The aim of the course is to trace the influence of the great economic ideas in the making of Europe as a supranational community, from its origins to the present day.
Magliulo A., A History of European Economic Thought, Routledge, 2022.
Learning Objectives
The aim of the course is to trace the influence of the great economic ideas in the making of Europe as a supranational community, from its origins to the present day. By the end of the course, students will be knowledgeable about some significant moments in the history of economic thought and about the intertwined political history of Europe. They will understand that economic ideas have political power and that Europe was born before the institutions that govern it today. Students will also be able to analyze the nature of the fundamental problems that Europe has faced over time and the significance of some crucial economic policy choices.
Prerequisites
It is advisable to have an understanding of the basic principles of economics.
Teaching Methods
The course is based on frontal lectures and classroom discussions with students
Type of Assessment
The purpose of the final exam is to ascertain the acquisition of knowledge and skills through a 90-minute written test. The test consists of two open questions on the course topics.
Course program
1. Medieval Economic Thought and the Birth of Europe
2. Mercantilism and Physiocracy in the Making of a Europe of Absolute Monarchies (1517– 1776)
3. Classical Political Economy and a Europe of Liberal Nation-States (1776–1870)
4. Neoclassical Economics vs. Etatism and a Europe of Empires (1871–1918)
5. Neoliberalism(s) and Corporatism: A Europe of Sovereign Nations and Its Failure (1919– 1943)
6. The Invention of Functionalism and the "Separated Unification" of Europe (1944–1973)
7. The Decline of Etatism, Rebirth of Neoliberalism, and United Europe (1974–2007)
8. The Crisis of Neoliberalism, the Greatest Recession, and Unfinished Europe (2008–)