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Courses Economists Harvard Syllabus

Harvard Economics. Economics 101. Econ Theory. Chamberlin, 1938-9

Since first posting this course syllabus I have found a copy of the examination questions for the final exam given at the end of the second term in June 1939.

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[Economic Theory. Instructor: Edward Hastings Chamberlin]

Economics 101

1938-9

First Semester

I.     Mill – Principles, Book II, chapter 4; Book III, chapters 1, 2.

Chamberlin – Monopolistic Competition, chapters 1, 2.

Mill – Principles, Book III, chapters 3, 5, 6.

Marshall – Principles, pp. 348-50; p. 806 note.

Mill – Principles, Book III, chapter 4.

Suggested Reading:

Introduction to the Ashley ed. of Mill, or

Mill’s Autobiography

Ricardo – Political Economy (Gonner edition), chapter 1.

II.   Boehm-Bawerk – Positive Theory of Capital, Books III, IV.

Marshall – Principles, Appendix I.

Davenport – Economics of Enterprise, chapter 6.

Suggested Reading:

Jevons – Theory of Political Economy, chapters 3, 4.

III.  Marshall – Principles, Book V, chapters 1-5; Book IV, chapter 13; Book V, chapters 8, 9, 10, 12; Appendix H.

Taussig, F. W., “Price Fixing as Seen by a Price Fixer”, Q.J.E., Vol. 33, p. 205.

Knight, F. H. – “Cost of Production and Price over Long and Short Periods”, Journal of Political Economy, Vol. 29, p. 304 (1921). (Reprinted in Knight, The Ethics of Competition and Other Essays, Chapter 8).

Suggested Reading: Additional reading in Marshall.

Keynes – “Alfred Marshall” – Economic Journal, September 1924. (Also in Keynes, Essays in Biography.)

IV.  Chamberlin – Monopolistic Competition, chapter 3.

Abramovitz – “Monopolistic Selling in a Changing Economy”, Q.J.E., Vol. 52, p. 191 (1938).

Suggested Reading:

Zeuthen – Problems of Monopoly, chapter 2.

Monopolistic Competition, Appendix A.

V.    Robinson – Imperfect Competition, Introduction, and chapters 1,2,3.

Monopolistic Competition, chapters 4, 5; Appendices D, E.

Chamberlin – “Monopolistic or Imperfect Competition?”, Q.J.E., August, 1937.

Sweezy, P.M. – “On the Definition of Monopoly”, Q.J.E., Vol. 51, p. 362 (1937)

Cassels, J.M. – “Excess Capacity and Monopolistic Competition”, Q.J.E., Vol. 51, p. 426. (1937)

Suggested Reading:

Kaldor – “Professor Chamberlin on Monopolistic and Imperfect Competition”, Q.J.E., May, 1938: and Reply.

Robinson – Imperfect Competition, chapters 4,5,6, 7.

VI.  Viner – “Cost Curves and Supply Curves”, Zeitschrift für Nationalökonomie, 1931.

Monopolistic Competition, Appendix B.

Suggested Reading:

Sraffa, P., “The Laws of Returns under Competitive Conditions”, Economic Journal, Vol. 36, p. 535 (1926).

VII. Monopolistic Competition, chapters 6,7.

Braithwaite, Dorothea – “The Economic Effects of Advertisement”, Economic Journal, Vol. 38, p. 16 (1928). (Reprinted as Chapter VII in Braithwaite and Dobbs, The Distribution of Consumable Goods).

Monopolistic Competition, Appendix C.

Alsberg, C.L. – “Economic Aspects of Adulteration and Imitation”, Q.J.E., Vol. 46, p. 1 (1931).

Suggested Reading:

Hotelling, H. “Stability in Competition”, Economic Journal, Vol. 39, p. 41 (1929)

Lerner, A. P. and Singer, H.W. – “Some Notes on Duopoly and Spatial Competition”, Journal of Political Economy, Vol. 45, p. 145 (1937)

Burns, A.R. – The Decline of Competition, chapter VIII, “Non-Price Competition”.

