Friday May 5th, 2023
6:30pm
School of Political Economy, Level 1, 49 Smith Street.
Free event. All welcome.
Register at Eventbrite
Henry George (1839-1897) rose to fame as a social reformer and economist amid the industrial and intellectual turbulence of the late nineteenth century. In 1886 he was almost elected the Mayor of New York City and in 1890 he undertook a barnstorming speaking tour of 34 Australian cities and towns.
George’s focus on land and housing, and his proposed single tax reforms, provoked strong opposition from established and conservative centres of power in business, government and academia. As a result, George’s ideas have weathered a long phase of marginalisation.
However, in an increasingly unequal world, and in a country with some of the least affordable housing in the world, George’s ideas about land and natural resource rents are coming back into the spotlight. Given this, we have organised this discussion as a means to provide people with a deeper understanding of George’s ideas.
Prosper Australia along with The School of Political Economy and the Victorian Fabians are pleased to host esteemed Canadian philosopher Professor Francis K Peddle in conversation with Dr Tim Thornton.
The discussion will be of interest to a wide audience. If you are simply seeking to understand the basics of George’s ideas, this discussion will get you off to a flying start. If you are already familiar with George’s ideas, then here is a rare opportunity to hear from somebody who has the deepest knowledge of George’s unique and important contribution to the political economy.
Professor Francis K Peddle is Professor of Philosophy at Dominican University College, Ottawa, Canada. He is a noted scholar of the works of Henry George, including his role as a series co-editor of the six-volume critical edition of The Annotated Works of Henry George. Frank previously practised as a barrister and solicitor.
Dr Tim Thornton is the Director of the School of Political Economy in Melbourne and is a Senior Research Fellow at the Economics in Context Initiative at Boston University and the Global Development Development and Environment Institute at Tufts University. Tim’s most recent book is the co-edited Handbook of Alternative Theories of Political Economy published in 2022.
