The Economics of the Life We Want with Sam Bowman

Whether we know it or not, economics shapes almost every part of our lives - where we live, whether we can afford children, how much time we have with the people we love, and even the choices we think are available to us. But most of us rarely stop to ask what economics is actually for.

In this episode, Elizabeth Oldfield sits down with economist and Works in Progress editor Sam Bowman for a conversation that goes far beyond markets, GDP and public policy. Together we explore freedom, human flourishing, progress, and the surprising moral questions that sit beneath economic thinking.

We spoke about:

• Why economics is really about people, not money

• The relationship between freedom, wealth and human flourishing

• Whether we really need wealth to be happy

• Does the pursuit of prosperity comes at the expense of the things that make life meaningful?

Whether economics fascinates you or completely intimidates you, this conversation offers a fresh take on one of the most significant forces shaping modern life.

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Our guests and listeners to our podcast come from all kinds of perspectives and what draws us together is a desire to be self-aware about our own values and curious about other peoples.

Comment your reflections below, we read them all👇

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🎙️Listen to ⁠The Sacred Podcast⁠: https://linktr.ee/sacredpodcast

📖 Follow ⁠Elizabeth Oldfield: https://www.elizabetholdfield.com/

💡Produced by ⁠⁠Theos Think Tank⁠⁠ in partnership with ⁠⁠Comment Magazine⁠⁠ and with support from ⁠⁠The Jerusalem Trust⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠Open Society Foundations

👉 Follow Sam Bowman: https://x.com/s8mb

Chapters:

0:00 — Intro: How Economics Is Secretly Shaping Your Life

1:37 — What Is Sacred To You? Sam Bowman Answers

6:50 — Why Freedom Isn’t Just “Leave People Alone”

8:48 — What If People Choose Harmful Things?

11:37 — Ozempic and the New Meaning of Self-Control

15:25 — Can You Have Morality Without God?

21:30 — No Child Should Grow Up Worried About Money

25:22 — Is Travel Overrated?

31:51 — Why Most People Are Too Risk-Averse

35:14 — The Real Purpose of Economics

38:42 — Who Gets to Decide What Gets Built?

43:32 — What “Neoliberal” Actually Means

50:31 — Can Growth Continue Forever?

54:11 — Are Emissions Rising Because of AI?

57:41 — Does Wealth Really Make Us Happier?

61:32 — Britain’s Biggest Problem: Housing

65:18 — Elizabeth's Reflections