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Economics 101

1938-9

Second Semester

I.    Discrimination:

Pigou – Economics of Welfare, Part II. Chapter on Discriminating Monopoly.

Robinson, J. – Imperfect Competition, Chapters 15, 16.

Suggested: Pigou – Chapter on the Special Problem of Railway Rates

Clark, J.M. – Overhead Costs, Chapter 20.

II.   Distribution – General:

Marshall – Principles, Book VI, Chapters 1-5.

Knight – Risk, Uncertainty and Profits, Chapter 4.

Chamberlin – Monopolistic Competition, Chapter 8.

Suggested Reading: Garver & Hansen – Principles, Chapter 5.

Kahn – “Some Notes on Ideal Output” (last half) Economic Journal.

III. Wages:

Hicks – Theory of Wages, Chapters 1-7; 9; 10, section 1; 11, section 5.

Taussig – Principles, Chapter 47.

Suggested Reading: Robertson –Economic Fragments, Chapter on “Wage Grumbles.”

Machlup – “The Common Sense of Elasticity of Substitution,” Review of Economic Studies, Vol. II, Page 202.

Cairnes – Leading Principles, Chapter 3.

IV.  Interest:

Böhm – Bawerk – Positive Theory, Book I, chapter 2; Book II; Book V; Book VI, chapters 5,6,7; Book VII, chapters 1,2,3.

Marshall – Principles, Book IV, chapter 7; Book VI, chapter 1, sections 8, 9, 10, chapter 2, section 4, chapter 6.

Wicksell – Lectures, Vol. I, pages 144-171,185-195, 207-218.

Clark, J. B. – Distribution of Wealth, chapters 9, 20.

Schumpeter – Theory of Economic Development, chapters 1 – 5.

V.    Rent:

Ricardo – Chapter 2.

Marshall – Book V, chapters 8, 9,10,11.

Robinson – Imperfect Competition, chapters 8, 9.

VI.   Profits:

Marshall – Book VI, chapter 5, section 7; chapters 7, 8.

Taussig – Principles, Vol. II, chapter 50, section 1.

Henderson –Supply & Demand, chapter 7.

Chamberlin – Monopolistic Competition, chapter 5, section 6; chapter 7, section 6; Appendices D, E.

Schumpeter – (see under Interest)

Berle & Means – The Modern Corporation, Book IV.

Gordon, R.A. – “Enterprise, Profits and the Modern Corporation,” in “Explorations in Economics,” p. 306.

Knight – The Ethics of Competition, Essay No. 11: “Economic Theory and Nationalism.”

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Source:  Harvard University Archives

HUC 8522.2.1

Box 2 of 10

Syllabi, course outlines and

Reading lists in Economics,

1895-2003

Folder: Syllabi, course outlines and reading lists in Economics, 1938-39

Categories
Courses Economists Harvard Syllabus

Harvard Economics 2. Carver, 1900-01

Note: Economics 2, “Economic Theory in the Nineteenth Century,” was taught by Assistant Professor Thomas Nixon Carver in 1900-01, his first year at Harvard

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Enrollment Economics 2
1900-01

For Undergraduates and Graduates:—

[Economics] 2. Asst. Professor Carver.— Economic Theory in the Nineteenth Century.

Total 45: 6 Graduates, 15 Seniors, 16 Juniors, 5 Sophomores, 3 Other.

Source: Harvard University. Annual Reports of the President and Treasurer of Harvard College, 1900-01, p. 64.

 

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ECONOMICS 2.

Topics and references for first half-year. Starred references are prescribed.

I. VALUE.

1.    Adam Smith. Wealth of Nations. Book I. Chs. 5, 6, and 7.

2.    Ricardo. Pol. Econ. Chs. 1 and 4.

3.    Mill.          “        “     Book III. Chs. 1-6.

4.    Cairnes     “        “     Part I.

5.     Jevons. Theory of Pol. Econ. Chs. 2-4.

6.     Sidgwick. Pol. Econ. Book II. Ch. 2.

7*.   Wieser. Natural Value.

