
Al Roth on Why People Should Be Free to Sell Their Kidneys
From The Good Fight by New America
May 12, 2026 · 60 min
About this episode
Yascha Mounk and Al Roth discuss the intersection of economics and human emotion, particularly in the context of organ donation and changing societal attitudes towards economic transactions.
Yascha Mounk and Al Roth discuss what we miss when we separate economics from human emotion. Alvin E. Roth is the Craig and Susan McCaw Professor of Economics at Stanford University and the George Gund Professor of Economics and Business Administration Emeritus at Harvard University. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Economics in 2012. His latest book is Moral Economics: From Prostitution to Organ Sales, What Controversial Transactions Reveal About How Markets Work. In this week’s conversation, Yascha Mounk and Al Roth discuss the impact of moral disgust on solving economic problems, whether we should allow financial payments for organ donation, and what the rise of OnlyFans tells us about changing attitudes towards the self and economic transactions. If you have not yet signed up for our podcast, please do so now by following this link on your phone. Email: leonora.barclay@persuasion.community Podcast production by Mickey Freeland and Leonora Barclay. Connect with us! Spotify | Apple | Google X: @Yascha_Mounk & @JoinPersuasion YouTube: Yascha Mounk, Persuasion LinkedIn: Persuasion Community Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
People in this episode
Host: Yascha Mounk
Guest: Al Roth
Topics covered
- economics
- organ donation
- moral disgust
- financial payments
- OnlyFans
- human emotion
Keywords
- kidney sales
- Nobel Prize
- economic problems
- moral economics
- controversial transactions
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Stanford University, Harvard University
Books & works: Moral Economics: From Prostitution to Organ Sales, What Controversial Transactions Reveal About How Markets Work
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