HIS 295-01 - Special Topic: The Origins of Capitalism

4 credits (Spring)

Scholars agree that the development of capitalism was important, but disagree about how it came about. We will look at some classic works that started this debate, some contributions of the 1970s and 1980s that revived it, as well as a few more contemporary interventions. Through our discussions, students should acquire some workable definitions of capitalism, some plausible explanations for its emergence, and some insights into how different disciplines formulate arguments about such fundamental questions.

Prerequisite: One 100 or 200-level Grinnell History course, with grade S, C, or better.
Instructor: Silva