
Monday, November 9, 2015
Columbia University, New York, NY
While the Center's last two conferences focused on the significant losses of indigenous innovation and thus human flourishing in much of the West, the 13th annual conference -- “Steps to Mass Flourishing: Social Values and Individual Experience” -- focused on what the United States and others can do to increase indigenous innovation. Two dozen scholars and experts participated in the daylong conference, which was held at Columbia University’s Casa Italiana and consisted of five sessions, a roundtable, a luncheon speech by Peter Thiel, and a dinner speech by Peter Jungen.
- Introductory Remarks: Edmund Phelps
- Session 1: Innovation: Its Measurement, Cultural Sources and Recent History
- Speakers: Edmund Phelps, Raicho Bojilov, Gylfi Zoega, Saifedean Ammous
- Discussants: Philippe Aghion, Eric Bartelsman
- Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nOlGJYUihkM
- Session 2: Forces Impairing Prosperity in the Economies of the West
- Speakers: Luigi Bonatti, Catherine L. Mann
- Discussants: Luigi Paganetto, Charles Calomiris
- Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9kR_A5Dt7oU
- Roundtable: Capitalism and Innovation in the West
- Speakers: Stefano Micossi, Ian Goldin, David S. Rose
- Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kEAQOtnGSBM
- Luncheon Speaker: Peter Thiel
- Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y11uX8X6iz4
- Session 3: The Emergence of Innovation and Flourishing
- Speakers: Emma Griffin, Anton Howes
- Discussant: Amar Bhide
- Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xHOsdAoKwqU
- Session 4: Impact Investing
- Speakers: Richard Robb, Brian Trelstad, Andrzej Rapaczynski, Matthew Bishop, Abigail Noble
- Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pfld2m5ZcPo
- Session 5: How Evolving Social Values Suppress Individual Initiative
- Speakers: Jonathan Haidt, Barry Schwartz, Philip K. Howard, Lewis Lapham
- Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ko02AzJszf0
- Dinner Speaker: Peter Jungen