A Symposium on Mere Beholderism

A Conversation with Dan Klein, Erik Matson, and Paul Vanderklay

I’ve got some great guests joining The Econ Playground today. First, we have Dan Klein who makes an introductory presentation on Mere Beholderism. In the spirit of C.S. Lewis “Mere Christianity”, Klein posits that moral theorizing should be focused around the approval of a benevolent beholder, whether or not that beholder is a theistic God, or an imaginary stand-in he calls “Joy”.

We then have Erik Matson and Paul VanderKlay providing responses. Erik questions whether Dan’s conception of Joy is sufficient without some stronger metaphysical grounding. Paul reminds us that “anti-beholderism” is a relatively recent historical phenomenon, and with the recession of modernity, we may see a resurgence of beholderism. Though people may not be seeking the approval of worthy beholders. After some rejoinders from Dan, we all come back together for an interesting conversation.

You may notice my location and outfit changes throughout the course of the conversation. That is due to the fact that I moved from Orange, CA to Bryn Mawr, PA in August to start a position as an Assistant Professor of Economics at Eastern University. If you’re in the area, please contact me.