Matt Zwolinski, associate professor of philosophy at the University of San Diego, explored exploitation and moral judgment in the latest Hayek Lecture.
The lecture, which took place on Monday, February 22, brought philosophical concerns to economic issues such as price gouging and low-wage labor.
As Professor Zwolinski explained, we are quick to condemn entrepreneurs who set up sweatshops in poor countries--although most of us do nothing ourselves to help the poor. We also recoil at the sight of inflated prices for basic necessities such as water in the aftermath of natural disasters--while failing to realize that if prices do not rise in response to sudden and drastic increases in demand, store shelves would quickly be empty.
Professor Zwolinski is the author of numerous articles on theoretical and applied aspects of exploitation and is the editor of Arguing about Political Philosophy (Routledge), now in its second edition. He is also the author, along with John Tomasi, of Libertarianism: A Progressive Intellectual History, which will be published by Princeton University Press.
The Hayek Lecture Series is sponsored by the Center for the History of Political Economy at Duke University, the Program in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics at Duke University, and the Program in American Values and Institutions at Duke University, and is funded by a generous grant from the Thomas W. Smith Foundation.