Teaching critical thinking can contribute to prosperity. McCloskey references Austrian economists like Schumpeter and Kirzner who claim that because rhetoric influences actions, innovation depends on rhetoric. She also calls the economy “rhetorical” because communication influences society’s beliefs and actions: “If our economic lives are not frozen by tradition, we must persuade each other what is to be done” (McCloskey 181). This combination of critical thinking skills and an understanding of rhetoric can improve prosperity by allowing individuals as citizens and economic agents to inform themselves and one another, better understand complex concepts, and consider the ethical implications of the consequences of their behavior.

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