8.     Böhm-Bawerk. Positive Theory of Capital. Book III.

9.     Clark. Philosophy of Wealth. Ch. 5

10*. Marshall. Principles of Economics. Books III and V.

 

II. DIMINISHING RETURNS.

1.     Senior. Pol. Econ. Pp. 81-86.

2.    Marshall. Principles of Economics. Book III. Ch. 3

3*.  Commons. The Distribution of Wealth. Ch. 3.

 

III. RENT.

1.     Adam Smith. Wealth of Nation. Book I. Ch. 2. Pts. 1-3.

2.    Ricardo. Pol. Econ. Chs. 2 and 3.

3.    Sidgwick. “     “       Book II. Ch. 7.

4.    Walker.     “     “       Pt. IV. Ch. 2.

5.    Walker. Land and its Rent.

6*.  Marshall. Principles of Economics Book VI. Ch. 9.

7*.   Hyde. The Concept of Price Determining Rent. Jour. Pol. Econ. V.6. p. 368.

 

IV. CAPITAL

1.     Adam Smith. Wealth of Nations. Book II.

2.    Senior. Pol. Econ. P. 58-81.

3.    Mill.        “       “       Book I. Ch. 4-6.

4.    Roscher. “      “       Book I. Ch. 1. Secs. 42-45.

5*.  Böhm-Bawerk. Positive Theory of Capital. Books I and II.

6.    Cannan. Production and Distribution. Ch. 4.

7.    Jevons. Theory of Political Economy Ch. 7.

8*.  Fisher. What is Capital? Economic Journal. Vol. VI. P. 509.

9*.  Taussig. Wages and Capital. Ch. 2.

10.  Clark. The Distribution of Wealth.

 

V. INTEREST.

1.     Adam Smith. Wealth of Nations. Book I. Ch. 9.

2.    Ricardo. Pol. Econ. Ch. 6.

3.    Sidgwick.  “     “        Book II. Ch. 6.

4*.  Böhm-Bawerk. Positive Theory of Capital. Books V, VI, and VII.

5.    Marshall. Principles of Economics. Book VI. Ch. 6.

6.    Clark. Distribution of Wealth.

7*.   Abstinence and the Theory of Interest. Quarterly Journal Ec., Vol. VIII. P. 40.

8.    The Theory of Saver’s Rent. Quarterly Journal Ec. Vol. XIII. P. 345.

 

VI. WAGES.

1.     Adam Smith. Wealth of Nations. Book I. Ch. 8.

2.    Ricardo. Pol. Econ. Ch. 5.

3.    Senior.       “       “      Pp. 141-180 and 200-216.

4.    Senior. Lectures. Pp. 1-62.

5.    Mill. Pol. Econ. Book II. Chs. 11, 12, 13, and 14.

6.    Cairnes. Pol. Econ. Part II. Chs. 1 and 2.

7.    Sidgwick.  “       “      Book II. Ch. 8.

8*.  Walker.     “       “      Part IV. Ch. 5.

9*.  Hadley. Economics. Ch. 10.

10*. Taussig. Wages and Capital. (Entire.)

11*.  Wages and the Theory of Value. Quart. Jour. Econ. Vol. VIII, P. 377.

 

VII. PROFITS.

1*.    Walker. Pol. Econ. Part IV. Ch. 4.

2*.    Hobson. The Law of the Three Rents. Quar. Jour. Econ. Vol. V. P. 263.

3.      Clark. Insurance and Business Profits. Quar. Jour. Econ. Vol. VII. P. 40.

4*.    Hawley, F. B. in Quar. Jour. Econ. Vol. VII. P. 459.

5.      MacVane, in           “         “       “,  Vol. II. P. 1.

6.      Haynes, in               “     “       “     Vol. IX, P. 409.

 

 

Clark’s Distribution of Wealth and parts of Böhm-Bawerk’s Positive Theory of Capital will be read during the second half-year.

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Source: Harvard University Archives. HUC 8522.2.1, Box 1 of 10 (Syllabi, course outlines and reading lists in Economics, 1895-2003). Folder: 1900-1901.