The Moral Origins of the Great Recession
David Bosworth
University of Washington
Date:听September 23, 2014
Abstract
Although the financial collapse of 2008 moved with alarming speed, the evolution of the bad faith that drove the recession is a more gradual story. Over the past sixty years, sweeping ethical, political and economic change has created a new "virtual America," driven by the commercialization of both public spaces and electronic information. Ultimately the materialist values of this new America have co-opted our politics, health care, art and even the most intimate aspects of our personal lives. Drawing on his latest book,听The Demise of Virtue in Virtual America: The Moral Origins of the Great Recession, David Bosworth will present an alternative story of American life since 1950 that relentlessly challenges today鈥檚 dominant narratives.
Speaker Bio
David Bosworth听is a professor in the University of Washington鈥檚 Creative Writing Program, where he previously served as director for five years. He is the author of听The Demise of Virtue in Virtual America: The Moral Origins of the Great Recession听(2014). He also wrote the award-winning novel听From My Father,听厂颈苍驳颈苍驳听(1986) and the short fiction collection听The Death of Descartes听(1981). His fiction, poetry, and literary and cultural essays have been published in numerous journals, such as听The Public Interest听补苍诲听The Georgia Review. Bosworth has also contributed to a number of collective projects on cultural change in America, working with the Institute for American Values and other organizations to address issues like the fragility of the American family and the corporatization of public education. He is currently working on a book about epistemological change, scheduled for publication in 2015. He earned his B.A. from Brown University.
Event Photos
David Bosworth speaking at the Boisi Center about his new book, "The Demise of Virtue in Virtual America: The Moral Origins of the Great Recession."
Photos by MTS photography
Event Recap
On September 23, David Bosworth visited the Boisi Center to discuss his new book听The Demise of Virtue in Virtual America: The Moral Origins of the Great Recession. Bosworth, a professor in the University of Washington鈥檚 Creative Writing Program, explained that he wrote the book in an attempt to unearth the moral and cultural changes that were at the root of the housing market bubble and collapse, and the ensuing recession.
Noting that people frequently act contrary to their professed ideals, Bosworth blamed the fact that traditional ideals no longer aptly apply to the changing social situation. He hoped that his book could help people recognize this disjunction and thus realign ideals and realities.
Bosworth pointed to many changes that have occurred since the 1950s, and tried identifying those factors responsible for these changes. Consumerism was a big theme throughout鈥攂oth in shaping the tastes and lives of consumers, as well as the private lives of employees. Bosworth sees 鈥渆vangelical mammonism鈥濃�攖he spirit of radical capitalism of our era, which seeks to spread the 鈥済ood news鈥� of material consumption鈥攁s replacing the republican and Judeo-Christian roots of our country, to our great detriment.
When children were raised in the 1950s, time and play were unstructured. Now, the structure of the work place has seeped into private life: children鈥檚 lives are scheduled, and their play highly organized. Fifty years ago, there were public spaces鈥攑arks, the town square鈥攖hat facilitated civic life. Now, the indoor mall has replaced the outdoor town square; the benches and plants bespeak this intentional transformation. Except, rather than facilitating civic life, the mall aims only to facilitate consumption.
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Further Reading
Pope Benedict XVI,听, encyclical letter, July 7, 2009.
David Bollier, "," blog recommended by Bosworth.
David Bosworth,听听(Eugene, OR: Wipf & Stock, 2014)
David Bosworth, 鈥�,鈥澨�The Public Interest听(Winter 2000).
David Bosworth, ","听Georgia Review听60, no. 3/4 (Fall/Winter 2006).
David Bosworth, 鈥�,鈥澨�Salmagundi听(Autumn/Winter, 2006-07).
David Bosworth, 鈥�,鈥澨�Society听(Autumn 2011).
David Bosworth, 鈥淔rom Wariness to Wishfulness: Disney鈥檚 Emasculation of Pinocchio鈥檚 Conscience,鈥澨�Georgia Review听(Autumn 2011).
David Bosworth, 鈥淭he Pharmacy of Pain Dissuasion: America鈥檚 Addiction to Psycho-active Drugs,鈥澨�Georgia Review听(Spring 2014).
Dwight Furrow, ed.,听听(Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield, 2004).
Christopher Lasch,听听(New York: Norton, 1991).
Herman Melville, 鈥溾�� (SMK Books, 1853).
Herman Melville,听听(New York: Penguin Classics, 1857).
Karl Polanyi,听听(Boston: Beacon Press, 1944).
Jonathan Sacks, "," A51茶馆.net.au, December 14, 2011.
Michael Sandel,听听(New York: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, 2012).
Wendell Berry,听听(Berkeley: Counterpoint, 1987).
In the News
There is great buzz around the听. At a Tuesday,听September 23, Boisi Center lunch,听David Bosworth听will consider whether our enhanced devices are actually driving us apart, as he presents on his latest book,听The Demise of Virtue in Virtual America: The Moral Origins of the Great Recession.