Syllabus
Economics 401a, Fall 2004 semesterDr. Steve Sullivan
History of Economic ThoughtOffice: 220
TR 14:45-16:00 Telephone: 888-420
Room: 245Office Hrs: T-Th 16:15-17:30
Course Description:This course examines the evolution of economics both as a body of knowledge and as an academic discipline. The history of economic thinking will be traced from ancient civilization to the modern era, and the discipline of economics will be examined from the perspective of historical thinkers from philosophical, moral, political, social, and technical perspectives. The topics of ancient economic thought as well as the doctrines of Mercantilism, Classical Economics, Socialism, Marxism, and Neo-Classicism will be discussed.
Text: Ekelund, Robert B., and Hebert, Robert F., A History of Economic Theory and Method, 4th edition; McGraw Hill, 1990 (required). Supplementary reading will be assigned from selections placed on reserve in the AUBG library or distributed in class. The supplemental readings will be as important to successful completion of the course as the primary text and class attendance.
Course Requirements: Students will be examined on their knowledge of material from assigned reading and lectures on a mid-term exam and a final exam. Furthermore, students will be required to write two original research papers investigating in depth the work of one particular thinker or group of thinkers, or on the historical development or importance of economic thinking on some particular issue or problem. Prior to writing each paper, approval for the student's topic must be received through the submission of a paper proposal which specifies the topic and sources the student intends to use. Detailed instructions for the proposal and paper will be distributed near the beginning of the semester. This is a writing-intensive course, and the usual implications of that statement apply. Each of the term papers must be a minimum of 9 pages, and should not exceed 15 pages. Failure to be within this range shows an inability to choose a topic appropriate to the assignment.
Grade Determination: Students' grades will be determined in the following manner, which is not open to negotiation, and especially not open to negotiation after any of the various elements have been determined.
Paper 1 ProposalDue no later than Tuesday, October 5 4%
Mid-Term Exam Thursday, October 14: in class18%
Term Paper 1Due no later than Tuesday, October 1920%
Paper 2 ProposalDue no later than Thursday, November 254%
Term Paper 2Due no later than Thursday, December 918%
Final ExamDate to be determined20%
QuizzesSeveral unannounced dates during semester10%
Critiquesfollowing the first papers6%
The term papers (including the proposals) contribute substantially to the student's grade, and each student is expected to be working to develop both the proposals and the papers over the entire semester. The papers are graded on content, and also on structure, grammar, organization, and persuasiveness. Students are allowed and encouraged to submit either or both ahead of the final deadline with no penalty; and may if they choose resubmit either for re-grading, as long as the resubmission occurs prior to the final deadline. Since this is a semester long project, any short term illness, incapacity, family crisis, computer malfunction would have no bearing on the student's ability to meet the deadline for submission, unless the student has chosen to put himself or herself at risk of such an event by postponing work until shortly before the deadline. The risk of such a course of action is entirely born by the student. No excuse is valid for late submission of either the proposal or term paper. The penalties for late submission of the proposal is 10% of the possible credit for day or part of a day that the university is in session
Exams will consist partly of short answer questions to determine understanding of key terms and concepts encountered during our study, and longer essay questions that will require students to analyze issues in greater detail.
The use of pop quizzes is to encourage the habit of preparation and class attendance. Each quiz will consist of a small number of questions (sometimes only one) easily answered by any student who has done the assigned reading. No make-ups will be given for pop quizzes, and no scores will be dropped.
Following the first paper, each student will be sent 2 papers written by other students in the class to evaluate, as if the student were grading the paper. Written comments on the paper must be delivered back to me, which will then be forwarded (anonymously) to the paper author as part of the overall feedback. Critiques are graded according to the completeness and usefulness of the evaluative comments.
Semester Outline:
TopicReadings
Week 1Why history of thought?Blaug; E & H Ch. 1
Week 2The AncientsPlato, Aristotle; E&H Ch 2
Week 3Scholastics to the MercantilistsTBA; E&H Ch 3, 4
Week 4Physiocrats and CantillonQuesnay, Cantillon; E&H 4
Week 5Birth of Classical EconomicsMandeville, Smith; E&H 5
Week 6Wealth of NationsSmith
Week 7RicardoRicardo; E&H 7
Week 8More from the Classical SchoolMalthus, Nassau Sr.; E&H 6, 9
Week 9John Stuart MillJ. S. Mill; E&H 8
Week 10MarxMarx; E&H 10
Week 11Birth of MicroeconomicsTBA; E&H 12, 13, 14
Week 12 Alfred MarshallMarshall; E&H 15
Week 13Veblen and Institutional EconomicsVeblen; E&H 17