Lord Robert Skidelsky An Adequate Economic Discourse for the Europe of Our Grandchildren

In his first address to the IIEA as President of Ireland, President Michael D. Higgins shared his views on ethics, economics and the significance of their interplay for the future of the EU. He framed his lecture as a reflection on the 2012 book “How Much is Enough? Money and the Good Life” by Lord Robert Skidelsky and Dr. Edward Skidelsky. The President made a strong intellectual case that the current disjunction between mainstream economic theory and ethical reasoning undermines our capacity to adequately address the ‘crisis of legitimation’ which has been facing the European Union for several decades. Following the President’s address, Lord Robert Skidelsky and Dr. Edward Skidelsky responded, tracing the evolving nature of ‘work’ to the present day and suggesting how our conceptions of work, leisure and happiness may change in the coming decades.

About the Speakers:

The President of Ireland, Michael D. Higgins was inaugurated on 11 November 2011. He has previously served at almost every level of public life in Ireland, including as Ireland’s first Minister for Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht. Lord Robert Skidelsky is a Life Peer and Emeritus Professor of Political Economy at the University of Warwick. Dr. Edward Skidelsky is a Lecturer at the University of Exeter, with a specific research focus on moral and political philosophy. – See more at: http://www.iiea.com/events/an-adequate-economic-discourse-for-the-europe-of-our-grandchildren#sthash.SRKZVFe1.dpuf