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This course examines selected episodes in the history of political economy through the theoretical lens offered by the contrast between spontaneously ordered social systems, in which social outcomes arise independently of the intentions of the participants, and centrally planned systems, whose outcomes reflect the design of a purposeful planner. Through this lens, we consider still unresolved questions about the nature of economic and political order, the relation of the individual to the collective, and the roles of knowledge and purpose in economic systems. After an introduction to the theoretical perspective itself, focused on the Socialist Calculation Debate of the 1930s and the 40s, we turn to a series of specific topics, including American progressivism, the antitrust movement, Taylorism, planning for war, Marx and his successors, and the Keynesian Revolution.
COURSE FORMAT: Lecture/Discussion
Level: UGRD Credit: 1 Gen Ed Area Dept: SBS ECON Grading Mode: Graded
Prerequisites: (ECON111 AND ECON112) OR ECON105 OR ECON110 OR ECON101 Links to Web Resources For This Course.
Last Updated on MAR-19-2004
Copyright Wesleyan University, Middletown, Connecticut, 06459