The first English translation of part of the Indian sacred text the Mahabharata. It is better known today as the Bhagavad Gita. The Bhagavad gita, perhaps the greatest and most beautiful of the Hindu scriptures, is the fourth part of the Mahabharata. It is among the more recent parts of that work, dating from around the first or second century A.D. The Bhagavadgita is mainly in the form of a dialogue between the warrior Prince Arjuna and his friend Krishna (the earthly incarnation of the god Vishnu). The prince is engaged in a brutal but just war and contemplates throwing down his weapons and giving up his own life in order to avert more bloodshed. Krishna recalls Arjuna to his sense of responsibility and reminds him that he must discharge his duty as a warrior.

Armen Alchian discusses his contribution to economics as the founder of the “UCLA tradition” of economic thought with its emphasis of the rational, self-seeking behavior of individuals. Watch the video and explore related resources at Econlib Videos.

The Nobel Prize winning economist, James M. Buchanan, discusses in part 2 of a two part conversation, the work ethic, the logic of free markets, subjectivism, anarchy, federalism, the influence of philosophy, and the significance of the Nobel Prize. Watch the video and explore related resources at Econlib Videos.

The Nobel Prize winning economist, James M. Buchanan, discusses in part 1 of a two part conversation, the theory of public choice, his exchange theory of economics, and constitutional thought. Watch the video and explore related resources at Econlib Videos.

Ronald Coase talks about his life work, his contributions to economics, and the law and economics movement which he helped create as editor of the Journal of law of Economics from 1964 to 1982. Watch the video and explore related resources at Econlib Videos.

Gary S. Becker discusses his economic ideas with Edward Glaeser, Judge Richard A. Posner, and Edward Lazear. Gary Becker is one of the most original and pathbreaking economists in recent times. When he was named the 1992 Nobel Laureate in Economics, it was for “having extended the domain of microeconomic analysis to a wide range of human behaviour and interaction, including nonmarket behaviour.” Becker’s work led directly to the development of human capital theory and the economic analysis of discrimination, crime and punishment, marriage and the family, and the formation of habits. His studies have yielded fresh perspectives on the central problems in these areas, as well as new approaches to solving those problems. Becker is the University Professor of Economics and Sociology at the University of Chicago, and the Rose-Marie and Jack R. Anderson Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution. Watch the video and explore related resources at Econlib Videos.

One of our most distinguished contemporary cultural historians, Jacques Barzun reflects on his long academic career and the movement of ideas he helped to shape through his seminal writings on liberal education in America. Watch the video version on our YouTube channel.

Manuel Ayau is the founder and former rector and teacher of economics at Universidad Francisco Marroquin. Begun as an alternative to the prevailing statist views of higher education in Guatemala, Francisco Marroquin is now regarded as that country’s finest university. In addition to being a successful businessman, Ayau is a former Chairman of the Guatemala Stock Exchange, was a member of the Guatemala House of Representatives, and served as President of the Mont Pelerin Society. After meeting him in 1979, Ronald Reagan described Ayau as “one of the few people in the high political sphere who understands what is going on down there.” Watch the video on our YouTube channel.

The relationship of the individual and the state is the central theme of Anthony de Jasay’s distinguished career. Here he discusses the concepts of power, politics, and freedom that led to such seminal works as The State. Watch the video and explore related resources at Econlib. You can also access all de Jasay’s monthly Econlib columns here.

One of the foremost historians of the Industrial Revolution discusses what really happened to the quality of life and standard of living for those who lived through the industrialization of the West. Watch the video on our YouTube channel.