San Jose State University, Department of Economics
DAVID S. SAURMAN PROVOCATIVE LECTURE SERIES
presents:
Richard M. Ebeling
"How Did Sherlock Holmes Read the Mind of Professor Moriarty?
Or Why Economists Often Misunderstand People's Expectations."
Thursday, March 1, 2007
12:45-2:15 P.M. (not our usual time)
Science 142
STUDENTS, FACULTY, AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC ARE ALL WELCOME TO ATTEND.
Economics claims to be a "predictive science" that can help us forecast
the future. But in fact the way economists "model" how people form
expectations leaves out much about how people's minds actually work. It is
not surprising, therefore, that economists often are mistaken about why
markets usually get things right, but sometimes get things wrong. A little
bit of psychology and sociology would greatly assist economics in enabling
us to anticipate what the future may hold in store. Economists of the
Austrian School have provided an alternative approach to the dominant
rational expectations paradigm of Neo-Classical economists, and Professor
Ebeling will explain why their perspective matters.
Richard M. Ebeling is president of the Foundation for Economic Education
(FEE) in Irvington-on-Hudson, New York. Prior to his appointment at FEE in
May 2003, Dr. Ebeling was the Ludwig von Mises Professor of Economics at
Hillsdale College in Michigan. He lectures extensively on a wide variety
of economic and public policy topics throughout the United States, Latin
America, Eastern Europe, and the former Soviet Union, where he has
consulted with the Lithuanian government, the city of Moscow and the
Russian Parliament. In addition to editing several published works of
Ludwig von Mises, he is the author of AUSTRIAN ECONOMICS AND THE POLITICAL
ECONOMY OF FREEDOM (2003) and the forthcoming book, MONETARY CENTRAL
PLANNING AND THE STATE.
ABOUT THE DAVID R. SAURMAN PROVOCATIVE LECTURE SERIES: The Department of
Economics invites students, faculty, and the general public to consider
intellectual arguments on controversial topics. Presenters in the
Provocative Lecture Series are noted for their outstanding scholarship and
public speaking ability. This lecture series fosters the tradition of
higher education to challenge ideas and develop critical thinking in an
environment of respect and intellectual discourse. Our goal is for you to
develop the critical thinking skills necessary to reach your own informed
position on controversial issues. We invite you to attend, to relax, to
ponder, and to enjoy the thought process. Obviously the views of the
speakers do not necessarily represent those of the University.