COURSE OUTLINE AND READING SCHEDULE

Welcome! In this class you will read a selection from classical literature in political economy and a small text that provides an overview (Heilbroner's book). Here are the books:

(1) Heilbroner, Robert L. The Worldly Philosophers, Touchstone 1999 ed., ISBN 068486214X.

(2) Malthus, Thomas R. An Essay on the Principle of Population (1798), Prometheus 1998 ed., ISBN 1573922552.

(3) Smith, Adam An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations (1776), Prometheus 1991 ed., ISBN 0879757051.

(4) Ricardo, David Principles of Political Economy and Taxation (1815), Prometheus 1996 ed., ISBN 1573921092.

(5) Hobson, J.A. Imperialism (1905), U Michigan Press 1965 ed., ISBN 0472061038.

We will read these texts (only segments of some) in the order shown below in the course calendar. These books were very influential - they all had a profound impact upon popular opinion and politics - and if it can be argued that ideas influence history, they probably had a considerable impact upon the course taken by history over the last two centuries. My objective in having you read them is two-fold: (1) I want to give you some exposure to these ideas in their original form, (2) I want you to find some of the original core postulates of political economy that are still to be found in the study of economics today.

After we have completed two books of the primary readiung, you will be given a take-home essay examination, typically based upon questions that I will give you as reading guides at the beginning of the module. The due dates for those exams are shown in the course calendar.

Additionally, you will be writing a research paper through most of the semester that will be due at the end of the semester. I will give the assignment, including the choice of topics from which you may choose, separately in the second week. This assignment will require you to use some of the material in Honnold Library.

Your grade will be determined by your total point accumulation at the end of the semester. Your two exams will be worth 60% of the grade, the research paper will be worth 30% of your grade, and class participation will be worth 10% of your grade.

My lectures in this class will be oriented toward providing a backdrop for the material that you are reading (putting the material in a time and place) and tying it together (we use Heilbroner for the same purpose). We will also have some class discussions (typically on Fridays), to give all of you a chance to talk and share your ideas … and we don't always have to stay on the subject.

Go to Course Calendar