Series
Foundations
The ideas the other readings build on, set out in their strongest form and then answered by serious critics.
The toolArguments, then replies
State the argument
Give each case in its strongest form, in plain words.
Hear the objection
Pair each argument with a fair objection and the reply.
Let critics answer
Close with critics from different traditions in their own terms.
Readings in this series
Scarcity, choice, and the tools for choosing well
FoundationsWhy Do We Trade?From scarcity to specialization, exchange, and markets
FoundationsWho Owns It, and Why Does It Matter?How property rights shape care, investment, and cooperation
FoundationsWhere Do Prices Come From?How buyers and sellers arrive at prices no one plans
FoundationsHow Do People Respond to Prices?Time, taxes, price limits, and the prices we don’t see
FoundationsWhen Does a Higher Price Pay Off?Elasticity, pricing, and who really bears a tax
FoundationsWhy Do Profits and Losses Matter?How gains and failures steer scarce resources
FoundationsWho Should Decide?Markets, governments, and communities as ways to answer the basic economic questions
FoundationsThe Moral Case for MarketsMost of this course shows that markets work: they coordinate strangers, reward specialization, and raise living standards. This sheet asks a different question. Are markets also moral? Here is the case their defenders make, and what their critics say back.
FoundationsHow Did the World Get Rich?The Great Enrichment, and the soil it grew in
FoundationsWhat Makes an Economy Just?Five thinkers on how to share what we make, and what economics adds