POLIS 2107 - Passions and Interests: The History of Greed
Career: | Undergraduate |
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Units: | 3 |
Term: | 4210 |
Campus: | North Terrace |
Contact: | Up to 3 hours per week |
Available for Study Abroad and Exchange: | Yes |
Available for Non-Award Study: | Check with School |
Assumed Knowledge: | At least 12 units of Level I undergraduate study |
Incompatible: | POLI 2017, POLI 2107, POLI 3017 |
Assessment: | Tutorial assessment 10%, Minor Essay 30%, Major Essay 60% |
Syllabus: |
The course attempts to solve the puzzle of how greed was transformed from a Deadly Sin (avarice) to a cool virtue. How could Gordon Gecko manage seduce his audience so easily in the movie Wall Street with his 'Greed is Good' speech? How did we get from there to here? The course will canvas seventeenth, eighteenth and nineteenth century responses to the emergence of market society and will trace the demise of classical, feudal and Renaissance idealism and the emerging 'bourgeois' mentality of the enlightenment era. The transformation of commercial activity from a base occupation to its culmination as a 'calling' is explored as part of an intellectual history of the legitimation of the idea of greed. This history will cover, among other things, an exploration of the following institutions, phenomena and ideas: self-interest; the division of labour; markets; luxury; the proper role of the state: liberalism and its critics; progress; virtue; classical communitarianism, anarchism, utilitarianism, classical political economy, the guaranteed basic income and the Grameen Bank. The course will conclude with a close study of the film Wall Street and a reflection on whether enlightened self-interest is enough to keep societies in motion. Featured thinkers include: Marcus Aurelius, Machiavelli, Hobbes, Mandeville, Adam Smith, Marx, Weber, Hayek, Fukuyama, Singer and van Parjis. |
Course Fees
Study Abroad student tuition fees are available here
Only some Postgraduate Coursework programs are available as Commonwealth Supported. Please check your program for specific fee information.
The fees displayed below for international students are for students commencing a program in 2024 only. International students who commenced a program in 2023 or prior can find their fee here.
EFTSL | |||
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0.125 |
Course Outline
A Course Outline which includes Learning Outcomes, Learning Resources, Learning & Teaching for this course may be accessed here
Critical Dates
Term | Last Day to Add Online | Census Date | Last Day to WNF | Last Day to WF |
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4210 | Tue 15/03/2022 | Thu 24/03/2022 | Fri 06/05/2022 | Fri 10/06/2022 |
Class Details
Enrolment Class: Lecture | |||||||
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Class Nbr | Section | Size | Available | Dates | Days | Time | Location |
12485 | LE01 | 120 | 33 | 28 Feb - 4 Apr | Monday | 1pm - 2pm | Napier, G04, Lecture Theatre |
3 Mar - 7 Apr | Thursday | 12pm - 1pm | Napier, G04, Lecture Theatre | ||||
25 Apr - 30 May | Monday | 1pm - 2pm | Napier, G04, Lecture Theatre | ||||
28 Apr - 2 Jun | Thursday | 12pm - 1pm | Napier, G04, Lecture Theatre | ||||
Related Class: Tutorial | |||||||
Class Nbr | Section | Size | Available | Dates | Days | Time | Location |
10192 | TU03 | 20 | 2 | 2 Mar - 6 Apr | Wednesday | 10am - 11am | Lower Napier, LG12, Teaching Room |
27 Apr - 1 Jun | Wednesday | 10am - 11am | Lower Napier, LG12, Teaching Room | ||||
10193 | TU02 | 20 | 5 | 2 Mar - 6 Apr | Wednesday | 11am - 12pm | Lower Napier, LG12, Teaching Room |
27 Apr - 1 Jun | Wednesday | 11am - 12pm | Lower Napier, LG12, Teaching Room | ||||
10194 | TU01 | 20 | 8 | 1 Mar - 5 Apr | Tuesday | 12pm - 1pm | Lower Napier, LG12, Teaching Room |
26 Apr - 31 May | Tuesday | 12pm - 1pm | Lower Napier, LG12, Teaching Room | ||||
12175 | TU07 | 20 | 5 | 1 Mar - 5 Apr | Tuesday | 2pm - 3pm | Lower Napier, LG12, Teaching Room |
26 Apr - 31 May | Tuesday | 2pm - 3pm | Lower Napier, LG12, Teaching Room | ||||
12176 | TU06 | 20 | 3 | 1 Mar - 5 Apr | Tuesday | 3pm - 4pm | Lower Napier, LG12, Teaching Room |
26 Apr - 31 May | Tuesday | 3pm - 4pm | Lower Napier, LG12, Teaching Room | ||||
20329 | TU08 | 22 | 12 | 28 Feb - 4 Apr | Monday | 2pm - 3pm | MyUni, OL, Online Class |
25 Apr - 30 May | Monday | 2pm - 3pm | MyUni, OL, Online Class |