Free Will as a Political Problem October 1, 2008

Host: Mercatus Center. Tyler Cowen will give an introduction. Dr. Schmidtz will then discuss the paradox of political freedom in its relation to free will and happiness: in short, why do individuals in modern, wealthy, and free societies experience such overwhelming emotions of anxiety, depression, and existential angst? Dr. Schmidtz is the Kendrick Professor of Philosophy and joint Professor of Economics at the University of Arizona. He has published six books. His articles have appeared in publications such as the Journal of Philosophy and Ethics, and nineteen have been reprinted. He has lectured at more than fifty universities on six continents. Dr. Schmidtz’s most recent work is Elements of Justice (Cambridge University Press, 2006); he also recently edited a collection of essays for Cambridge University Press on the philosopher Robert Nozick and published a textbook on environmental ethics for Oxford University Press. He is known for his work on Moral Theory and Law, having written on such diverse topics as the limits of government, individual responsibility and moral theory, and most recently on the elements of justice. He has also written articles of particular interest to the legal academy on the institution of property, environmental ethics, and rational choice. Dr. Schmidtz holds a PhD in philosophy from the University of Arizona.

Official Website: http://www.mercatus.org/EventDetails.aspx?id=20882