The Wealth Illusion
Who is paying the price of the everlasting acceleration of economic growth? Is it my consumption that is causing inequality? What is progress really? The roots of today’s crises, from climate change to vast global inequality, are buried deep in powerful, mostly invisible myths about wealth, property and power. This course will be a deep dive, designed to expose at least 5 of the most used myths and assumptions, while taking a closer look on where they came from and why they became prevalent in day-to-day political communication. Underpinning the philosophical and economical aspects of the western “Imperial Mode of Living”, we will challenge the comfortable narratives that govern global systems and learn to read history and economics from the perspective of the marginalized.
The course will convey knowledge in Political Economy, Ethics and Post-Colonial Theory. We will progress through one core myth in each 90-minute session by engaging with two short contrasting quotes from key thinkers as the starting points of our sessions.
Throughout the week, we will explore the following six blocks:
1. Who Owns the Land? Debunking the myth of natural private property (Locke vs. Bell Hooks)
2. The Myth of Global Free Trade: Analyzing the roots of wealth inequality and debating modern narratives of performance (Smith vs. André Gunder Frank).
3. Europe and the Rest? Challenging the assumption of Western cultural superiority and its standards (Descartes vs. Edward Said).
4. “Double it and give it to the next person”: Examining the relationship between capitalism and resource exploitation (Marx vs. Ulrich Brand).
5. Must I Change My Life? Debating the limits and instrumentalization of individual responsibility for global crises (Hans Jonas vs. Systemic Critics).
6. Drafting the Future: Can a society function without conflict and inequality? Students will use their gained knowledge to critically discuss current movements and formulate their own ideas (Hobbes vs. Moore).
No prior knowledge of philosophy or economics is required! Curiosity and a willingness to challenge your own assumptions are the only prerequisites. This course is an opportunity to gain an easy access to fundamental theories through precise quotes that are put into context through case studies, experiments and engaging debates.
You will leave this course equipped with critical analysis skills to unmask bias, argumentation tools to defend ethical positions and a theoretically as well as practically differentiated view on pressing societal matters.