Nobel Laureate Robert J. Shiller helped the Aspen Institute’s Financial Security Program (FSP) christen its new name (FSP was formerly the Initiative on Financial Security) and its new Finance & Society Discussion Series on the evening of October 20th. The cocktail reception and conversation, which took place in Aspen’s Washington DC headquarters, focused on Shiller’s new book, Phishing for Phools: The Economics of Manipulation and Deception.
The book, which Shiller co-wrote with fellow economist and Nobel winner George Akerlof, warns of the dark side of behavioral science: the way private actors – especially marketers – routinely exploit consumers’ systematic biases to trigger bad decisions. After an introduction from FSP Executive Director Ida Rademacher, Shiller was interviewed by Washington Post columnist Catherine Rampell, and he took a number of thought provoking questions from the audience.
Watch video of the talk here:
The Finance & Society Discussion Series features distinguished leaders from academia, government, and industry whose work explores key financial issues of the day. Usually anchored around a new book, film, or idea, these occasional dialogues provide an opportunity for deep thinking, open conversation, and professional networking. Check here for updates on future events.
This inaugural convening of the Discussion Series also introduced guests to Aspen’s Finance Leaders Fellowship Program, a new leadership initiative which is the Henry Crown Fellowship project of Ranji Nagaswami. Part of the Aspen Global Leadership Network, the Finance Leaders Fellowship seeks to develop the next generation of responsible, community-spirited leaders in the global financial services industry and is scheduled to launch its inaugural class in 2016.
