The University of Chicago is home to scholars of diverse and nuanced perspectives on the accomplishments, limitations, and future of capitalism. The goal of this course is to take advantage of that diverse expertise to equip Chicago Booth students with tools and perspectives that help them engage thoughtfully in these debates and extend them into application in their own roles as corporate, non-profit, or entrepreneurial leaders. The course will provide students with an unbiased survey of the economic, social, and intellectual history of capitalism, sparking active discussion of the challenges and opportunities facing capitalist economies today and what "capitalism" can and should mean going forward.
Course format:
The format of the course is atypical. The class will follow two parallel paths. First, a diverse group of University of Chicago faculty will be invited to share their research and views, supplemented by short readings; they will discuss their perspectives on capitalism and its future through the lens of their research and areas of expertise. The second path will be that of a seminar course, built around readings and discussion. The seminars of 10-15 students and a faculty member will be taught by Brian Barry, James Carmichael, Rob Gertner, Caroline Grossman, John Paul Rollert, and Susana Vasquez.
The course is 100-total units, but will be broken up into two course numbers/enrollments:
- 33250 Perspectives on Capitalism (0 units), meets 90 minutes per week on Wednesdays from 5:00-6:30pm in Harper Center C-25. Lecture format with speakers.
- 33251 Perspectives on Capitalism Seminar (100 units), meets 90 minutes per week. Small group discussion of readings at a variety of days and times at Harper, Gleacher, or remotely.
