PHIL 4220 History of Political Economy

Political economy originated in moral philosophy. Indeed, many of the grandfathers of contemporary economics, most notably Adam Smith and John Stuart Mill, considered themselves moral philosophers who dealt with questions of political import. This course will explore this crucial period of philosophical and economic history. Beginning with Mercantilism, we will move through the major periods and explore the writings of key figures in the history of political economy through contemporary economic theory, including the Positivist turn, Keynesian economic theory, and the foundations of neoclassical theory. We will explore questions such as: How does the role of sympathy change in economic considerations? At what point, if ever, does economics become a science? What are the different faces of rationality throughout the history of economic thought? What are the best ways to represent and model economic agents? This course is writing intensive. Prerequisite(s): PHIL 1100 or PHIL 1120, or PHIL 1500, or PHIL 2200, or PHIL 2320.
Credits: 3.0