Courses: The Nature of Money (WRPRH125A01)
Fall 2012
Money is one of the most enigmatic of things. On the one hand it seems to be an utterly banal and concrete aspect of everyday life, and yet on reflection money turns out to be one of the most ephemeral, spiritual, and even magical things in the world. The recent financial crisis has led, among other things, to a flowering of debate over and experimentation with the nature of money itself. In keeping with the urgent sense felt by many within and without the academy that fundamental concepts of economy must be reconsidered, in this class we will take a distinctly philosophical approach to the concept of money, working through some of the historical, structural, religious, and erotic dimensions of exchange in an attempt to gain greater understanding of the role money has played and continues to play in everyday life. Readings for the course include (but may not be limited to) selections from Georges Bataille's The Accursed Share, Norman O. Brown's "Filthy Lucre," Georg Simmel's Philosophy of Money, and Hannah Arendt's The Human Condition.
Prerequisites: Open only to first-year students as assigned by the Director of College writing.
Fulfills: HU FW Limit:15
DepartmentTaught By |
LocationHaverford, Stokes 119 Meeting TimesTTh 10:00-11:30 |