Barry Schwartz
Barry Schwartz, Dorwin Cartwright Professor of Social Theory and Social Action at Swarthmore College
Barry Schwartz is a psychologist and author of numerous articles and books on the subject of wisdom and contemporary society. He is the Dorwin Cartwright Professor of Social Theory and Social Action at Swarthmore College. He frequently publishes editorials in the New York Times applying his research in psychology to current events.
His 2004 book ‘The Paradox of Choice,’ tackles one of the great mysteries of modern life: Why is it that societies of great abundance — where individuals are offered more freedom and choice (personal, professional, and material) than ever before — are now witnessing a near-epidemic of depression? Conventional wisdom tells us that greater choice is for the greater good, but Schwartz argues the opposite: He makes a compelling case that the abundance of choice in today’s western world is actually making us miserable.
Schwartz’s previous research has addressed morality, decision-making and the varied inter-relationships between science and society. Before Paradox he published The Costs of Living, which traces the impact of free-market thinking on the explosion of consumerism — and the effect of the new capitalism on social and cultural institutions that once operated above the market, such as medicine, sports, and the law. Both books level serious criticism of modern western society, illuminating the under-reported psychological plagues of our time. But they also offer concrete ideas on addressing the problems, from a personal and societal level.
Currently, Schwartz is investigating how citizens of the modern world are used to embracing and celebrating the technology that changes our lives. But as we text, Skype, and tweet, he says, we tend to ignore a kind of technology that is every bit as powerful as the ‘thing’ technology that is always in our faces. This other technology he calls ‘idea technology.’ It is the technology that comes from scientific conceptions of what and who we are as human beings. This technology changes how we think about ourselves and others, and changes how we act in the world. And unlike ‘thing technology,’ ‘idea technology’ can have a powerful influence on us even if the ideas are false. In his talk, he will describe some examples of false ideas about human nature that have nonetheless had a powerful effect on the social world we inhabit.
More about this speaker:
- http://www.swarthmore.edu/SocSci/bschwar1/
- Barry Schwartz tweets @BarrySch
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