B6481 - HISTORY OF ECONOMIC ANALYSIS

Learning outcomes

The course discusses the main approaches that have characterized the development of economic thought. At the end of the course the student is expected to have a solid grasp of economic theories in historical perspective.

Course contents

This course is an introduction to the history of economic thought.

The objective is to learn and discuss how economic ideas has evolved over time, introducing students to the critical comparison of the contributions to the main debates that form the core of political economy, and later, economics.

The course is structured in five parts:

1. Economic thoughts from the dawn of written records to medieval economic debates
2. The emergence of political economy from the 1750s to the early professionalization of the field in the 1880s
3. Marginalisms and institutionalisms at the turn of the 20^th century
4. From interwar pluralism to postwar neoclassism, 1930s-1960s
5. Recent developments in economics since the 1970s

The analytical aspect of the debates – theoretical arguments, types of data and methods – will be discussed in relation to their philosophical foundations and political implications, as well as understood in the context of their production.

The lectures center on how intellectuals and academics, and in particular economists, made sense of important events such as the ‘Tulip mania,’ European colonization, the ‘Opium wars’, the ‘Long’ and the ‘Great’ Depressions, the world wars, and the multiple crisis of the 1970s.

Readings/Bibliography

In addition to the texts included in the syllabus, the students can consult the following resources:

Backhouse, Roger. 2023. The Penguin History of Economics. London: Penguin.

Kuiper, Edith. 2022. A Herstory of Economics. John Wiley & Sons.

Roncaglia, Alessandro. 2009. The Wealth of Ideas. A History of Economic Thought. Cambridge University Press. (Also available in Italian)

Samuels, Warren J. Samuels, Jeff E. Biddle, & John B. Davis. 2003. A Companion to the History of Economic Thought. London: Wiley.

Teaching methods

This course is taught entirely in English.

There is no pre-requisite knowledge needed for the course.

There will be two mandatory readings each week. A typical class starts with the discussion of the texts and is followed by a lecture.

Assessment methods

The examination is based on two different modalities:

• An original research project on a historical case study (1/2)
• A written open-book exam at the end of the year (1/2)

Depending on the number of students, the research project will be a presentation or a written (mini) thesis (max. 5000 words).

The maximum possible score is 30 cum laude, in case all answers are correct, complete and formally rigorous. The grade is graduated as follows:

<18 failed 18-23 sufficient 24-27 good 28-30 very good 30 e lode excellent

Students can reject the grade obtained at the exam once. To this end, they must email a request to the instructor within the date set for registration. The instructor will confirm reception of the request within the same date.

Non-attending student should contact the Lecturer at the beginning of the class.

Teaching tools

All information on the content, methods and tips, and the assessment of the course will be via the Virtuale platform, including the communication for non-attending students.

Office hours

See the website of Cleo Faiza Layla Chassonnery Zaigouche