What it's about
The Curious Task is a podcast by the Institute for Liberal Studies exploring economics, politics, philosophy, and more from a classical liberal perspective.
The name comes from FA Hayek (one of our favourite economists) who wrote that “The curious task of economics is to demonstrate to men how little they really know about what they imagine they can design.”
Each episode will feature a conversation between host Alex Aragona and a rotating cast of guests as they dive into philosophy, politics, economics, and the application of classical liberal ideas to contemporary issues.
Latest Episodes
- Ep. 89: Alex Salter — Did Central Banks Get COVID-19 Right?April 14, 2021 at 6:00 am
Alex Salter dives into Federal Reserve policies during the pandemic, what it got right and wrong, and what the lasting impacts will be.
- Ep. 88: Dan Griswold & Sabine El-Chidiac — What Should Immigration Policy Look Like After The Pandemic?April 7, 2021 at 6:00 am
Dan and Sabine discuss their newest policy brief with the Mercatus Center, and what changes they'd like to see to Canadian and American immigration policy as it relates to movement between the two countries.
- Ep. 87: Bas van der Vossen — Who Owns Your Labour?March 31, 2021 at 6:00 am
Alex Aragona explores standard readings of Lockean property rights theories with Bas van der Vossen, and then explore Bas' idea on what might be missing from these traditional understandings and interpretations.
- Ep. 86: Matt Warner — What's Wrong With Foreign Aid?March 24, 2021 at 6:00 am
Alex Aragona speaks with Matt Warner as he explores the dilemma that outsiders face when trying to do good for others, and why local knowledge is so important.
- Ep. 85: Paul Robinson — Is Russia a Threat to Democracy?March 17, 2021 at 6:00 am
Alex Aragona speaks with Paul Robinson about whether Russia is trying to meddle with Western democracy, and if he thinks the recommended solutions might be worse than the alleged threat.