#  Friedman Named 2025 Cabot Fellow 

 





Harvard Economics Professor Benjamin Friedman awarded 2025 Cabot Fellowship



 

June 04, 2025

 

 

- [ News ](/news-categories/news)
 
 

 

Benjamin Friedman, William Joseph Maier Professor of Political Economy, was named a 2025 Cabot Fellow for his latest book, *Religious Influences on Economic Thinking: The Origins of Modern Economics* (MIT Press, 2024).

In this book, Professor Friedman challenges the conventional view that economics emerged solely from Enlightenment rationalism, devoid of religious influence. He argues that religious thinking—particularly new currents within English-speaking Protestantism—played a foundational role in shaping early modern economic thought, including the ideas of Adam Smith and his contemporaries.

Friedman demonstrates how these theological influences did not simply fade away but continue to subtly shape economic attitudes and policy debates today, even if we’re often unaware of them. He suggests that enduring public views on issues like estate taxes, regulation, and environmental policy can often be traced back to deep-rooted religious values embedded in the origins of economics.

By illuminating this overlooked legacy, Friedman contends that recognizing these religious undercurrents can enrich the discipline of economics and better inform public discourse around the economic challenges we face today.

Established in 1905 by Elizabeth Rogers Cabot and her children in memory of sculptor Walter Channing Cabot, the Walter Channing Cabot Fellowship is a prestigious annual award at Harvard University, presented to a select group of Faculty of Arts and Sciences members—primarily in the arts, humanities, and social sciences—in recognition of outstanding scholarly publications in fields such as literature, history, or art. [Other 2025 awardees ](https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/newsplus/sixteen-faculty-named-cabot-fellows/)included academics across fields such as comparative literature, philosophy, government, and art history.

Winners receive a monetary award, along with the honor and support to further advance their scholarly work.



 

 

 

  ![Benjamin Friedman head shot](/sites/g/files/omnuum5991/files/2025-06/Friedman_Benjamin_CabotAward.jpg)

 



 

  

 

  ![Book cover of Religious Influencesin Economic Thinking](/sites/g/files/omnuum5991/files/2025-06/BookCover_2024_ReligiousInfluences_0.jpg)

 



 

  

 

 

 

 

 



 

 

 Share on:- [     Facebook ](#)
- [     Twitter ](#)
- [     Linkedin ](#)