Economics for Everybody: Introduction to Economics Lectures with R.C
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Economics for Everybody: Introduction to Economics Lectures with R.C. Sproul Jr. and Recitation with George Harrell Syllabus - January 4 - May 9 Lesson Number Lecture Topic Reading Assignment The Politically Incorrect Guide to And God Created Economics Lesson 1 Capitalism - Robert Murphy - Stewardship in God's Image Week 1 Week (chapters 1-8) The Economic Problem of Sin The Politically Incorrect Guide to Lesson 2 - Law, Liberty, and Capitalism - Robert Murphy Week 2 Week Government (chapters 9-16) The Path from Work to Economics in One Easy Lesson - Lesson 3 Wealth - Production Property, Henry Hazlitt (chapters 1-15) Week 3 Week and Tools The Route from Scarcity to Economics in One Easy Lesson - Lesson 4 Plenty - Money, Markets, and Henry Hazlitt (chapters 16-25) Week 4 Week Trade How Capitalism Saved America - The Role of the Entrepreneur - Lesson 5 Thomas DiLorenzo (chapters 1- Capital, Calculation, and Profit Week 5 Week 4) How Capitalism Saved America - The Role of the Entrepreneur " Thomas DiLorenzo (chapters 5- cont. Week 6 Week 8) How Capitalism Saved America - A Tale of Two Theologies, Lesson 6 Thomas DiLorenzo (chapters 9- Part 1 - From God to Politics Week 7 Week conclusion) Winter Break - February 22-26 Week 8 Week A Tale of Two Theologies, Lesson 7 Part 2 - Economic Road to Serfdom - F. A. Hayek Week 9 Week Philosophies and Systems 1 Government Intervention - The Politically Incorrect Guide to the Lesson 8 Basic Principles and Great Depression and the New Deal - Education Robert Murphy (chapters 1-3) Week 10 Week The Politically Incorrect Guide to the Government Intervention " Great Depression and the New Deal - cont. Week 11 Week Robert Murphy (chapters 4-6) The Two Mysteries of The Politically Incorrect Guide to the Lesson 9 Monetary Policy - Inflation Great Depression and the New Deal - and Depressions Robert Murphy (chapters 7-8) Week 12 Week Easter Break - March 28 - April 1 Week 13 Week The Welfare and Corporate What Has Government Done to Our Lesson 10 States of America - Costs of Money? - Murray Rothbard Redistribution (chapters 1-2) Week 14 Week What Has Government Done to Our The Welfare and Corporate " Money? - Murray Rothbard States of America cont. Week 15 Week (chapters 3-4) Economics Has Lesson 11 Consequences - The Real The Law - Frederic Bastiat Effects of Sin Week 16 Week Economics Has Anatomy of the State - Murray " Consequences cont. Rothbard (pp. 1-29) Week 17 Week Anatomy of the State - Murray Lesson 12 Kingdom Economics Rothbard (pp. 30-55) Week 18 Week 19 Final Exam Week Week 2 1. Course Description Economics is generally approached as an inductive science; as a boring, mathematical dissection of past events. However, economics properly understood is a fascinating examination of human actions, and the cause and effects that these actions have on each other as we use them to form society. Students will learn how the true science of economics is built on axioms derived from the classical study of human society, and how these axioms are then used as deductive stepping stones to form economic laws. At the center of our study lies the Word of God which rules over our interpretation of these laws. It is impossible to discuss economics apart from its connections with politics, sociology, philosophy, and theology. We will study various competing forms of economic schools of thought, as well as the effect that their application has had on all these aspects of life. The goal of this course then is to understand the logic of economics, and how it applies in our daily lives on both the micro and macro scale, and how this fits within Scripture. 2. Course requirements and assignment percentages (estimates): Completed reading 20 % Quizzes 20 % Participation 30 % Final Exam 30 % Assigned readings are to be completed by recitation. Quizzes will primarily be drawn from the lessons' questions found in the study guide. The final exam will be composed of questions from the quizzes, as well as short answer and essay questions. 3. Course Texts Required texts: Bastiat, Frederic. The Law (PDF available free online https://mises.org/library/law). DiLorenzo, Thomas. How Capitalism Saved America (Crown Forum, 2005), (Available on Amazon: http://amzn.to/1SUsHs6). Hayek, F.A. Road to Serfdom (PDF available free online https://mises.org/library/road- serfdom-0). Hazlitt, Henry. Economics in One Easy Lesson (Crown Business, 1988), (Available on Amazon: http://amzn.to/1SUtPMa). https://mises.org/library/theory-socialism-and-capitalism-0). Murphy, Robert. The Politically Incorrect Guide to Capitalism (Regnery Publishing, 2007), (Available on Amazon: http://amzn.to/1SUsJQL) _____________. The Politically Incorrect Guide to the Great Depression and the New Deal (Regnery Publishing, 2009), (Available on Amazon: http://amzn.to/1QDsrOW) Rothbard, Murray. Anatomy of the State (PDF available free online https://mises.org/library/anatomy-state). ______________. What Has Government Done to Our Money (PDF available free online https://mises.org/library/what-has-government-done-our-money). 3 .