| Unit name | History of Economic Thought |
|---|---|
| Unit code | ECON20021 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | I/5 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24) |
| Unit director | Dr. Guizzo |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units) |
None. A general knowledge of economics appropriate to the second year of an economics degree will be assumed. |
| Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you may not take alongside this one |
None |
| School/department | School of Economics |
| Faculty | Faculty of Social Sciences and Law |
Does economics have a useful past? Or is it the case that all truly important contributions of the past are incorporated in our present theory? Is the discovery of the errors made by earlier thinkers a waste of time? In this course we will examine the efficiency of the market for ideas. We will see that there are arguments in the work of earlier thinkers which remain unincorporated in our contemporary theory and which, once incorporated, can improve our understanding of matters.
This is a generalist course that covers a wide variety of topics, scholars and schools of thought in economics. It is not meant to be exhaustive or give you final answers to everything, but rather it offers guidance and initial insights on different schools of thought, historical contexts and will initiate you on academic research in HET. We study the evolution of economic ideas from the perspective of different scholars, reading their original works, but also going through what historians of economics have researched.
Note that we will not focus solely on the role of single individuals, but on external factors that have also contributed to the development of ideas: intellectual communities, institutional arrangements, historical contexts, colonialism and exploitation, power relations (including racism/sexism), travelling, debates, ideologies, criticisms and the sociology that explains the formation of the economics discipline. The unit will help you transition from student to scholar
At the end of this unit students should be able to display;
1. An ability to discuss key ideas in the history of economic thought including how those ideas were transmitted, contested and developed by various authors.
2. An ability to discuss critically and in depth the contribution made by major authors in the history of economic thought, also via independent research.
3. An ability to support their writing with appropriate attribution through quotation and citation.
4. An ability to assess and compare economic arguments presented in unfamiliar terminology and with implicit assumptions different from those of modern mainstream economics.
5. An ability to reflect on modern economics through an historical perspective.
Teaching will be delivered through a combination of large and small group classes, supported by online resources
Essay 1: Research proposal on the history of economic thought (1,000-1,200 words) (40%)
Essay 2: Final research paper based on the proposal (2,000-2,200 words) (60%)
If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.
If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. ECON20021).
How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours
of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks,
independent learning and assessment activity.
See the Faculty workload statement relating to this unit for more information.
Assessment
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit.
The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. If you have self-certificated your absence from an
assessment, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (this is usually in the next assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any extenuating circumstances and operates
within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.
