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Milton Friedman could also be of probably the most recognizable economists throughout our Econlib household, and particularly so right here at EconTalk. Friedman was a trainer of our beloved host Russ Roberts (in addition to certainly one of his first podcast interviewees), a Nobel laureate, a preferred political lightning rod, and a best-selling creator. When historian Jennifer Burns undertook her mental biography of Friedman, she was initially most curious about his position as a pundit. However as she delved deeper into his scholarship, she discovered different components of Friedman’s life and work extra attention-grabbing. How, she cam to marvel, may somebody so well-known be so underappreciated?
On this episode, Roberts welcomes Burns again to debate her e book, Milton Friedman: The Final Conservative. Roberts and Burns have a wide-ranging dialog about Friedman- the person and his work. Now we’d like to listen to what you took away from the dialog. Go away your solutions within the feedback beneath, or use our prompts to start out a dialog offline or information your studying of Burns’ wonderful e book. As all the time, we love to listen to from you.
1- Burns describes how she labored over the title of the e book. Why did she finally select “the final conservative?” Why does she dub Friedman the final conservative, and the way was his model completely different from conservatism at this time?
2- Each Burns and Roberts are struck by the position of girls in Friedman’s life; Burns even calls them “his secret weapon.” What did you discover most attention-grabbing concerning the tales of Friedman’s collaboration with girls equivalent to Anna Schwartz, Dorothy Brady, and Margaret Reid? (You might also have an interest this Darwyyn Deyo EconLog put up on economics’ “hidden girls.”)
3- The dialog turns to Friedman’s legacy as a tutorial economist about half manner by way of. How did Friedman handle to go from “crank” to mainstream? What does Burns regard as probably the most vital components on this legacy, and to what extent do you agree along with her evaluation? What particular and common classes do you suppose Friedman’s educational file has left for economists at this time?
4- How would you regard Friedman’s coverage legacy- half full or half empty? What did he obtain? To what extent do you agree with Burns that his “coverage concepts and orientation grew to become influential far past conservatives?” What does Friedman get blamed for at this time, and to what extent is such blame justified?
5- The dialog concludes with Roberts musing on issues he misses about Friedman. He says, “I feel individuals who defend freedom by itself for its personal sake have misplaced the ethical excessive floor.” What do you suppose he means by this, and what does it counsel Friedman could have gotten improper in his strategy to capitalism and freedom? What are one of the best arguments defenders of freedom could make at this time?
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