28248 - Political Theory (1) (LM)

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course students will acquire a deep knowledge of the theoretical and historical coordinates of the debates around the concept of capitalism in the first half of the Twentieth century. By applying the fundamental tools of the history of political thought and political theory, students will be able at the end of the course to critically assess the analyzed authors and to grasp both the specificity of the singular texts and the theoretical framework in which they are placed.

Course contents

Capitalism as a political concept

The concept of capitalism is in itself «polemical»: almost never used by Marx, it was introduced in the political lexicon in the second half of the Nineteenth century to designate the negation of socialism or communism. The first scientific formulation of the concept of capitalism, elaborated by the classic German sociologists at the beginning of the Twentieth century, lied in direct opposition to the Marxian idea of capital as a social relationship characterized by a radical antagonism. The first part of the course will be dedicated to the theories of capitalism of Max Weber and Werner Sombart. The second part will focus on the reformulation of the concept of capitalism in the light of the world crisis of the '30s and of the consequent reconfiguration of the State functions. The different directions of this reformulation will be inquired through the works of Joseph A. Schumpeter, Friedrich von Hayek and the ordoliberals Walter Eucken and Wilhelm Röpke.

Readings/Bibliography

STUDENTS THAT WILL ATTEND CLASSES

The knowledge of the history of political thought is assumed as an acquisition of the bachelor degree. The students who need to integrate their knowledge have to make us of C. Galli, Manuale di storia del pensiero politico, Bologna, Il Mulino, 2011³.

- I. Wallerstein, Capitalismo storico e civiltà capitalistica, Roma, Asterios Editore, 2011.

- Two of the following groups of texts (the selected passages will be communicated during classes):

A)

K. Marx, Il Capitale, libro I, Torino, UTET, 2009 (selected passages).

B)

M. Weber, Osservazioni preliminari, in M. Weber, Sociologia delle religioni, Torino, UTET, 1967, pp. 87-106.

M. Weber, L'etica protestante e lo spirito del capitalismo, parte I: Il problema, in M. Weber, Sociologia delle religioni, Torino, UTET, 1967, pp. 107-183.

C)

W. Sombart, Il capitalismo moderno, Torino, UTET, 1967 (selected passages).

T. Parsons, Capitalism in Recent German Literature. Sombart and Weber, in «The Journal of Political Economy», 36, 1928, pp. 641-661; 37, 1929, pp. 31-51.

D)

J.A. Schumpeter, L’imprenditore e la storia dell’impresa. Scritti 1927-1949, Torino, Bollati Boringhieri, 1993.

E)

F. von Hayek, The Trend of Economic Thinking. Essays on Political Economists and Economic History, London, Routledge, 1991, first part, first chapter, The Trend of Economic Thinking, pp. 13-30.

W. Eucken, Trasformazioni strutturali dello Stato e crisi del capitalismo, soon to be published on «Filosofia Politica», 1/2019 (available online here: Rivisteweb [https://www.rivisteweb.it/issn/0394-7297] ).

W. Röpke, La crisi sociale del nostro tempo, Roma, Einaudi, 1946 (selected passages).

STUDENTS THAT WILL NOT ATTEND CLASSES:

The knowledge of the history of political thought is assumed as an acquisition of the bachelor degree. Those students who need to integrate their knowledge have to make us of C. Galli, Manuale di storia del pensiero politico, Bologna, Il Mulino, 2011³.

- One of the following groups of text:

A)

K. Marx, Il Capitale, libro I, third and fourth section, Torino, UTET, 2009.

E. Balibar, Cinque studi di materialismo storico, Bari, De Donato, 1976.

B)

M. Weber, Osservazioni preliminari, in M. Weber, Sociologia delle religioni, Torino, UTET, 1967, pp. 87-106.

M. Weber, L'etica protestante e lo spirito del capitalismo, in M. Weber, Sociologia delle religioni, Torino, UTET, 1967, pp. 107-324.

W. Hennis, Il problema Max Weber, Roma, Laterza, 1991.

C)

J.A. Schumpeter, Il capitalismo può sopravvivere? La distruzione creatrice e il futuro dell'economia globale, Milano, Etas, 2010

J.A. Schumpeter, L'imprenditore e la storia dell'impresa. Scritti 1927-1949, Torino, Bollati Boringhieri, 1993

N. De Vecchi, Schumpeter viennese. Imprenditori, istituzioni e riproduzione del capitale, Torino, Bollati Boringhieri,1993.

D)

W. Röpke, La crisi sociale del nostro tempo, Roma, Einaudi, 1946

Ordoliberalismo, «Filosofia Politica», n.1/2019 (available online here: Rivisteweb [https://www.rivisteweb.it/issn/0394-7297] ).

Teaching methods

Lectures and reading and discussions in class.

Assessment methods

Students will have to pass an oral exam, with questions aimed at verifying the student's knowledge of the themes treated in the program's texts. Questions will be aimed at testing the student's ability in dealing with the historical and theoretical issues that emerge from the analyzed texts.

Office hours

See the website of Isabella Consolati