The Politics and Economics of Capitalism

It is impossible to graduate from college without repeatedly encountering the term "capitalism." But what is it, actually? Is it primarily a political or an economic system? What is the difference and why does it matter? Why are economics and politics taught in different departments at modern universities and why is a major in economics so popular? This course will equip students with the basic conceptual tools to think about these questions. We will try to understand the history and theory of capitalism by reading selections from six of the most important theorists of modern economic life: Adam Smith, Karl Marx, Friedrich List, William Stanley Jevons, John Maynard Keynes, and Friedrich Hayek.

See sample syllabus here.