The lectures are scheduled over 15 weeks, with two hours each Monday 10-12 in in Goth Aud.1 and two hours Thursday 13-15, odd-numbered weeks, in CSS 18-01-11. A plan for the teaching and an overview of the topics covered is given below (subject to minor changes as we proceed). First lecture is Monday, August 31.
The course covers the main evolution of
economic theory over the last three centuries. We are interested in the
ideas put forward and the way in which some of them have developed into
what we know today as economic theory. But looking at the history of
economic theory, both the problems considered and the way in which they
were elaborated, we obtain a new perspective on the contemporary state
of economic theory.
Our curriculum textbooks is:
R.B.Ekelund, R.F.Hébert (EH): A History of Economic Theory & Method, 6th edition, Waveland Press, 2014
The book may be out of print, but electronic versions can be obtained. Be careful to get a version which you can upload before the exam. Another text which is very readable and which may even be used instead of EH is:
Caspari, V. (C): A History of Economics: The Co-Evolution of Economics and the Economy, Springer 2024
There are may other texts which could have been used, and from time to
another we shall borrow some material from other texts or journal
articles. Additional reading will improve understanding of the
matter, and other literature will be indicated as we proceed.
A very useful collection of articles (which I shall use from time to another in the lectures) is:
Samuels,W.J., J.E.Biddle and J.B.Davis (SBD): A Companion
to the History of Economic Thought, Blackwell Publishing, 2003.
An alternative approach to our topics (always useful to see things from another angle) is presented in
Hunt, E.K. and M.Lautzenheiser (HL): History of
Economic Thought: A Critical Perspective, Sharpe, Armont New York, 2011.
For each week there will be a handout which describes what happens in
this week, together with some additional material in the form of
lecture notes.
Plan of lectures
|
Lecture (week) number |
Topics treated | We read: | Supple- mentary reading |
Handouts and additional material |
|
1 (36) |
Introduction: An overview Early contributions |
EH Ch.2 | HL Ch.1 SBD Ch.2-3 |
Handout 1 Lecture note 1 |
| 2 (37) |
British and French mercantilists |
EH Ch.3 |
HL Ch.2 SBD Ch.4 |
Handout 2 Lecture note 2 |
|
3 (37) |
Preclassical economists |
EH Ch.4 |
HL Ch.2 |
Handout 3 Lecture note 3 |
|
4 (38) |
Adam Smith | EH Ch.5 |
HL Ch.3 |
Handout 4 Lecture Note 4 |
|
5 (39) |
Malthus Ricardo I |
EH Ch.6 | HL Ch.4-5 |
Handout 5 Lecture Note 5 |
|
6 (39) |
Ricardo II Other contemporary economists I |
EH Ch.7,11 |
HL Ch.6 |
Handout 6 Lecture Note 6 |
| 7 (40) |
Other contemporary economists II Mill |
EH Ch.8,10 |
HL Ch.7 |
Handout 7 Lecture Note 7 |
| 1st voluntary assignment | ||||
|
8 (41) |
Marx |
EH Ch.12 |
HL Ch.9 |
Handout 8 Lecture Note 8 |
|
9 (41) |
Precursors of marginalism | EH Ch.13 |
HL Ch.8 | -->Handout 9 Lecture Note 9 |
| 10 (43) |
Jevons and followers Marshall and neoclassicals |
EH Ch.15,16 |
HL Ch.10 |
Handout 10 Lecture Note 10 |
| 11 (43) | Walras and followers |
EH Ch.17,18 |
Handout 11 Lecture Note 11 |
|
|
12 (44) |
Austrians |
EH Ch.14,22 |
|
Handout 12 Lecture Note 12 |
| 13 (45) |
Macroeconomics arising Welfare economics |
EH Ch.19 |
HL Ch.11 |
Handout 13 Lecture Note 13 |
|
2nd voluntary assignment |
||||
|
14 (45) |
Imperfect competition The systems debate Econometrics | EH Ch.20,23,(25) | HL Ch.12-13 |
Handout 14 Lecture Note 14 |
| 15 (46) |
Keynes, Kalecki
|
EH Ch.21 |
HL Ch.15 |
Handout 15 Lecture Note 15 |
| 16 (47) |
The Cambridge controversy, Interventionalism, National Accounts |
HL Ch.15 |
Handout 16 Lecture Note 16 |
|
| 17 (47) |
Sraffa, Game Theory |
EH Ch.25,26 |
Handout 17 Lecture Note 17 |
|
| 18 (48) |
Social choice, Heterodoxies, monetarism, New Keynesian economics |
EH Ch.22,23 |
HL Ch.17-18 |
Handout 18 |
| 19 (49) |
Conclusion and Outlook |
|
Handout 19 |
|
| 20 (49) |
Questions |
|
||
|
Ordinary exam: Re-exam: |
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| Previous exams |
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Latest update 17.2.2026