On this episode of the Utilitarian Podcast, I talk with Bryan Caplan. Bryan is a professor of economics at George Mason University. His latest book is Labor Econ Versus the World: Essays on the World's Greatest Market.

We talk about some of Bryan’s big ideas (like open borders and housing deregulation), whether incremental change is better than big ideas and why people disagree with Bryan.

We also discuss economic policy in poor countries, and whether trying to improve such policy is more cost-effective than buying bed nets to prevent malaria.

I also make Bryan give an estimate of how much richer the world could be with optimal economic policy.

We discuss automation and universal basic income, whether a world government is a good idea, risks from AI and engineered pandemics, Bryan’s objections to utilitarianism and the labor economics of worker wellbeing improvements and marriage.

This podcast has timestamp chapters in the description, which is supported on some podcast players. And as always, I can be contacted by email at utilitarianpodcast@gmail.com.

TIMESTAMPS:

[00:01:21] Elevator pitch: Open borders

[00:04:39] Big ideas VS incremental change

[00:06:27] Why people disagree with Bryan

[00:09:08] A careful attitude?

[00:11:55] Economic policy in poor countries

[00:13:03] Bed nets or policy?

[00:15:54] How much richer could the world be?

[00:19:27] Automation and UBI

[00:26:52] Totalitarianism VS other risks

[00:31:00] Totalitarianism

[00:33:43] Engineered pandemics

[00:35:13] Fanciful scenarios

[00:37:18] Prediction markers for disasters

[00:40:05] Objections to utilitarianism

[00:48:57] Predicting future morality

[00:51:55] Economic thinking

[00:58:48] Labor economics

[01:02:40] Worker wellbeing improvements

[01:05:02] Economics of marriage