In August 2025, Vilnius hosted BŪTENT!, the country’s largest open-air discussion festival, bringing together thinkers, policymakers, and the public for conversations on ideas shaping society.

The discussion “The Limitations of Limitless Desires: Why Can’t We Think About Economics Without Philosophy?” brought together Naglis Kardelis, philosopher, and Leonardas Marcinkevičius, Senior Expert at the LFMI.

The session highlighted that economics cannot be fully understood without addressing fundamental questions about human nature, values, and choice. It emphasized:

• the role of unlimited human wants in shaping economic systems
• the importance of scarcity as a core economic principle
• the need for philosophical reflection when evaluating economic decisions and policies

In a world of growing expectations and rapid change, the discussion invited participants to reconsider how we define needs, limits, and well-being. It reinforced the idea that economics is not only about numbers and models – but also about values, meaning, and human judgment.