OVERVIEW

The course of History of Economic Thought provides, in its first part, the basic knowledge on the evolution of economic thought since the end of the seventeenth century to the Second World War. The last part of the course illustrates the different approaches to political economy in the contemporary debate, with particular reference to the theories which develop the thought of Keynes and Sraffa.

AIMS AND CONTENT

LEARNING OUTCOMES

The key educational objective of the course of history of economic thought is to make the learners aware that political economy is a discipline that has had, and has, a historical evolution complex and not cumulative.

LEARNING OUTCOMES (FURTHER INFO)

To stimulate the learners aware that political economy is a discipline that has experienced, and continues to experience, historical evolution, the course offers, next to the reference manual, the reading of passages from the works of several authors, in their original language when it is possible. Therefore the learner understands that the study of the texts of the authors is useful for its formation of person who knows the political economy. He should be also aware that there are different approaches to contemporary political economy, whose main similarities and differences he must come to know.

TEACHING METHODS

Frontal lessons. Depending on the number of attending students, I organize study groups that read pages of different authors, and respected commentators, and relate the classroom. Each student must then prepare a written report on what he has read, handing in at the exam. Of course, it is considered in the evaluation.

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

The birth of modern political economy. Petty. Fundamental aspects of the political economy of the seventeenth century before Smith: Mandeville, Hume, Cantillon, the Physiocrats, Turgot. Adam Smith. David Ricardo. Contemporaries and successors of Ricardo, from Torrens to Senior. Malthus. Say. Bentham. Marx. John Stuart Mill. The birth of Marginalism: Jevons, Menger, Walras. The Austrian School and the Swedish School. Pareto. Marshall. The Cambridge School. Keynes. Schumpeter. Sraffa.

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

The course reference manual is:

Alessandro RONCAGLIA, La ricchezza delle idee, Roma - Bari, Laterza.

The chapters of the different authors to study for the exam are indicated in the classroom and on aulaweb.

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

Exam Board

RICCARDO SOLIANI (President)

ENRICO IVALDI

SERENA SCOTTO

LESSONS

LESSONS START

The course takes place in the second half. The start of classes is the same for all the courses of the second half and h / week shall be those offered for non-curricular courses of 6 credits (48 h. total).

27 febbraio - 1 giugno 2017

Class schedule

HISTORY OF ECONOMIC THOUGHT

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

Written examination

ASSESSMENT METHODS

The exam is written. It consists of a variable number of open questions and aims to test the assimilation of the contents and their critical revision. For this reason, other types of closed questions can flank, but never completely replace, the open questions. If the number of students makes it possible and profitable the establishment of working groups to read the pages of different authors and propose them in the classroom, both the exposure, both the individually written report come from this work are, of course, object evaluation.

Exam schedule

FURTHER INFORMATION