‘Taking the floor’ by D. Beunza

17:00 CET, 13 October 2021 - A Phinance Online Seminar

Modelling and governing finance are not two separate things. This is one of the main lessons that the sociology and the nascent philosophy of finance have taught us.

The powerful interrelation between the models, the behavior, and the organization of financial markets is the focus of Daniel Beunza’s book Taking the Floor: Models, Morals, and Management in a Wall Street Trading Room (Princeton University Press). Beunza explores how the extensive use of financial modelling and trading technologies over the last few decades has changed and influenced ‘Wall Street’. In his book, he examines how models have reshaped financial markets and changed moral behavior in organizations, creating both opportunities and dangers. To do this, he takes us to the pulsating center of the financial markets—the floor of a trading firm.

This meeting of the Phinance Online Seminars discusses Daniel’s book with contributions from Donald MacKenzie (Edinburgh), Katherine K. Chen (CUNY), José Ossandón (Copenhagen Business School), Michael Barzelay (LSE), and Daniel himself, which is followed by an open debate.

‘Taking the floor’ by D. Beunza

17:00 CET, 13 October 2021

Phinance Online Seminars are organized by Phinance, a Philosophy & Finance Network

17:00 Daniel Beunza (City University of London)

17:20 Discussants:

Donald MacKenzie (University of Edinburgh)

Katherine K. Chen (The City College of New York and Graduate Center, CUNY)

José Ossandón (Copenhagen Business School)

Michael Barzelay (London School of Economics)

18:10 Debate

Chair: Emiliano Ippoliti (Sapienza University of Rome)