341 Tillinghast,
x2460
Email:
askoble@bridgew.edu Web:
http://webhost.bridgew.edu/askoble
Office hours: M 10-11, TR 1:45-2:45,
or by appointment
Texts:
1. The Philosophy of Money, Georg Simmel
(Routledge) at bookstore
2. Other readings to
distributed in class or on the web
Overview and objectives:
This course will explore
questions of social philosophy pertaining to money. Central questions include: What is money? Where does it come from? What is its function? How should we understand its value in
relation to other values? How are money,
wealth, and value related? Does money
have to be based on metal? Does money
stifle individuality and promote alienation, or does it foster individuality
and promote equality? What is
“capitalism,” and how does its conception of money differ from that of, say,
socialism? We will read most of Georg Simmel’s book The Philosophy of Money, in addition
to readings from Carl Menger, Georg Knapp, Ludwig von
Mises, Friedrich Hayek, J. M. Keynes, Ayn Rand, Karl Marx, Adam Smith, and possibly others.
Requirements:
1. Weekly journal responses -
30%
2. Active participation in
class discussion – 10%
3. Two short papers - @30%
each = 60%
“Active participation”
implies that regular attendance is itself also a requirement of the class. This is a reflection of the fact that the
primary vehicle for learning the material is the class itself, of which you
should see yourself as a part. Obviously
there is such a thing as a good reason to miss class, but please be sure you
limit your absences to such occasions.
Absences in excess of three will result in reduction of your grade. Excessive lateness will count as absence. You are expected to have done the readings
and be prepared to comment on them in class.
If you do have to miss class, it is your responsibility to get the
notes, and any announcements or additional assignments, from a classmate. (On the other hand, if I am late, it almost
certainly means I am ill – call the department office at x1258 to find out.) Adjustments to your grade will be made for
both constructive participation in discussions and disruptive behavior, as well
a
General Outline (subject
to revision):
Sept 4 – intro to topic
Sept 9-11 – state theory of
money; money and metal (Knapp)
Sept 16-18 - market theory of money (Menger)
Sept 23-25 – money and value (Simmel)
Sept 30- guest lecture
(Conant Science Auditorium)
Oct 2 - money and value continued (Simmel)
Oct 7-9 - money in the
sequence of purposes (Mises)
Oct 14-16- freedom and
culture (Simmel, Mises)
Oct 21-23 – alienation (Marx)
Oct 28-30- money and
individuality (Simmel)
Nov 4-6 – the meaning of
wealth (Smith, Simmel)
Nov 12-13* – value revisited
(Rand, Horwitz)
Nov 18-20 – money in
different political economies (Keynes, Hayek)
Nov 25 (11/27=Thanksgiving) –
continued
Dec 2-4 – TBD
Dec 9 – concluding thoughts