| Response sheet 1, for class, Tuesday | |
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We will start the substance of this class by questioning two seemingly unquestionable concepts: “the economy” and “capitalism.” Both are used in our language as if they are things — i.e., as if they are real, and material, as opposed to ideas that were invented, and that are commonly used in ways rather disconnected from any reality. So, for today “the economy” and for Thursday “capitalism.“ 1. Why does Timothy Mitchell argue that no such thing as an “economy” existed before the 1930s and 1940s? What existed before the idea of an “economy” was invented? 2. How and why was the idea of “the economy” invented in the 1930s and 1940s? 3. Why does Mitchell emphasize the role of representational practices, including but not limited to statistics? 4. On Thursday you were interviewed by a peer in the class about what interested you most in the world — i.e., what you couldn’t stop reading about, thinking about, talking about, et cetera, because it was so interesting and so important. Please now write that down, and especially explain why this matters to you more than anything else. I will use your remarks to help you find a research topic suited to this class which matches your interests as best as possible.... |