Course Schedule and Catalog

Long Title: SEMINAR IN SOCIAL AND POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY

Department: Philosophy

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Seminar

Credit Hours: 3

Description: Terms such as "capitalism," "socialism," "corporate greed," and "class warfare" have come to play a central role in contemporary political discourse. But what are the historical and philosophical origins of these concepts? How might a richer understanding of such concepts allow us to exchange the often vague and divisive political rhetoric for meaningful, productive dialogue? This seminar aims to answer such questions through an in-depth analysis of the social and political writings of Adam Smith and Karl Marx. We will divide our time roughly evenly between the two great architects of modern political economy, focusing the first half of the term on Smith's *Theory of Moral Sentiments* and *The Wealth of Nations*, and the second half on Marx's early political writings and critique of capitalist economy.