POLS 034. Capitalism and Socialism (TH)

The words “capitalism” and “socialism” come up relatively often in discussions of politics, but their meaning is often left vague. After a brief survey of empirical work on the varieties of capitalism and socialism, this course will turn to the normative arguments for and against the two systems that have been made from the Enlightenment to the present day. Authors covered will include Adam Smith, J. G. Fichte, Karl Marx, Friedrich Hayek and Milton Friedman, as well as a smattering of utopians and anarchists. Students should expect a significant volume of reading, but there are no prerequisites.
This course falls within the theory subfield but only POLS 11, 12, 100, and 101 satisfy the theory requirement.
Social Sciences.
1 credit.
Spring 2026. Thakkar.
Catalog chapter: Political Science
Department website: http://www.swarthmore.edu/political-science

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