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

2 Apr 2025 20 published claims 1 attributable person
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Speakers in the public record

Sheilagh Ogilvie

Claim mix

belief 8evaluation 7preference 3observation 1recommendation 1

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20 published records

02 / belief

I think that’s an important part of one’s education — both having colleagues who are eccentric and also teaching the next generation that it’s okay to be weird, and I think England’s still like that.

“I think that’s an important part of one’s education — both having colleagues who are eccentric and also teaching the next generation that it’s okay to be weird, and I think England’s still like that.”
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06 / observation

” The problem is that the European marriage pattern also existed in extremely poor, stagnant economies in eastern and central Europe, Nordic Europe, Scandinavian countries, places that had serfdom, like Bohemia, the present-day Czech Republic, places in Scandinavia that didn’t industrialize until the late 19th century.

“” The problem is that the European marriage pattern also existed in extremely poor, stagnant economies in eastern and central Europe, Nordic Europe, Scandinavian countries, places that had serfdom, like Bohemia, the present-day Czech Republic, places in Scandinavia that didn’t industrialize until the late 19th century.”
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10 / belief

” I thought, “Yes, that’s the fundamental piece of wisdom I would pass on from an educational point of view,” which is, answer the essay questions set. But in a more general framework, I would say, and this is actually not just England-specific, but changing cultures.

“” I thought, “Yes, that’s the fundamental piece of wisdom I would pass on from an educational point of view,” which is, answer the essay questions set. But in a more general framework, I would say, and this is actually not just England-specific, but changing cultures.”
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13 / recommendation

I think we need cross-country comparisons of social mobility because, even if you observe England having quite a lot of immobility over the long period, the question is, what’s the counterfactual?

“I think we need cross-country comparisons of social mobility because, even if you observe England having quite a lot of immobility over the long period, the question is, what’s the counterfactual?”
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15 / evaluation

I think, in general, the problem with guilds is that they seek the benefits of their existing members, and restricting entry always enables you to raise prices.

“I think, in general, the problem with guilds is that they seek the benefits of their existing members, and restricting entry always enables you to raise prices.”
Publisher
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16 / evaluation

Maybe the first thing I would say is, don’t believe what your priest says, [laughs] because one of the things I do in the book is I try to assess the effect of different social institutions.

“Maybe the first thing I would say is, don’t believe what your priest says, [laughs] because one of the things I do in the book is I try to assess the effect of different social institutions.”
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17 / evaluation

She was an early 18th-century influencer, and it became the fashionable thing for aristocratic ladies and then upwardly mobile people to do. It happened that it was a really good way of spreading it because we even know nowadays that mothers, women are often the decision-makers as far as vaccination and health decisions in the family are concerned.

“She was an early 18th-century influencer, and it became the fashionable thing for aristocratic ladies and then upwardly mobile people to do. It happened that it was a really good way of spreading it because we even know nowadays that mothers, women are often the decision-makers as far as vaccination and health decisions in the family are concerned.”
Publisher
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18 / evaluation

There was a perception, at any rate, that workers felt that they were able to demand higher wages, and in particular, females were demanding higher wages. This was seen as really outrageous because women were supposed to be obedient, disciplined workers, and here they were saying, “I’m going to leave the village unless you increase my wages.

“There was a perception, at any rate, that workers felt that they were able to demand higher wages, and in particular, females were demanding higher wages. This was seen as really outrageous because women were supposed to be obedient, disciplined workers, and here they were saying, “I’m going to leave the village unless you increase my wages.”
Publisher
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19 / evaluation

When that was the case, you actually sometimes needed higher levels of government to bang a few local heads together because the problem with villages and small towns is that they only care about what’s going on inside the community.

“When that was the case, you actually sometimes needed higher levels of government to bang a few local heads together because the problem with villages and small towns is that they only care about what’s going on inside the community.”
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20 / evaluation

I think there were really big differences compared to nowadays, but on the whole, it looks like voluntary market withdrawal was really higher in past epidemics than it was, for instance, during influenza in the early 20th century or COVID in the early 21st.

“I think there were really big differences compared to nowadays, but on the whole, it looks like voluntary market withdrawal was really higher in past epidemics than it was, for instance, during influenza in the early 20th century or COVID in the early 21st.”
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Conversations with Tyler
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