Dr. Yaron Brook and Dr. David Callahan: Is Capitalism Moral? A Debate October 22, 2012

SPEAKER: Dr. Yaron Brook, Ph.D., Executive Director, The Ayn Rand Institute; Co-author, Free Market Revolution: How Ayn Rand’s Ideas Can End Big Government
Dr. David Callahan, Ph.D., Co Founder, Demos; Author, The Cheating Culture
TITLE: Is Capitalism Moral? A Debate
DATE: Monday, October 22, 2012
TIME: 5:30 p.m. networking reception, 6:00 p.m. program
PLACE: SF Club Offices, 595 market St., 2nd Floor, SF

PRICE: $20 standard, MEMBERS FREE, $7 students (with valid ID)
To buy tickets call 415.597.6705 or register at www.commonwealthclub.org

CONTACT: Riki Rafner, Director of Media and Public Relations, (415) 597-6712
Media interested in attending should please RSVP to [email protected] and please bring business card to event.
Laissez-faire enthusiast Dr. Yaron Brook and government regulation supporter Dr. David Callahan will debate whether or not capitalism has led to moral corruption in America’s economy and political systems. From the financial crisis, to Obamacare, to the budget debates, the size and scope of government is being argued across the country. One side calls for more regulation to foster equitable prosperity because they believe an under-regulated free market is out of control. The other side says government has grown too big and intrusive, and we need to mitigate its power while rediscovering the founders' principles. Brook and Callahan stand at polar opposite sides of the spectrum.
Dr. Yaron Brook believes that it is essential to have a laissez-faire capitalist system to ensure the freedom of the individuals within it. As President and Executive Director of the Ayn Rand Institute, he is an expert on the philosophical case for individual rights and laissez-faire capitalism. While living in Israel, Brook received a BSC in civil engineering from Technion-Israel Institute of Technology in Haifa. He moved to the United States in 1987 where he earned his MBA and Ph.D. in finance from the University of Texas at Austin.
Dr. David Callahan is co-founder of Demos, a public policy group that pushes for a more equitable economy, a robust democracy, and a strong public sector. In his book The Cheating Culture, he argues that our laissez-faire, dog-eat-dog economy has led to cheating within our entire culture, from corporate scandals to plagiarizing by students. Callahan earned his B.A. at Hampshire College and his Ph.D. in Politics at Princeton University.