Sheilagh Ogilvie on Epidemics, Guilds, and the Persistence of Bad Institutions

2025-04-02 · 59 min · episode 237 · 8 entities

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→ appeared on Conversations podcast

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Sheilagh Ogilvie on Epidemics, Guilds, and the Persistence of Bad Institutions
→ discusses Society & Culture concept

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Feed category: Society & Culture
→ discusses Education concept

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Feed category: Education
→ hosted by Mercatus Center at George Mason University company

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Feed author/publisher: Mercatus Center at George Mason University

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mentioned Society & Culture concept

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Feed category: Society & Culture
mentioned Education concept

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evidence rules-v4
Feed category: Education
discusses Society & Culture concept

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evidence rules-v4
Feed category: Society & Culture
discusses Education concept

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evidence rules-v4
Feed category: Education

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mentioned Mercatus Center at George Mason University company

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Feed author/publisher: Mercatus Center at George Mason University
hosted by Mercatus Center at George Mason University company

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Feed author/publisher: Mercatus Center at George Mason University

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evidence rules-v4
Sheilagh Ogilvie on Epidemics, Guilds, and the Persistence of Bad Institutions

podcasts 1

appeared on Conversations podcast

0.63

evidence rules-v4
Sheilagh Ogilvie on Epidemics, Guilds, and the Persistence of Bad Institutions

Episode description as stored

Sheilagh Ogilvie has spent decades examining the institutional structures that shaped European economic history, challenging conventional wisdom about everything from guilds to marriage patterns. In her conversation with Tyler, she reveals how studying pandemic responses from the Black Death to COVID-19 provides a unique lens for understanding deeper truths about institutional effectiveness and social constraints. Tyler and Sheilagh discuss the economic impacts of historical pandemics, the "happy story" of the Black Death and why it doesn't stand up to scrutiny, the history of variolation and how entrepreneurs created vaccination franchises in 18th-century England, why local communities typically managed epidemics better than central authorities, the dastardly nature of medieval guilds, the European marriage pattern and its disputed contribution to economic growth, when sustained economic growth truly began in England, why the Dutch Republic stagnated despite its early success, whether she agrees with Greg Clark's social mobility hypothesis, her experience and conducting "anthropological fieldwork" on English social customs, the communitarian norms she encountered while living in Germany, her upcoming research project on European serfdom, and more. Read a full transcript enhanced with helpful links, or watch the full video . Recorded February 27th, 2025 . Help keep the show ad free by donating today! Other ways to connect Follow us on X and Instagram Follow Tyler on X Follow Sheilagh on X Sign up for our newsletter Join our Discord Email us: cowenconvos@mercatus.gmu.edu Learn more about Conversations with Tyler and other Mercatus Center podcasts here .