Introduction to Political Economy
This course introduces students to the study of political economy from a Marxist perspective. Unlike economics which focuses on various parts of the economy, whether at the micro- or macro- level, political economy focuses on the intertwining of power and money, or how politics affects the economic system and how the economy in turn shapes politics. As most of the world now lives with variants of the capitalist economic system, we will devote our time to study the structure of capitalism, its logics, as well as its contradictions and malfunctions. We will do so by engaging with Karl Marx’s original writings, which to this day still constitute one of the most fundamental and insightful critiques of the capitalist economic system. Marx’s Capital, Volume One will be both our guiding posts and a useful entry point for thinking about a wide range of issues, including labor and value, commodity fetishism and consumerism, capital accumulation and exploitation, and the ongoing violence of accumulation through dispossession, colonization, and other means.
As Eric Wolf, the late anthropologist, has noted, “the social sciences constitute one long dialogue with the ghost of Marx” (Europe and the People without History, 1982). Rather than being Marx’s disciples, we strive to be his interlocutor. As such, in addition to selections from Marx’s key works, we also read current Marxian political economy scholarship that draws on, critiques, and pushes its boundaries
This course is valuable for any students who are interested in politics, economics, international development, future study, food systems, climate justice, social changes, and any area of studies that grapple with capitalism in its transnational, racialized, and gendered dimensions. Upon completion, students will have developed practices of thinking critically and imaginatively about capitalism’s fundamental drives, uneven development, appetite for technological innovation, and tendency towards violent expansion.
No previous knowledge is required, but students should be prepared to read complex, abstract texts. Students will be evaluated through bi-weekly reading reviews (approximately 3-5 pages of critical reflection based on assigned readings) and a final project.