This was definitely a different ASSA experience than years past (2013 and 2012 reports here, natch). There were a lot more paper sessions and meetings, and less get-togethers with editors and discussions of book projects. There are reasons for both: I was program chair for the Association for Social Economics this year, so I attended even more ASE sessions than usual, as well as the usual functions (opening plenary, membership meeting, presidential breakfast) and editorial board meetings for our two journals. And since I am "booked up" on current projects, I haven't thought ahead to future ones very much (other than my long-simmering book on moral judgment for Stanford, which I did discuss with my editor at our annual breakfast).
For anyone still reading, here is an account of my four days in Philadelphia:
Thursday
I arrived in Philly by train from Newark in the early afternoon, but I had already spent the entire day trying to adapt to Mother Nature's plans for our opening plenary featuring pre-eminent philosopher Martha Nussbaum, whose flights from Chicago—both her original one and the one she was later rebooked on—had been cancelled. Professor Nussbaum was very gracious and accommodating, and we were able to work out plans for her to deliver her address by Skype. I'm very pleased to report that it went amazingly well—see here for my "official" report—and I was personally honored to hear Professor Nussbaum hail my book Kantian Ethics and Economics as "elegant." I have to thank my fellow ASE-ers, especially Deb Figart and Bob LaJeunesse, for all their help throughout the day in turning a potential disaster into a brilliant plenary session, as well as, of course, Martha Nussbaum herself for her unflinching grace.
Friday
The day started with freezing my assumptions off wandering the streets of Philadelphia, trying to find the breakfast spot my Stanford editor had chosen, but all was rewarded by a wonderful meal with my dear friend (as well as discussion of the book on judgment mentioned above). Next was the first law-related ASE session of the meetings, chaired by incoming president-elect Ellen Mutari and focusing on gender and law in social economics. (See the entire program here.) Afterwards I lunched with another old friend and editor, and then spent a little time in the exhibit hall, having the pleasure of finally meeting Tyler Cowen in person at the Marginal Revolution University booth (during which we briefly continued discussing an exciting possible collaboration), and touching base with my Palgrave editor (who arrived while I was at the booth, having had her own travel problems).
After that I attended another ASE session, put together by Steve Pressman on the theme of income in equality, on the 33rd floor of the Loews Philadelphia hotel (with the beautiful view seen in the picture at the top of this post). Next was the annual ASE membership meeting, led by my friend and co-blogger Jonathan Wight, and at the end of which the presidency transferred to yours truly, at which point I previewed my plans to increase the ASE's exposure by increased emphasis on the ASE blog (which I have administered since December 2011). The day came to a close at a joyous dinner with Jonathan and another old friend—definitely the longest day I have ever spent at an ASSA conference!
Saturday
The day began at the ASE presidential breakfast, an annual event at which we give out a number of awards to honor longtime service to social economics and to the ASE as well as to recognize excellent scholarship by current and upcoming scholars. I had the honor of presiding over this event, at which I introduced Jonathan Wight's presidential address, "Economics within a Pluralist Ethical Tradition." (You can see him to the right.)
After a short break to review the papers for the next session and have a quick lunch, I attended the editorial board meeting for one of the ASE's two journals, the Forum for Social Economics, where we discussed (among many other things) plans to continue the program of Spotlight articles on the ASE blog, which began with Vernon Smith's article on Adam Smith in the last issue of 2013. Next, I chaired the second law-related ASE session of the meetings, this one on foundations of law and social economics. We were happy to have with us Claire Finkelstein, Algernon Biddle Professor of Law, Professor of Philosophy, and Director of the Center for Ethics and the Rule of Law, from the University of Pennsylvania. Professor Finkelstein contributed to a philosophically rich session comprised of four fascinating papers that explored possible intersections between social economics and the law. This was followed by the editorial boad meeting for our other journal, Review of Social Economy, after which another long day drew to a close.
Sunday
After breakfast in my hotel, at which I was pleased to be joined by an eminent figure in heterodox economics, the meetings concluded with the last two law-related ASE sessions. The first was an environmentally-themed session chaired by Jonathan Wight, during which Calvin College professor Steven McMullen performed double duty. Professor McMullen not only presented his own paper "Environmental Ethics, Economics, and Property Law"—written with Daniel Molling and the winner of the Warren J. Samuels Prize for best social economics paper presented at the 2014 ASSA—but also presented another paper for a presenter who could not travel to the meetings due to weather (a common problem at this year's meetings). The second Sunday session explored applications of law-and-social-economics, for which I filled in as chair for another weather-beaten participant (and good friend), and it proved to be yet another wonderful session with insightful discussion amongst the presenters and audients.
After lunch with yet another old friend, I made my way to the train station, where I was very happily surprised to find one of my editors/friends who was travelling to New York for a few days following ASSA. Once back to Newark, I was relieved to find my car free of snow, yet covered in a sheath of ice—no problem.
As I said at the top of this post, this was a very different ASSA conference experience, especially if you compare it to my past two. It really was very much an ASE conference for me—as it should have been, given my role as program chair and incoming president—and this naturally took precedence over other organizations' sessions or time spent with editors and publishers. Nonetheless, I look forward to more time in the exhibit booth next year! Also, I did not present any papers this year, having been disappointed with my performance at last year's meetings. But I've presented at most ASSA meetings for some years now, in sessions for various organizations, and I hope to gradually start presenting again (starting with my ASE presidential address next year). Finally, going into these meetings I was under the weather figuratively as well as literally, and poor sleep and haphazard eating made it difficult to engage as completely with people and ideas as I would have liked.
If anyone still reading was at ASSA, I hope you had a wonderful experience—and feel free to share it in the comments below!
In an op-ed in today's The New York Times, Adam Grant, bestselling author of Give and Take: A Revolutionary Approach to Success
Mark D. White 