What is the History of Capitalism?
HIST 97T
Subject & Catalog Number
Course Information
Description
What is capitalism, and how did it develop? In an era when our planet is being ravaged by the effects of unsustainable growth, this question stands as one of the most pressing inquiries for historians. Today, capitalism structures society and politics worldwide, but this has not always been the case. Endless accumulation, universal wage labor, global commodity chains, environmental destruction, colonial extraction, and inter-state economic competition are not eternal facts of human life. Instead, they are products of one of the most momentous turning points in human history. To understand capitalism, we will ask together when, how, and why this turning point occurred, and what it means to write its history today.
Course Notes
Required of all History concentrators in the spring term of their sophomore year and open to all secondary field students. This course may not be audited or taken Pass/Fail. It enrolls prior to shopping period through the History concentration. Please contact the ADUS in History if you wish to enroll without being a concentrator in History.
Not Available for Cross Registration
