WesMaps - Wesleyan University Catalog 2024-2025       Summer Session       Winter Session       Home       Archive       Search
CS92PROD
History of Economic Thought
ECON 258
Spring 2025
Section: 01  

In this course, we will explore the conceptual foundations of economics and political economy through original source materials. By viewing economists as 'worldly philosophers,' we will examine how they developed analytical frameworks to study the social world while simultaneously shaping it with their ideas. We will begin with the classical political economy school, represented by Adam Smith and David Ricardo. Next, we will analyze Karl Marx's work, which provides one of the major critiques of capitalism and economic theory. Finally, we will explore more contemporary paradigms, focusing on the 19th-century neoclassical school of economics--today's dominant theory--and Keynes' innovations in economic thought. Throughout this journey, we will assess the impact of these ideas on the development of economic theory and policy design.
Credit: 1 Gen Ed Area Dept: SBS ECON
Course Format: Lecture / DiscussionGrading Mode: Graded
Level: UGRD Prerequisites: ECON101 OR ECON110
Fulfills a Requirement for: (ECON-MN)(ECON)
Past Enrollment Probability: 90% or above

Last Updated on NOV-21-2024
Contact wesmaps@wesleyan.edu to submit comments or suggestions. Please include a url, course title, faculty name or other page reference in your email ? Wesleyan University, Middletown, Connecticut, 06459