Capitalism I: Can a capitalist society be just?
Tue, Oct 04
Learning goals - By the end of this session you will:
- Articulate two sides in an ongoing debate: Tyler Cowen's (libertarian) perspective on employers' power in contemporary capitalism versus the views of advocates for strong government intervention in the economy
- Develop an argument about the power employers do (and should) have in today's economy. Assess whether it is consistent with a capitalist commitment to free markets, and whether it is, overall, better or worse for workers than relevant alternatives
- Lay the groundwork for next class period's debate on the purpose/lesson of Herman Melville's Bartleby by analyzing the characters' defining traits and Melville's methods of characterization
Read This:
Access readings through the course's Perusall page.
- Tyler Cowen, "Work isn't so bad after all," a response to Elizabeth Anderson's Private Government (2017)
- Herman Melville, Bartleby the Scrivener (1853) You're responsible for reading the first half of this short(ish) story— through page 18 — for class today and finishing the rest for next class period, in case you want to work ahead.
Watch This:
Analyze this description of capitalism from the Mises Institute, a libertarian think tank, like a literary text. What rhetorical strategies does it employ? Do you think those are effective, or, if you were making this argument, would you take a different approach?