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Lecture series · recorded 2009

Economics for High School Students

Economics for High School Students is a free lecture series (5 recordings, 2.6 hours) you can stream or download at freecapitalists.org, with 5 speakers.

A one-day seminar for high school students—with a particular focus on homeschoolers—on 20 November 2009. Sponsored by Jeremy S. Davis.

Media and CultureU.S. HistoryMoney and BanksThe Environment

Cover painting: Johannes Gutenberg examines a freshly pulled proof sheet at his press, Mainz, about 1454. See every painting in the art gallery.

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Recorded lectures

Lectures

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  1. 01

    The Core of What Economics Teaches 2009

    Robert P. Murphy · 34:13 · 284 MB · Recorded 21 November 2009

    Free market capitalism coordinates every stage of every production desired by consumers as if by magic. Knowing Austrian economics will allow you to see which public policies are disastrous to this productivity. Unintended consequences, opportunity cost, and pricing theory are fundamental concepts to explain human action.

    Austrian Economics Overview

    Read the transcript 5,578 words

    Download MP4 · MP3
  2. 02

    Money, Banking and the Current Mess 2009

    Doug French · 29:52 · 249 MB · Recorded 21 November 2009

    Money originates by free markets via barter and gold and silver, not by governments via fiat. A story of Halloween candy demonstrates this.  The double coincidence of wants is solved by money. Money that will last will be six things: generally marketable, divisible, high value per unit weight (portable), durable, recognizable, and homogeneous.

    Austrian Economics OverviewMoney and Banks

    Read the transcript 3,775 words

    Download MP4 · MP3
  3. 03

    Technology and Social Change 2009

    Jeffrey A. Tucker · 30:51 · 254 MB · Recorded 21 November 2009

    Producers really are slaves to their consumers. Destruction & Production can be called Power & Market. Technology like the printing press was initially feared. It would put scribes out of business. Technology describes each generation in our human-built world. Entrepreneurs emulate and compete in the market, improving in small steps existing production. Patents and regulations restrict the free flow of information. Presented by Jeffrey Tucker at the “Economics for High School Students” seminar. Recorded at the Mises Institute in Auburn, Alabama; 20 November 2009. Sponsored by Jeremy S. Davis.

    Austrian Economics OverviewMedia and Culture

    Read the transcript 5,177 words

    Download MP4 · MP3
  4. 04

    The Economics of Recycling 2009

    Floy Lilley · 25:44 · 214 MB · Recorded 21 November 2009

    Recycling happens naturally when there is market demand for waste items like plastic, paper, metal or glass, but mandated recycling does more harm than good. When do you know that recycling is worthy? You know when some person or business asks to buy your particular waste from you, not when some authority forces you to recycle. Thus, metal and kraft cardboard currently do find markets but the other waste items of plastic, paper and glass do not now that the Chinese have stopped buying all our waste. We are not running out of landfill space. We are not saving resources or protecting the environment by recycling. People would recycle without being forced to when it is economically beneficial to do so. Presented by Floy Lilley at the “Economics for High School Students” seminar. Recorded at the Mises Institute in Auburn, Alabama; 20 November 2009. Sponsored by Jeremy S. Davis.

    Austrian Economics OverviewThe Environment

    Read the transcript 2,890 words

    Download MP4 · MP3
  5. 05

    Applying Economics to American History 2009

    Thomas E. Woods, Jr. · 36:01 · 306 MB · Recorded 21 November 2009

    Understanding economics helps you see history better. American workers, although only lightly unionized, were more productive than others. All high standards of living are due to free markets. Governments destroy this.

    Austrian Economics OverviewU.S. History

    Read the transcript 6,139 words

    Download MP4 · MP3

People in this series

Speakers

Doug French, Floy Lilley, Jeffrey A. Tucker, Robert P. Murphy, Thomas E. Woods, Jr..

Recording dates, summaries and topics for 5 of these 5 lectures come from the Mises Institute's page for Economics for High School Students, checked 2026-09-27.

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About this series

Is Economics for High School Students free to listen to?
Yes. All 5 mirrored recordings stream in the browser or download as video and audio, at no cost and with no signup.
How long is Economics for High School Students?
5 recordings, 2.6 hours in total.
Who lectures in Economics for High School Students?
Doug French, Floy Lilley, Jeffrey A. Tucker, Robert P. Murphy, and 1 others.
When was Economics for High School Students recorded?
2009, per the recording dates recovered for this series.
Is there a transcript of Economics for High School Students?
Yes. Every lecture in the series has one, 23,559 words in total, free to read on each lecture's page and searchable in the browser.

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