Lecture series · recorded 2012–2013
Why Economics Matters
Why Economics Matters is a free lecture series (7 recordings, 2.7 hours) you can stream or download at freecapitalists.org, with 4 speakers.
A private seminar for high school students. Recorded at the Mises Institute on 21 February 2012.
Media and CultureGlobal EconomyMoney and BanksThe EntrepreneurBiographies
Cover painting: Thomas Watson hears the first telephone call from Alexander Graham Bell in the next room, Boston, March 1876. See every painting in the art gallery.
-
01
29:51 Download MP3
Where Did the iPhone Come From? 2012
Mainstream economics is fixated on market failure. The solution for mainstream economists is always heavy regulation. Capitalism permits global scale enterprises to thrive despite bureaucratic red tape.
Austrian Economics OverviewMedia and Culture
Read the transcript 3,666 words
-
02
21:51 Download MP3
Entrepeneurs and Uncertainty: Back to the Future 2012
Entrepreneurs are the driving force behind the markets and prices that provide goods and services to consumers. Human action looks to the future. Entrepreneurs shoulder risks and, if they guess right, collect profits as rewards. If wrong, they lose.
Read the transcript 3,405 words
-
03
22:01 Download MP3
Economics and the Power of Ideas 2012
Private property is the only foundational institution that society needs to build a civilization. The 99% had rotten lives until there was a revolution in ideas in the 1700s. Laissez-faire ideas changed the ideas of the 99%. The industrial revolution flowered.
Austrian Economics Overview
Read the transcript 2,894 words
-
04
25:49 Download MP3
The Life and Works of Ludwig von Mises 2013
What did the diamond and water paradox have to do with an important Austrian tenet that reversed economic thinking?
History of the Austrian School of EconomicsBiographies
Read the transcript 3,628 words
-
05
23:51 Download MP3
From 'The Art of War' to the Science of Economics 2013
How can The Art of War help you think like an economist? Because resources are scarce we have to put the goods we do have to the best use. Sun Tzu understood that war is destruction and resources must be preserved. The only good war is one won without fighting.
Austrian Economics OverviewMedia and Culture
Read the transcript 3,735 words
-
06
14:32 Download MP3
World Currency War 2013
Beggar thy neighbor policies are now called Quantitative Easing. Just like regular protectionism this currency war approach will lead to real wars.
Austrian Economics OverviewGlobal EconomyMoney and Banks
Read the transcript 1,751 words
-
07
21:11 Download MP3
Question and Answer Period 2013
Some responses to questions included: Trends in economics are dangerously negative. Keynesians are more unrealistic than ever. Mises says you only have two choices in coordinating resources: socialism or capitalism. Prohibition of drugs leads to violence and death.
Austrian Economics Overview
Read the transcript 2,817 words
People in this series
Speakers
Daniel J. Sanchez, Mark Thornton, Matt McCaffrey, Mises Institute.
Recording dates, summaries and topics for 7 of these 7 lectures come from the Mises Institute's page for Why Economics Matters, checked 2026-07-23.
Community
Discuss this course
No thread on Mises Community names this course yet. Start one.
Questions
About this series
- Is Why Economics Matters free to listen to?
- Yes. All 7 mirrored recordings stream in the browser or download as audio, at no cost and with no signup.
- How long is Why Economics Matters?
- 7 recordings, 2.7 hours in total.
- Who lectures in Why Economics Matters?
- Daniel J. Sanchez, Mark Thornton, Matt McCaffrey, and Mises Institute.
- When was Why Economics Matters recorded?
- 2012–2013, per the recording dates recovered for this series.
- Is there a transcript of Why Economics Matters?
- Yes. Every lecture in the series has one, 21,896 words in total, free to read on each lecture's page and searchable in the browser.
Playback speed
Keyboard shortcuts
- Space or K
- Play or pause
- J or left arrow
- Back 15 seconds
- L or right arrow
- Forward 30 seconds
- , and .
- Slower and faster
- N and P
- Next and previous lecture
- ?
- This list