Introduction: Symposium on William Easterly’s The Tyranny of Experts

Peter Boettke and Christopher Coyne provide the introductory essay to a symposium on William Easterly's The Tyranny of Experts. They argue that Easterly has produced a work that addresses economic development not as a technical problem in need of an engineering solution, but as a deeply moral question that requires not only economics, but also historical perspective, a comparative political focus on structures, and philosophic reflection on the nature of what constitutes the good society. The symposium includes three scholars representing the disciplines of philosophy (Loren Lomasky), politics (Jack Goldstone), and economics (Nobel laureate Angus Deaton) to share their reactions to The Tyranny of Experts. The symposium has also provided space for Easterly to respond to these commentaries.