Join Classical Liberal Reading Group

“If God show you a way in which you may lawfully get more than in another way (without wrong to your soul or to any other), if you refuse this, and choose the less gainful way, you cross one of the ends of your calling, and you refuse to be God’s steward, and at accept His gifts…” – Richard Baxter, 1673

Svensk Tidskrift is partnering with Timbro in the classical liberal reading group about God and Honest Income. Led by professor Daniel Klein, the reading group will focus on religious and theological changes 1500-1750 that affected understandings of work, money-making and industry.

Earning an honest income became a praiseworthy way of life. From 1500 to 1750, God was increasingly understood as approving of the pursuit of honest income. Honest income increasingly became innocent, even praiseworthy. Some even taught that, when the opportunity presented itself, it was a duty to realize honest income. The theory was that honest income generally corresponds to the good of the whole (‘invisible hand’).

The changes gave rise to a new spirit of enterprise in commerce and industry, and led up to Adam Smith’s moral authorization of the pursuit of honest income and to what Deirdre McCloskey calls the Great Enrichment. The reading group is about the lead-up to Adam Smith and the Great Enrichment.

The Reading Group starts at December 7, it is held at Timbro in Stockholm and is also possible to follow online.

Read more about the reading group and how to participate here.

Anders Ydstedt är styrelseordförande för Svensk Tidskift