240027 VS Economy and morality (3.3.4) (2019W)

According to some (economic) Armageddon is nearing, with a craving for profits, focus on economic growth, and unbridled trust in free markets leading to the complete destruction of our planet. Capitalism without morals, so it seems. But what do we really know about the relations between economy and morality? This course will analyse these relations from a historical and contemporary perspective. The aim is to better understand how morals influence and shape economic practices, from our own everyday economic acts to the operations of (global) markets.

Course aims:
1. To gain a historical and contemporary understanding of the relations between the economy and morality.
2. To learn about the relevant theoretical themes and debates in the study of economy and morality.
3. To be able to apply the theory.
4. To better understand the particular qualities an anthropological perspective has to offer.

Content:
After discussing how the nexus between moral ideas and economic practices have developed historically, we will focus on a variety of concepts relevant to the understanding of the relations between morality and economy, such as the homo economicus, reciprocity (discussed in Marcel Mauss’ (1990 [1925]) The Gift), moral economy, and markets. After that, we will look at a variety of topics, including insurance, inequality, and whether everything has a price (including love and nature), and explore opposing moral opinions and related tensions involved. Together, this will allow to develop a better understanding of the relations between economy and morality.

Methods:
Reading literature, presentations, discussions, tests, and individual papers.