Economics and Ideas: The Origins of Modernity

Catalog description

This seminar examines the origins of modernity and the role economic ideas played in shaping it from an interdisciplinary perspective. The modern age has been described as a period of change, growth, instability, alienation, liberation, equality, prosperity, revolutions, and progress—often with contradictory views. But what were the forces that shaped this era? What ideas and events contributed to an age of unparalleled scientific, technological, and economic development? What new challenges emerged, and how can we understand them? By closely studying foundational texts in economics and related fields—such as politics, history, philosophy, and literature—this course will explore the key ideas in economics behind this civilizational shift. Students will gain insight into the complex relationship between economics and ideas and how it has evolved over time. Through rigorous reading, writing, and seminar discussions, they will develop critical thinking skills to analyze the events and ideas that shaped the world in which we live.