Amal Varghese Presents: A History of Debt, Money and Interest Rates

The history of money across all societies, throughout all the ages, has fascinated me for the longest time. How did people cooperate in times past? Did they barter? When did the earliest form of 'money' emerge? How did they arrive at a schelling point? Gold and silver are the most 'lindy' of the contenders for money. We know that because both are still in demand today. Similarly, how did debt emerge in ancient societies? What is the natural rate of interest, as applied to money? What level of interest is sufficient to incentivise risk-taking and entrepreneurship? At what level of interest is an investor willing to part ways with his or her money, for a time? Is interest simply the 'price of time' as Edward Chancellor contends?
Location: Meeting Room 2, State Library of Victoria

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Host or Publisher Amal Varghese