Working in Academia
From: Walter Block <[email protected]>
Sent: Sunday, April 03, 2022 6:50 PM
Subject: RE: Dear Walter
Dear Mark:
At 60, you’re still a baby. (I’m 80).
What’s this crap about “the mandatory nonsense I would be required to use.”
In my intro course, I teach from this textbook: Mankiw, N. Gregory. Principles of Microeconomics. South-Western, Cengage sixth seventh edition, and I’ll be using that. However, any year, any edition of this book is a reasonable substitute. Isbn 9781285165905
And use this as an extra reading
Hazlitt, Henry. Economics in One Lesson. ISBN – 9780517548233
The first one third of Mankiw is very good. I give it an A-. Good stuff on free trade, min wage, rent control, etc. The second third is crap. All about market failure. So, I present that stuff, sympathetically, and then say why its wrong. On an exam, I ask students to give both sides. The Hazlitt book of course is very good.
What’s so stultifying about that? I enjoy doing this.
You could do this too. I suggest you apply both to U Vic for a part time job as a lecturer and also to the local 2 year colleges for a full time job. You can do good in this way and have a good career. Are you limited to the Vic area? If you can locate anywhere in Canada that would open up things for you.
Best regards,
Walter
I debated my friend, the late Gary North, on this very subject:
Block, Walter E. 2008. “Attention Students: Should You Get Your Ph.D. and Become a Professor?” June 28; http://archive.lewrockwell.com/block/block104.html (debate with Gary North) https://www.lewrockwell.com/lrc-blog/young-person-saved-from-academia/;
http://www.economicpolicyjournal.com/2018/04/loyola-professor-attacks-austrian.html
Subject: RE: Dear Walter
Dear Walter,
Yes I have an MA. Years ago I did a bit of teaching (short term contract – “fill in/substitute”) at xyz. I’m 60 now and not that interested in teaching first year students according to the mandatory nonsense I would be required to use. I honestly don’t know how you manage it – especially today. On the other hand, I would love to teach some young students curious about or interested in the Austrian School.
Kind regards,
3:01 am on April 8, 2022
