Regulating Markets in an Economy without Angels – Professor Philip Booth’s Inaugural lecture at St. Mary’s University

The IEA is delighted to share the details of our Academic and Research Director Professor Philip Booth’s inaugural lecture at St Mary’s University.

Professor Booth is stepping down after 14 years at the IEA to become Director of Research and Public Engagement at St Mary’s.

He will be speaking on the topic: “Regulating Markets without Angels”

Abstract:

The failure of markets to achieve the outcomes we want, perhaps most notably in the financial crash of 2008, has led many to reject markets as the most important vehicle for promoting the common good and spreading prosperity. It has also led to calls for markets to be tightly regulated by governments.

However, the same human imperfections that are pervasive in markets are not absent from governments or the regulatory authorities that they establish. Indeed, as many have pointed out, financial markets were hardly unregulated in the 2000s. This lecture will throw light upon questions such as: why are markets important? What can history and political economy tell us about how markets can be effectively regulated? And what does a Catholic understanding of human nature have to contribute to our judgements about who should regulate markets?

This lecture will try to answer these questions in relation to particular practical areas such as finance and environmental protection.

More information and tickets:

You can find more information and book tickets for the lecture via the St Mary’s website by clicking here.