Economics Before Politics

"A science of economics must be developed before a science of politics can be logically formulated. Essentially, economics is the science of determining whether the interests of human beings are harmonious or antagonistic. This must be known before a science of politics can be formulated to determine the proper functions of government."

- Claude - Frederic Bastiat

Self-Education

"To engage students in the democratic process and to instill a love of world affairs in them, they must understand that their education will ultimately be related to actual, real-world concerns. Knowledge for knowledge’s sake is a beautiful, romantic concept, but can only be reached after knowledge for the sake of practicality is set as a baseline. An integrated worldview is an imperative for a meaningful life. We should not allow our students to slip into solipsism and unwarranted self-importance."

Click.

Principles of Conscious Capitalism

1) Business has potential for deeper purpose
- false dichotomy: business = greedy, non-profit = caring

2) Business should be viewed as holistically interdependent
- follows from Adam Smith's "harmony of business" (in order for business to flourish employees, suppliers, and consumers must be satisfied)

3) A different philosophy of leadership
- "paradox of profits" -- profits best achieved by not aiming directly for them
- companies that only focus on short-term profitablity destroy themselves by alienating, exploiting, and angering the stakeholders

"Bureaucracy isn't going to solve our problems, but creative entrepreneurs."

- John Mackey, Reason.tv Interview