Free Market Economics — Season 1, Episode 2: Pillars of Economic Wisdom: Part 2
Documentary, Talk • 39 min • 1 season, 10 episodes
Episode synopsis
In lecture two, we continue with pillars six through ten of economic wisdom, beginning with the idea that every action has unintended consequences, illustrated by examples like Britain’s rat bounty system and safety in the shipping industry. We also examine subjective value and voluntary exchange, the difference between creating jobs and creating wealth, and why real income grows only through increased output. The lecture concludes by demonstrating that competition is a "hardy weed" rather than a delicate flower, naturally emerging unless government intervention creates monopolies, as evidenced by successful deregulation in trucking and airlines that dramatically lowered prices and increased consumer choice.
About Free Market Economics
In Free Market Economics, Dr. David Henderson guides us through ten foundational pillars of economic wisdom and the major schools of thought—Austrian, Chicago, UCLA, and Public Choice. Along the way, we explore how markets coordinate through decentralized knowledge, property rights, and voluntary exchange, and why central planning so often falls short. Drawing on vivid historical cases—from the Soviet economic collapse to West Germany’s postwar miracle—the course brings core ideas like subjective value, spontaneous order, and entrepreneurial discovery to life. Ultimately, it shows how economic freedom and open inquiry fuel innovation and prosperity, while government intervention frequently produces unintended consequences and inefficiencies.