The Age of Capital: Freedom and Crisis
Course Description
What is capitalism? Did the rise of capitalism mark an advance or crisis for humankind? How have our ideas about ourselves, nature, and the highest aims of life, been shaped by life under capitalism? With the collapse of state socialism, is capitalism still a politically relevant idea? The objective of this course is to introduce students to foundational works that contend with the historical rise, conceptual categories, and crisis of capitalism.
With some minor exceptions, the syllabus moves chronologically, as it starts with the categories Adam Smith established for studying political economy and the case that he made for a thoroughly modern form of society based on commerce, international trade, and manufactures, rather than agriculture. The course will then shift to consider the work of Karl Marx and the crisis wrought by the Industrial Revolution, which, he argued, signaled an imperative to move beyond capitalism. We will also address the drift toward monopolies and state planning in the twentieth century and the different conclusions as to the significance of these developments reached by V. I. Lenin, Friedrich Hayek, and Milton Friedman. What it means to be a subject of capitalism will form another major theme of the course with readings by David Harvey, John Demilio, Juliet Mitchell, Adolph Reed Jr., and Moishe Postone.
A supplemental feature of this course is that includes a series of workshops to introduce students to the norms and expectations of college-level writing.
Academic Interest
Examining Culture and Society, Economics and Business, Social Sciences (e.g., history, psychology, sociology)
Application Materials
A complete application includes a transcript, two short essays, a letter of recommendation, writing sample, application fee, and a submitted parent confirmation. If you are seeking need-based financial aid, you must indicate that in your application before it is submitted. Please refer to the Application Instructions for complete details.
Instructor(s)
Sunit Singh
Cost
$9,300
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