Markets, Metrics and Mavens
The common course: ECON 222/UNIV 244
        

Overview

            This course investigates key advances of (mostly) British scientists and the subsequent technical innovations that led to market expansion, economic development and the attention of economic theorists.  The course includes two regular in-class meetings along with an additional field trip or short excursion each week.  Students are expected to attend every class meeting, carefully prepare the readings, complete written assignments promptly, and engage in class discussion and other activities.

            To take full advantage of all that London and Britain have to offer, it may be that timely current events or planned field trips will cause a change in the normal schedule and/or the written syllabus of topics and assignments below.  Each week, we will provide you with an updated detailed schedule of the upcoming week's class meetings and assignments.

Evaluation

            Journal of Observations & Reactions    20%
            Writing Assignments                            30%
            Class/Homework Exercises                   10%
            Class Participation                                15%
            Final Project & Presentation                 25%

Readings and Texts

Hobsbawm, E. J.  Industry and Empire, An Economic History of Britain since 1750. Penguin
      Books Ltd; 2 Revised Edition (29 April 1999)
            Porter, Roy,  London:  A Social History. Penguin Books Ltd; New Edition (5 Oct 2000)
            Podcasts
            Packet of Science Readings
            Packet of Economics Readings

SYLLABUS

Early Metrics, Mavens and Markets

Monday 8.20 – Introduction:  Early Economic Systems & Institutions - Feudalism –
                        English Civil War and Parliament
Assignment:    Podcast: Peasants Revolt; Reading: William the
Conqueror to the Peasants Revolt; Porter, Chapter 1 – “Role of Cities”; Porter, CMTMW, Chapter 6 – “The Culture of Science”
.

Tuesday 8.21 - Galileo & Newton:  Laws of Motion, Optical Lenses
Assignment: H & R p 63-69; Tipler p 1057-1059, 1070-1071; Principia p 18-20
Wikipedia: Galileo Galilei, sec 1-3

Wednesday 8.22 – 1:00 to Parliament
    
Thursday 8.23  -  Museum of London
                                   
                         
Monday 8.27 – From Roman Britain to the Rise of the Nation State - An Overview of
Mercantilism  and an Introduction to  Georgian England pp 126 – 130;
Assignment: Reading: Porter, Chapter 2 – “Formation to Reformation”;
Hobsbawm, Chapter 1 – “Britain in 1750”; Economic                                      
Readings, Mun and Mercantilism

Tuesday 8.28 -

Wednesday 8.29 –Celestial Mechanics and Gravity
Assignment: Tipler p 53-59, 340-344; GRR p 190-193;
Principia p 326-329, 333
Wikipedia: Isaac Newton, sec 1 at least

Thursday 830 – To Bath
           

Monday 9.3 –   Radical Individualism - Winstanley to the Early Enlightenment -
Assignment:  Reading:  Economic Readings, Winstanley and Radical
Individualism;  Ashton, pp 18-39; Hobsbawm, Chapter 2 – “Origin
 of the Industrial Revolution”; Mokyr, “The Market for Ideas and the Origins of Economic Growth in Eighteenth Century Europe”

Tuesday 9.4 -

Wednesday 9.5 –Darby, Coal Smelting, and Water Power
Assignment: Tipler p 558-565, 152-155; GRR p 85-86
Wikipedia: Abraham Darby I

Thursday 9.6 – to Ironbridge Gorge
           

Markets, Metrics, Mavens and the Modern World

            Part 1 – Beyond  Elizabethans

Monday 9.10   Canals and Navigation; Buoyancy and Longitude
Assignment: Tipler p 396-397, 402-405; Navigation handout;
Wikipedia: John Harrison

Tuesday 9.11 – Art and Architecture – to Greenwich
Assignment:  Podcast: Astronomy and Empire

Wednesday 9.12 – Early Empire - Henry VIII
Assignment:  Reading:  Economic Readings, Henry VIII Property and Power;
Porter, “Tutors” pp 34-64

Thursday 9.13 – 9:00 AM to Hampton Court  - 11:00 AM, Henry VII and Henry VIII and
 Consolidation of Power
           

Monday 9.17 – The Scottish Enlightenment; Scotland in Context - Scottish Devolution
Assignment: Reading:  Economic Readings:  Scottish Enlightenment overview;
Adam Smith and Robert Owen; Ashton, Chapter 5 “‘Individualism’
and ‘Laisser faire’’’; Porter, CMTMW, Chapter 17 - “The Pursuit of Wealth”

