[PAST EVENT] Pride and Profit: The Intersection of Jane Austen and Adam Smith

February 23, 2016
7pm
Location
Alan B. Miller Hall (Business School), Room 1013
101 Ukrop Way
Williamsburg, VA 23185Map this location
Jane Austen's novels provide timeless insight into the practice of virtues and vices. They instruct their readers in rectitude and teach them that bad character inevitably leads to bad outcomes. Austen offers a no-nonsense moral philosophy of practical living that is quite similar to that of Scottish economist and philosopher Adam Smith. Vachris and Bohanon explore the ways in which Austen's novels reflect Smith's ideas and provide colorful illustrations of Smith's ideas on self-command, prudence, benevolence, justice, and impartiality as well as vanity, pride, and greed. The book shows how Smith's and Austen's perspectives reflect and define the bourgeoisie culture of the Enlightenment and industrial revolution.

The talk is open to students, faculty, and the community and will begin at 7pm on Monday February 22nd at the Mason School of Business, Room 1013. The talk will be followed by a Q&A with the author.