Dr. James R. Otteson received his BA from the University of Notre Dame and his PhD from the University of Chicago. He has taught previously at Georgetown University and at the University of Alabama, and specializes in the history of modern philosophy, political philosophy, and the history and philosophy of economics.  He is also a Senior Fellow at the Fund for American Studies in Washington, DC.  

Often lecturing on Adam Smith, classical liberalism, and related topics, Dr. Otteson has served as a guest lecturer for organizations including the Foundation for Economic Education, the Institute for Humane Studies, the Atlas Economic Research Foundation, and the Fund for American Studies.  His published writings include Adam Smith's Marketplace of Life (Cambridge University Press, 2002) and Actual Ethics (Cambridge University Press, 2006).  He received a Fund for the Study of Spontaneous Order Prize in 2005, and was named first-prize winner of the Templeton Enterprise Award in 2007.  

In addition, Dr. Otteson is a member of the Mont Pelerin Society and one of the primary contributors to the blog Pileus.  He also maintains a personal website and blog at www.jamesotteson.com.