Admission requirements
Admission to (one of) the programme(s) listed under Part of in the information bar on the right.
Description
Since the fall of communism, it has often been argued that ‘capitalism’ has ‘won’. However, it is not clear that capitalism is a unified concept, let alone a unified practice, and it is not clear which capitalism has won nor from where it has emerged. The history of economic philosophy reveals that from very early on there was a wide range of thinking about the market and its functions. The purpose of this course is to introduce students to this history of political economic thought, at least partially in order to reassess capitalist triumphalism. We will read and debate the ideas of the greatest writers on political economy, including Rousseau, Smith, Malthus, Ricardo, Mill, Marx, Schumpeter, Keynes, and Friedman. We will use this to investigate the intellectual history of the themes and presumptions of capitalism – some of which are prominent in contemporary debates and some of which have been forgotten - such as the limits to growth, inequality, corruption, globalisation, finance, the corporation, and the role of government.
Course objectives
This course aims to provide students with a critical understanding of the intellectual history of capitalism and its critics that is relevant for understanding both the debates we have and the debates we fail to have about contemporary capitalism.
Students who successfully complete the course will have a good understanding of:
classic texts and arguments in the history of political economic thought about market society;
the evolution of contemporary economics from Adam Smith to Milton Friedman, including what got left out.
Students who successfully complete the course will be able to:
critically analyse contemporary debates around capitalism from an historically informed perspective;
defend well-reasoned positions on the questions covered in the course in writing and in class discussions.
Timetable
The timetables are available through MyTimetable.
Mode of instruction
Seminar.
Class attendance is required.
Assessment method
Weighing
The final mark for the course is determined by the weighted average of the grades for each assessment.
A passing grade requires that both:
1. The weighted average of the partial grades must be 5.5 or higher
2. Class attendance requirement is met
Class attendance requirement: Students absent for more than 3 classes will not be allowed to take the final essay and will not be allowed to pass the course.
| Partial Assessment | Weighing |
|---|---|
| Active Participation/coöperation in class/group | 25% |
| Intermediate writing assignment(s) | 15% |
| Final Essay | 60% |
Resit
Students who fail the course can submit a resit, which will be an extended essay assignment that replaces the grades for the final essay and intermediate writing assignment(s)
It is not possible to make up for the attendance requirement or participation grade.
Inspection and feedback
Students will have an opportunity to discuss the grading of their essays with the instructor.
Reading list
Registration
Enrolment through MyStudyMap is mandatory.
General information about course and exam enrolment is available on the website.
Contact
For substantive questions, contact the lecturer listed in theinformation bar on the right.
For questions about enrolment, admission, etc, contact the Education Administration Office: Huizinga.