Tuesday 9.18   James Watt & the Steam Engine, Simple machines
Assignment: GRR p 512-517, 521-523;
Wikipedia: James Watt

Wednesday 9.19 – to New Lanark, Stirling, and Edinburgh

Part II - The Victorians (1839 – 1901)

Monday 9.24 –  Age of Revolution through Age of Capital –Early Victorians
Assignment: Reading:  Porter,  Chapter 6 – “Commercial City 1600-1800”;
Chapter 15; Podcast: John Stuart Mill; Economic Readings, Bentham;
Hobsbawm, Chapter 3 – “The Industrial Revolution 1780-1840” & Chapter 4 –
“The Human Results of the Industrial Revolution 1750 – 1850”
           
Tuesday 9.25

Wednesday 9.26 – Michael Faraday:  Motors & Generators - London underground
Assignment:  GRR p 726 – 734; Mini-motor handout;
Wikipedia: Michael Faraday, sec 1 and 2.2

Thursday 9.27 – London walk – water and rail

Monday10.1 –   Victorians (interrupted): France and the Enlightenment
Assignment:  Podcast:  Anarchism;  Economic Reading: Proudhon and the
Physiocrats & Keynes and the Peace

Tuesday 10.2

Wednesday 10.3 – To Paris

            FALL BREAK

Monday 10.15 Age of Revolution  - Summary of Paris trip and beyond
Assignment:  Podcast: The Opium Wars; Economic Readings: Observers and Karl Marx

Tuesday 10.16

Wednesday 10.17 – Railroads: Friction & Motion
Assignment:  Tipler 117-124

            [Last Day for Final Project Topic Selection]

Thursday 10.18 – to York

Monday 10.22 – Victorian Transitions:  The Great Exhibition and Possibilities 1851-1880    
Assignment:  Podcast: The Great Exhibition and Altruism; Reading: Porter,
Chapter 12 – “Victorian Life”; Hobsbawm Chapter  5  “Industrialization:  The Second Phase” &
Chapter 7 – “Britain in the World Economy”

Tuesday 10.23

Wednesday 10.24 – Evolution: Darwin and Wallace
 Assignment: Darwin Bio handout;
Wikipedia: Alfred Russel Wallace

Thursday 10.25 - Museum of Natural History

            [Final Project: Proposal Due (single paragraph)]

Monday 10.29 - Age of Empire 1876-1914:  Expansion and Free Trade
Assignment:  Reading:Porter, Chapter 8 – “Capitalism in the Capital:  TheVictorian Age”;
Hobsbawm, Chapter 8 – “Standards of Living 1850- 1914” & Chapter 9 – “The Beginnings of Decline:; Podcast: Victorian Pessimism

Tuesday 10.30

Wednesday 10.31 – James Clerk Maxwell: Light, Radio, and Communication
Assignment: GRR: p 796-803
Wikipedia: James Clerk Maxwell, sec 1.1 and 1.2

Thursday 11.1 –

           
Part III – Post Victoria

Monday 11:5 – End of Empire:  WWI and Beyond                
Assignment: Reading: Porter, Chapter 14 – “Modern Growth, Modern
Government 1890-1945”; Hobsbawm, Chapter 11 – “Between the
Wars” & Chapter 12 – “Government and Economy”; Economic
Reading, Keynes

Tuesday 11/6

Wednesday 11.7  - War Technology: Projectiles and Flight
Assignment: Tipler: p 65-71, Wing Flow handout

Thursday 11.8 – Imperial War Museum

Recent Advances for Markets and Metrics

Post War Britain/ Science and economy

Monday 11.12 – WWII and Beyond
 Assignment:  Reading:  Hobsbawm, Chapter 13 – “The Long Boom" & Chapter 14 "Society since 1914”; Porter, Chapter 15 – “Swinging London, Dangling Economy:  1945-1975”

Tuesday 11/13
           
            [Final Project: Outline/Progress Report Due]

Wednesday 11/14 - Modern Computers/Enigma-Turing Computer science
Assignment:  TBA

Thursday 11/15 - Science Museum

           
Monday 11.19 – Post WWII – Decline to Advance: Communications &  Biology‘s Double Helix
Assignment:  Reading: The Economist, Science and Profit 2.17.01, TBA

Tuesday 11.20             [Final Project: Individual Meetings with Professors]

Wednesday 11.21        [Final Project: Individual Meetings with Professors]

Thursday 11.22 - Thanksgiving

Tuesday 11.27

Wednesday 11.28 - Future Frontiers in Science
Assignment: TBA

Thursday 11.29

Thursday 12.6 [Final Project Presentations]