarship Fund.