Economics, politics and the limits of consensus in economic thought: An interview with professor Sheila Dow

Kalevi Sorsa Foundation and the “Poliittinen talous” [Political Economy] podcast organize a live-podcast at the Think Corner of University of Helsinki on 14 June 2019. Timo Harjuniemi and Lauri Holappa will be interviewing Sheila Dow, emeritus professor in economics, on economics and the boundaries between science and politics. The event will be in English.

Economics is intertwined with power. Political decisions are often legitimized with arguments that draw heavily from economics. Think of, for example, the debate concerning public deficits or the need to reform the labour market. In such debates, economics plays a key role. It is even argued that political decision-making should take place within a framework provided by economics and economic facts.

Therefore, the question on the possibility of consensus in economics is of utmost importance. Is it possible to reach a consensus in economics? Is it possible to bridge the differences between different schools of thought in economics? Can we solve political questions with the means provided by economics?

These are some of the questions that will be tackled in the very first live session of the “Poliittinen talous” (Political Economy) podcast, organized with Kalevi Sorsa Foundation.

Sheila Dow is an Emeritus Professor in economics at the University of Stirling, UK. She has published vastly on, for example, the history of economic thought and worked as a monetary policy advisor for the UK government.

The event will take place at Think Corner (Yliopistonkatu 4, Helsinki) on June 14. We will start at 5 pm. Free entrance, no pre-registration.

The interview will be recorded and published later as an episode of the podcast. You can listen to previous episodes of the podcast here (some are in English). You can find the event also in Facebook.