The aim of the course is to introduce students to the history of economic thought and to promote critical reflection on issues of political economy related to contemporary Greek and international economic reality. The outline of the course will move around two units. The first unit will selectively examine major economic thinkers and schools of economic thought. The second unit will move around themes of (Greek and international) political economy, starting from the major economic problems of our time, namely the economic crisis and growing social inequality. These phenomena will be examined from a critical and pluralist perspective and will be linked to themes such as globalization, economic policy, the role of the Central Bank, capital liberalization, foreign direct investment, environmental degradation, the pandemic crisis and issues of race, class and gender.

The subject matter of the course will be studied through a critical and interdisciplinary perspective, comparing and contrasting the theories examined in terms of their ability to provide answers to issues that concerned the economic science over time, such as the economic crises, the production and distribution of goods, the calculation of value and the formation of prices, the role of the market and the state, economic justice and democracy. Students will be able to gain understanding of the complexity and direct interdependence of the above economic phenomena, as well as the relationship between the economy and the institutions of politics and society, the role of economic policy, the implications of different economic choices and how these affect the distribution of power in economic reality.

Through the systematic study of the course, students will be able to:
– understand the importance and usefulness of political economy both as an approach and as an object of study
– evaluate the contribution of the major economic theories or schools of thought to the economic issues that prevailed in the historical period in which they were formulated, as well as to contemporary economic reality
– gain an in-depth understanding of the importance of the discipline of political economy in understanding and interpreting the economic phenomena that occur around us and affect us in various ways on a daily basis
– to reflect critically on the major economic problems of our time and to evaluate possible prospects and solutions
– to reflect on how they imagine a more democratic, fair and sustainable economic system and in what ways we could move closer to such a direction today

Students are assessed through a compulsory written examination with extended response questions. In addition, students may produce an optional assignment that contributes to the final assessment with a weighted grade.

Course Bibliography (Eudoxus)
Ζουμπουλάκης, Μ. Σ., Μυλωνάκης, Δ. Μ., Πατρώνης, Β. Σ. (επιμ., 2022). Ιστορία της Οικονομικής Σκέψης. Αθήνα: Εκδόσεις Μπένου.
Χατζηκωνσταντίνου, Γ. Θ. (2009). Το Οικονομικό Σύστημα και η Εξέλιξή του. Αθήνα: Κριτική.

Additional bibliography for study
Backhouse, R. E. (2009). Η Εξέλιξη της Οικονομικής Σκέψης: Από την Αρχαία Ελλάδα μέχρι Σήμερα. Αθήνα: Κριτική.
Bowles, S. και Edwards, R. (2003). Κατανοώντας τον Καπιταλισμό. Αθήνα: Gutenberg.
Screpanti, E. & Zamagni, S. (2004). Η ιστορία της Οικονομικής Σκέψης. Αθήνα: Τυπωθήτω- Δαρδανός.
Heilbroner, R. L. (2000). Οι Φιλόσοφοι του Οικονομικού Κόσμου: Η Ζωή και οι Ιδέες τους.
Αθήνα: Κριτική.
Stiglitz, J. E. (2012). Το Τίμημα της Ανισότητας. Αθήνα: Εκδόσεις Παπαδόπουλος.
Kishtainy, N. (2018). Μικρή Ιστορία της Οικονομικής Επιστήμης. Αθήνα: Εκδόσεις Πατάκη
Παπαγεωργίου, Φ. & Μιχαηλίδης, Π. (2016). Σχολές Σκέψης και Οικονομικές Διακυμάνσεις. Αθήνα: Συμμετρία.
Milanovic, B. (2019). Παγκόσμια Ανισότητα: Η Οικονομική Ανισότητα στην Εποχή της Παγκοσμιοποίησης. Ηράκλειο: Πανεπιστημιακές Εκδόσεις Κρήτης.