The Big Myth: How American Business Taught Us to Loathe Government and Love the Free Market

Professor Oreskes’ lecture will explore how a century-long propaganda campaign transformed America's view on government and markets. In the 19th century, the U.S. government actively shaped the economy through regulation and infrastructure. But by the 20th century, a powerful business-driven narrative shifted public opinion, framing government intervention as a threat to economic growth. This shift has had significant impacts on American society, including a housing crisis, the opioid scourge, climate destruction, and a baleful response to the Covid-19 pandemic.

• 4:00 PM: Lecture and Q&A.
• 5:00 PM: Reception.

About Naomi Oreskes

Professor Oreskes is an internationally renowned earth scientist, historian, and author of both scholarly and popular books and articles on the history of earth and environmental science. She recently published "Why Trust Science?" (2019) and "Science on a Mission: How Military Funding Shaped What We Do and Don’t Know about the Ocean" (2021), which was awarded the Patrick Suppes Prize in the History of Science by the American Philosophical Society. Professor Oreskes’ new book, with Erik Conway, "The Big Myth: How American Business Taught Us to Loath Government and Love the Free Market," was published by Bloomsbury Press in 2023.

This lecture was made possible by the William C. Ferguson Fund.