Capitalism - the West and the rest (of the world). Readings in historical sociology 3500-FAKANG-CAPI
The seminar deals with the capitalism, an economical order which supposedly provided the West with global global economy and politics, and spread all over the world. The seminar discusses both classical and contemporary explanations of how capitalism emerged, developed and has thriven and why it all started in the West and has expanded into the rest of the world. We will discuss the role of technology, the international trade and supply chains, coercion and freedom of labor, as well as ideological justifications (meritocracy, racism, special role of Protestantism and Western values) for capitalism. Both the origins, the subsequent phases of the capitalism and its contemporary dilemmas and contradictions will come under our debates.
Proposed topics:
1. Introduction and overview
2. Warming up class: lockdown, capitalism and exploitation.
The Lockdown showed how the economy exploits women. She already knew. (about Silvia Federici’s ideas), The New York Times Magazine, Feb 17, 2021, https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/17/magazine/waged-housework.html
3-4. Classics on the origins of capitalism
Karl Marx, The Capital, volume 1, selected part
Max Weber – Protestant Ethic and origin of capitalism, selected part
Werner Sombart, The Jews and modern capitalism (1911), fragments
5-6. Recent debate and New History of Capitalism in the US Sven Beckert, The Empire of Cotton, fragments
Sven Beckert, Monied Metropolis, fragments
7-8. Mid 20th century debate: World-system, empire, free market, capitalism:
Fernand Braudel, Civilization and capitalism, vol. 3, chapter 1
Fernand Braudel, Civilization and capitalism, vol. 3, selected fragments including the conclusion
9-10. Immanuel Wallerstein. Modern world-system I, chapter 1
Immanuel Wallerstein, recorded lecture on the 21st BRAK DATY capitalism
11. Capitalism with policy implications
David Graeber, Debt, service and the origins of capitalism, lecture, June 2018, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K0t50D4lQrs
Debt. The first 5000 years, 2014, fragment
12. Thomas Piketty, Capital and ideology, lecture, March 2021: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJUowgzGFck
13. Silvia Federici, Caliban and the witch: women, the body and primitive accumulation, fragments
Recorded lecture: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tw5Sld1MVAU
14. Critical account of New history of capitalism: https://economic-historian.com/2020/09/a-comment-on-the-new-history-of-capitalism/
Conclusion and evaluation
15. Final oral exam
Rodzaj przedmiotu
Tryb prowadzenia
Założenia (opisowo)
Efekty kształcenia
Final grade will assess:
In class discussion of the readings including a single 15-20 minute presentation of the main theses of the assigned materials. (55%)
Assessment of each participant’s individual activity during the classes will be carried out by the teacher together with the students at one of the final meeting
Final oral exam that covers main theses of the discussed materials (45%). The exam will be organized at the final meeting of the class.
Up to two absences are allowed. Those students who have been absent more than twice (but with no more that 45% absences) are expected to prepare and send the teacher short resumes of the main readings they missed. The type and form of second term exam are identical with the first one.
Kryteria oceniania
K_W01 Knows and understands basic concepts of historical sociology of capitalism: capitalist world-system, free market versus capitalism, primitive capital accumulation, international division of labor/wealth/income
K_W03 Is aware of ongoing theoretical and methodological disputes conducted in modern historical sociology of capitalism; is reflective and critical of various positions
K_W16 Has in-depth knowledge about major international historical-sociological research pertaining to capitalism and global economic development
K_W27 Has basic knowledge of the early modern social and economic processes which have shaped the face of the modern world
K_U04 Can critically select information and materials for academic work, using various sources in Polish and English as well as modern technologies
K_U19 Can prepare a presentation of a selected problem or study in English
K_K10 Independently sets directions of personal development and further learning
Więcej informacji
Dodatkowe informacje (np. o kalendarzu rejestracji, prowadzących zajęcia, lokalizacji i terminach zajęć) mogą być dostępne w serwisie USOSweb: