Russ roberts is one of the greatest educators alive. It hosts one of the most legendary and popular educational podcasts of all time – EconTalk, on economics, culture, politics – he’s a well-known scholar and even produces some viral hip-hop videos viewed by. million times over the great economic debates. And at the height of that remarkable career, he rose to his feet and moved to a foreign land, Israel, where he took on the presidency of a quorum dedicated to studying great texts and asking great questions. Why?
In this episode, Ari talks with Russ about his trip. They talk about natalism in Israel; the narrative thrust of the book of Genesis; a political economy perspective on Deuteronomy; where Adam Smith, Friedrich Hayek and the Bible converge; why the Jewish tradition would be useful in the age of cryptography; the role of oral tradition in Russ’s creative work and in society at large; and more.
About the good faith effort: The Hebrew Bible is quite America’s moral founding document, just as the Constitution is our political founding document. Every week, Rabbi Dr. Ari Lamm speaks with thinkers, writers, artists and religious leaders to explore how the Bible continues to inform our lives today, from politics to psychology to pop culture, connecting Americans of different traditions and beliefs as so many others threaten to separate us.
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