Economics

By exploring large data sets, statistics, secondary and unintended effects, the counterfactual, history, incentives, scarcity, and more, economics provides a distinctive lens through which to see everything, not just money. It is simply impossible to speak intelligibly about politics or history without a sound grasp of the monetary component, however, and thinking like an economist will sharpen the sensibilities of anyone engaged in rational thought. Most importantly, economics teaches us to see what isn’t there, what wasn’t done, what didn’t happen – to that extent, economics teaches us to see the “negative space” of social and intellectual life, thus pushing to new insights in virtually every facet of human life.