BASC40202 - Basic Program Year Four: Winter
Course Description
In the Year 4 Winter Seminar we will read some of the foundational works of political and economic theory, starting with the ancient view represented by Aristotle, and then looking at the origins of a modern economics and political philosophy through Adam Smith and Karl Marx. The Tutorial is an exploration of lyric poetry.
Course Outline
For specific dates, see at right under each Section: SCHEDULE AND LOCATION. Reading schedule is identical across all Sections.
Seminar
| Week | Seminar |
|---|---|
| 1 | Aristotle, Politics Book I, chapters 1-7 |
| 2 | Aristotle, Politics Book I, chapters 8-13 |
| 3 | Aristotle, Politics Book III, chapters 1-10 |
| 4 | Aristotle, Politics Book III, chapters 11-18 |
| 5 | Smith, Wealth of Nations, Book I, chapters 1-5 |
| 6 | Smith, Wealth of Nations, Book I, chapters 6-9 |
| 7 | Smith, Wealth of Nations, Book II, Chapter 2 (Of Money); Book IV, Chapter 1 (Principle of the Commercial, or Mercantile System) |
| 8 | Marx, Economic and Philosophic Manuscripts of 1844: “Preface” and "Estranged Labor": pp. 66-81; "Private Property and Communism": pp. 81-93; “The Power of Money in Bourgeois Society”: pp. 101-105 |
| 9 | Marx, Communist Manifesto, pp. 469-500 |
| 10 | Marx, Capital Vol. I: Part I, Ch. I, pp. 302-312 and pp. 319-329; Part III, Ch. VII, Section 2, pp. 351-361 Part IV, Ch. XIV, Section 5, pp. 397-403 |
Tutorial
| Week | Tutorial |
|---|---|
| 1-10 |
Lyric poetry selections will be posted by each instructor on Canvas. |
Required Texts
- Aristotle, The Politics, Barker tr., Oxford World’s Classics, ISBN: 978-0199538737.
- Adam Smith, The Wealth of Nations, University of Chicago Press, ISBN 978-0226763743.
- Marx, Marx-Engels Reader, 2nd ed., Tucker ed., Norton, ISBN 978-0393090406.
Purchase
Books are available using the Textbook order form from the Gleacher Center Bookstore online, or by using the ISBN number to order the correct edition elsewhere.
Notes
Deadline for Online Registration: Online Registration for Winter Quarter courses will close on December 22 at 5pm CT. Register today to secure your place!
Taking a Graham School Remote Course: You will receive an invitation to join Canvas about a week before the course begins. Please accept the invitation and create a log-in for Canvas using your email as the user name and create a password. Then go to the Dashboard and click on your course. Next click on Zoom Professional Education and you will see the link to "Join" your classroom. Canvas houses the course information including the course syllabus, announcements, and discussions. You will not be able to participate in your online class unless you accept the Canvas invitation and set up your account.
For help visit, https://grahamschool.uchicago.edu/academic-programs/online/learning-resources/liberal-arts to find step by step instructions for Canvas and Zoom.
Prerequisites
Students must have completed at least one quarter of Year 1, all of Years 2 & 3, and Autumn quarter of Year 4.
Applies Toward the Following Certificates
- Basic Program of Liberal Education For Adults : Basic Program Core Curriculum