Tomas Sedlacek: The Economics of Good and Evil
Analysis25 Jan 2016

Tomas Sedlacek: The Economics of Good and Evil

What have the Book of Genesis and the movie Fight Club got to do with GDP? According to the radical Czech economist, Tomas Sedlacek, quite a lot. He believes notions of sin and belief recorded in ancient texts should influence our thinking about the contemporary economy - and he describes the biblical story of the 7 fat cows and 7 lean cows as "the first macro-economic forecast". He argues passionately that we need to make the economy work for us, rather than us working for the state of the economy. And he condemns the way most nations have got themselves hooked on debt, in a never-ending cycle.

Evan Davis interviewed Sedlacek,at University College London as part of the 100th anniversary celebrations for the School of Slavonic and East European Studies.

Producer: Hugh Levinson.

Avsnitt(389)

Who Speaks for the Workers?

Who Speaks for the Workers?

Union membership is in decline whilst structural changes in the economy - including the rise of the so-called gig economy - are putting downward pressure on wages, and creating fertile conditions for ...

26 Juni 201728min

Brexit: A Tale of Two Cities

Brexit: A Tale of Two Cities

A year on from the Brexit referendum, Anand Menon contrasts Wakefield, which voted leave, with Oxford which voted remain, to find out how they feel now.

23 Juni 201728min

What went wrong with Brazil?

What went wrong with Brazil?

During Brazil's boom years the country's rising economy created a new middle class of gigantic proportions - tens of millions escaping from poverty. Brazil felt confident and even rich enough to bid f...

19 Juni 201728min

Germany - Anxious Giant

Germany - Anxious Giant

With angst over European security growing, why is Germany such a reluctant military power? Chris Bowlby discovers how German pacifism has grown since World War Two. The German army, the Bundeswehr, is...

12 Juni 201728min

Implicit Bias

Implicit Bias

Do we unconsciously harbour racist and sexist attitudes? Far fewer people are explicitly racist than a couple of decades ago. They won't express or admit to racist sentiments. But what happens beneath...

5 Juni 201728min

Aid: Something to Boast About?

Aid: Something to Boast About?

Why is the UK such a generous global aid donor and should it be? The coalition government legislated to ensure Britain spent 0.7% of its national income on international development and it is now one ...

30 Maj 201728min

Adventures in Social Mobility

Adventures in Social Mobility

What are the unwritten rules you must learn to get a top job? Hashi Mohamed came to the UK aged nine, as an unaccompanied child refugee, with hardly any English. His academic achievements at school we...

11 Apr 201737min

Detoxifying France's National Front

Detoxifying France's National Front

Has Front National leader Marine Le Pen really detoxified the party founded by her father 40 years ago? Is it a right-wing protest movement or a party seriously preparing for power? Anand Menon, profe...

20 Mars 201728min

Populärt inom Politik & nyheter

aftonbladet-krim
motiv
blenda-2
p3-krim
rss-krimstad
fordomspodden
flashback-forever
rss-viva-fotboll
rss-sanning-konsekvens
svd-dokumentara-berattelser-2
svenska-fall
aftonbladet-daily
rss-vad-fan-hande
spar
rss-krimreportrarna
rss-flodet
olyckan-inifran
rss-frandfors-horna
grans
dagens-eko