341 Tillinghast, x2460
Email:
askoble@bridgew.edu Web:
http://webhost.bridgew.edu/askoble
Office hours: M 10-11, TR 11-12,
or by appointment
Texts:
1. The Philosophy of Money, Georg Simmel (Routledge) at bookstore
2. The Mystery of Capital, Hernando de Soto (Basic Books) 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 are the
implications of inequality of wealth?
What role does government play in these matters? What is “capitalism,” and how does its
conception of money differ from that of, say, socialism? We will work through most of Simmel’s book The Philosophy of
Money and De Soto’s book The
Mystery of Capital, in addition to readings from Carl Menger, Georg Knapp, Ludwig von Mises, Friedrich Hayek, J.
M. Keynes, Ayn Rand, Karl Marx, Adam Smith, Leonidas Zelmanovitz,
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):
Jan 19 – intro to topic
Jan 24-26 – origin and
essence of money: state theory vs catallactic theory- Menger,
Knapp
Jan 31-Feb 2 - origins/essence continued; metallism;
money/wealth/value – Menger, Mises
Feb 7-9 – money and value continued-Simmel
Feb 14 –money and teleology-Simmel
Feb16 – guest lecture (class will
meet in DMF auditorium)
Feb 21 (no class 2/23) - money, freedom, and culture- Simmel, Mises,
Smith
Feb 28-Mar 2 – alienation -
Marx
Mar 14-16- money and
individuality -Simmel
Mar 21-23 – wealth and value
revisited- Simmel, Smith, Rand, Horwitz
Mar 28 – guest lecture (class
will meet in Heritage Room) (no class 3/30)
Apr 4-6 – inequality and state policy regarding money – De Soto
Apr 11-13 – state policy and markets
in political economy continued- De Soto, Zelmanovitz
Apr 18 – no class
Apr 20 – cryptocurrency
Apr 25-27 – money in
different political economies (Keynes, Hayek)