The Foundations of Political Economy: Theories of State and Market

This advanced seminar explores the core social science theories looking at the relationship among state, economy, and society. The course requires close reading of texts, spanning from the foundational works of political economy to paradigmatic contemporary works in Liberalism, Marxism, Mercantilism, Neo-Classical Economics, Socio-Political Thought, and Institutionalism. Thus, prior knowledge of political economy/economics theory is helpful. We will examine the fundamental assumptions on which our understanding of the social world and contemporary research in political economy are based, and their application to the most urgent questions of our time, such as inequality and the role of the state in industrial development.