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Mike talks with theologian and economist Mary Hirschfeld about her book Aquinas and the Market: Toward a Humane Economy. Professor Hirschfeld started her career as an economist, getting her Ph.D. from Harvard and then working and teaching in the field for the next 15 years. She then made a fascinating career change, going back to graduate school and earning a doctorate in theology from Notre Dame. She’s currently an Associate Professor of Economics and Theology at Villanova University.
Topics Mike and Professor Hirschfeld discuss include:
- what theology can bring to a discussion of economics
- what Thomas Aquinas – a medieval Dominican friar – can contribute to our understanding of 21st century economics
- why economics isn’t as value-neutral as many people think
- money, desire, and happiness
- ‘maximizing your utility’ vs. ‘ordering your life’
- why private property is a good thing
- inequality and economic justice
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