Reason to be Happy: Why Logical Thinking is the Key to a Better Life – SuperSalon with Professor Kaushik Basu

Kaushik Basu, Professor of Economics at Cornell University and former Chief Economist of the World Bank, joins host Alaka Halder for a special discussion on his new book, Reason to Be Happy: Why Logical Thinking is the Key to a Better Life.

In this engaging and elegant book, Professor Basu shows us why logical thinking is an underutilized and transformative skill that can help us make better everyday decisions, navigate social interactions, and solve global challenges in a way that benefits present and future generations. Drawing from diverse disciplines (such as game theory, economics, psychology, and moral philosophy), Professor Basu uses anecdotes, historical examples, puzzles, and thought experiments to discuss:

• Letting go of mental blocks, harmful emotions, and things outside our control so that we can think rationally and lead the “good life”
• His own experience with despair and anxiety in his youth, eventually coming out of it, and the power of reason
• Why God probably does not exist, whether our lives are pre-determined and people should be held responsible for their actions
• His belief in the Humean philosophy of skepticism
• The paradox of what he calls “Greta’s Dilemma”, which shows how having the right intention is not enough; and the need to marshal logic and science for a road map for a better world
• A radical plan for a more equitable world

Kaushik Basu is the Carl Marks Professor of International Studies and Professor of Economics at Cornell University. He was the Chief Economist of the World Bank from 2012 to 2016 and served as the Chief Economic Advisor to the Indian government from 2009 to 2012. He has written over 20 books, including Beyond the Invisible Hand: Groundwork for a New Economics (2010), An Economist In The Real World: The Art Of Policymaking In India (2015), and The Republic of Beliefs: A New Approach to Law and Economics (2018). Reason to Be Happy is his latest book. It is available in the UK and will be released in the US on August 6, 2024.

This event will be recorded.