To a very large extent, there is no such thing as capitalism. The notion has numerous, sometimes conflicting definitions, and it is used to account for contexts as different as Early Modern merchant activity and today's financial markets. Capitalism is not an easily identifiable and unified whole. The aim of this course is to provide students with a clearer understanding of what the notion actually entails, through a structured exploration of the historical and sociological literature on capitalism, both classical and recent.
Following two introductory sessions which respectively survey existing definitions of capitalism and explanations for its “rise,” the course proceeds analytically, by focusing on a series of distinct aspects of capitalism as it is often portrayed, i.e. markets, production, finance, money, corporations, work, transportation, communication, law, and the state.
Each of these aspects will be considered in turn, through the social and historical study of specific material devices, ranging from double-entry bookkeeping to high-frequency trading, from grain elevators to the supermarket, or from patents to employment contracts. The analysis of these instruments reveals the historically shifting social and economic relationships that make up what we call capitalism.
Zoé EVRARD,Martin GIRAUDEAU
Cours magistral seul
English
This is an introductory course.
Spring 2021-2022
To pass the course, students are required to earn a final grade of at least 50/100, based on the sum of:
an individual comprehension grade, out of 50, based on a 2h exam;
a group project grade, out of 50, based on the completion, in groups of 4 or 5 students, of a dossier and related podcast summarizing one of the sessions.
Capitalism: A Short History – Jürgen Kocka – Princeton University Press – 2016