Menard Family George Washington Forum hosts 'Two (of the Seven) Deadly Economic Sins' on March 7

The Menard Family George Washington Forum will present James Otteson discussing "Two (of the Seven) Deadly Economic Sins" on Tuesday, March 7, at 7:30 p.m. in Bentley Hall 124.

Otteson is the John T. Ryan Professor of Business Ethics, Rex and Alice A. Martin Faculty Director of the Notre Dame/Deloitte Center for Ethical Leadership at the University of Notre Dame’s Mendoza College of Business. His books include "Adam Smith’s Marketplace of Life" (2002), "Actual Ethics" (2006), "Adam Smith" (2013), "The End of Socialism" (2014), "The Essential Adam Smith" (2018), and "Honorable Business: A Framework for Business in a Just and Humane Society" (2019). His most recent book is "Seven Deadly Economic Sins" (Cambridge, 2021). His forthcoming book is "Reexamining the Ethics of Wealth Redistribution" (with Steven McMullen; Routledge, forthcoming in 2022).

"Professor Otteson’s approach to economic thinking reflects the profound insights of the great Scottish Enlightenment thinkers, like Adam Smith and David Hume. He emphasizes that for market systems to function well and to generate sustainable economic progress, we must recognize our interdependence, or our reliance on the creativity, talents, and expertise of one another," said Cortney Rodet, associate professor of economics in the College of Arts and Sciences and director of the The Menard Family George Washington Forum.

"By extension, we cannot flourish by emphasizing prudent self-interest alone; our interdependence thrives by developing the virtues of justice and beneficence, among others. Smith saw commerce as a moral exchange, despite the reputation he has earned from modern thinkers, and Professor Otteson’s work incorporates both 'The Theory of Moral Sentiments' and 'The Wealth of Nations' into a cogent message for what facilitates human flourishing," Rodet said.

This event is free and open to the public.