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The Economics Of Altruism


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On this edition of Conversations from Studio B, host Kelee Riesbeck talks with Associate Professor of Economics, Julia Paxton Pagan.

Riesbeck and Pagan discuss poverty in Athens County, the practice of microfinance and the economics of altruism.

“When you start defining altruism really strictly then you can almost eliminate the presence of altruism at all. Because even if you’re doing it to get ‘warm-fuzzies’, is that really altruism? Within so many types of altruistic behaviors you can find some type of ulterior motive. Whether its reciprocity, or a business write-off, or if you’re trying to impress a date”, says Pagan.