ECON 30000 SA Non-major Elec

(3 Credit Hours) · Undergraduate

Thinking Like an Economist (SI): This course aims to explain human behavior through the lens of economists. We use economic reasoning to answer questions as diverse as the following: Why would your teacher cheat? Which factors cause crime rates to go down? Why do countries fail sometimes? We use texts that popularize economic concepts to illustrate how different social phenomena can be understood by applying the tools of economic analysis. However, we also discuss possible limitations of the economic approach to social issues. In this course we review, challenge, and debate on firmly established ideas we all have about the world, our society, and ourselves. What will I have learned by the end of this class? 1. You will have understood the way economists view the world 2. You will have learned the theories and predictions of famous thinkers 3. You will have found out how to analyze different social phenomena from a new perspective 4. You will have realized that several times one needs to dig deeper in order to find the truth 5. You will be introduced to some of the major debates the world economy is facing today 6. You will have learned how to formulate arguments using the logic of economists Course outline Week 1. Thinking Like an Economist (First lecture in Week 1. You don't need to do anything prior to the lecture. Just come see if you like the class. Tutorials start in Week 3.) Week 2. The Rational Man Week 3. The Beauty of the Market Week 4. Are We Really Rational? Week 5. The Altruistic Man Week 6. Are You Happy? Week 7. Midterm Week 8. What about Love? Week 9. The World of Crime Week 10. How to Get Rich: A Manual Week 11. Rich and Poor in an Unequal World A (Inequality Across Countries) Week 12. Rich and Poor in an Unequal World B (Inequality Within Countries) Week 13. Artificial Intelligence and the Future