EC408

Senior Seminar in Economics

Fall 2005

Dr. Marmé

 

In this seminar we will be discussing the work of Keynes.  You may think that you are already familiar with Keynes's ideas.  In reality much of what we have presented  to you as "Keynesian" economics is very different from what Keynes actually argued.  What these differences are and why they are significant are the two main issues we will address together.  What is most important is that many of the advances in economic theory made in the last generation seem to be leading the discipline in the direction Keynes tried to lead it almost 70 years ago!

We will draw from a variety of sources in this seminar including reading parts of Keynes's General Theory. Since these are available online there is no required text for class.

For a copy of our syllabus, click here. 

408, the other two seminars and History of Thought as capstone courses.

For an electronic copy of Keynes's General Theory click here.

For readings for "C sessions" not taken from the GT click here.

Click here or here to learn more about Keynes' life.

Click here to view Luigi Pasinetti's webpage at Universita Cattolica del Sacro Cuore.  Pasinetti's contribution to extending Keynes's ideas from income determination to growth is grossly underappreciated. We will discuss Pasinetti in our last session together.

Click here to read about the relationship between the internal rate of return and Keynes's marginal efficiciency of investment.

For all sorts of good background information check out the following: The New School's HET page.

For a site with extensive information about Keynes' student Roy Harrod click here.

For an online copy of Frank Knight's classic Risk, Uncertainty and Profit click here.

Click here to see a copy of my dissertation. It deals with many of the issues raised here in seminar.