Adam Smith Business School

George DeMartino, University of Denver

"The Tragic Science: How Economists Cause Harm (even as they aspire to do good)"
Thursday, 27th April. 11:00 am
Room 540. Main Building

Abstract

Economists enjoy enormous influence in the world while exerting little to no control. Unfortunately, influence without control is dangerous--it can generate serious, unintended harm. And yet the profession does not grapple adequately with the harms its practice induces. DeMartino will explore one key cause of the problem, what he calls "irreparable ignorance." Economists do not and cannot know enough to do much of what they are expected to do. DeMartino examines why this is so, how the economics profession represses the problem, and how some economists are beginning to do much better in confronting irreparable ignorance.

Bio

George F. DeMartino, Professor, Josef Korbel School of International Studies. Dr. DeMartino is a political economist whose research focuses on the intersection of ethics and economics. He studies the ethical foundations of economic policy and theory, the ethical conduct of economists, and the nature and causes of the harms that are often associated with economists’ practice. He teaches in these areas and on international trade, values-based leadership, and political economy theory. He is a past president of the Association for Social Economics and a current board member of the Association for Integrity and Responsible Leadership in Economics and Associated Professions. His recent books include The Economist’s Oath (Oxford University Press), the Oxford Handbook of Professional Economic Ethics, co-edited with Deirdre N. McCloskey, and The Tragic Science: How Economists Cause Harm (even as they aspire to do good), University of Chicago Press. At Korbel he co-directs the MA degree in Global Economic Affairs.
Prior to graduate school Dr. DeMartino was a labor organizer and negotiator.

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For further information, please get in touch with business-school-research@glasgow.ac.uk. 

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First published: 21 February 2023