2023 Faculty Courses School of Environment and Society Department of Social and Human Sciences Graduate major in Social and Human Sciences
Graduate Lecture in Politics, Law and Administration S1B
- Academic unit or major
- Graduate major in Social and Human Sciences
- Instructor(s)
- Kei Ehara
- Class Format
- Lecture (Face-to-face)
- Media-enhanced courses
- -
- Day of week/Period
(Classrooms) - 5-6 Wed (W9-325(W934))
- Class
- -
- Course Code
- SHS.P442
- Number of credits
- 100
- Course offered
- 2023
- Offered quarter
- 2Q
- Syllabus updated
- Jul 8, 2025
- Language
- Japanese
Syllabus
Course overview and goals
In this course we discuss the theory of economic growth, business cycles and the theory of money in relation to the ecological crisis.
The aim of this course is to understand what degrowth is from the perspective of Marxian political economy. Degrowth is an idea that has attracted much attention in recent years in relation to the ecological crisis.
Course description and aims
1) Understand economic growth in relation to business cycles
2) Apply the theory of money to ecological crisis
3) Understand degrowth in relation to political economy
Keywords
Economic Growth, Degrowth, Business Cycle, Crisis, Environment, Ecology
Competencies
- Specialist skills
- Intercultural skills
- Communication skills
- Critical thinking skills
- Practical and/or problem-solving skills
Class flow
Lectures are delivered by using lecture slides. Questions and opinions are accepted by email at any time and will be shared in classes.
Course schedule/Objectives
| Course schedule | Objectives | |
|---|---|---|
| Class 1 | Introduction: Capitalism and economic growth | pp. 165-180 of Reference (1) |
| Class 2 | Economic growth and crisis | pp. 253-270 of Reference (1) |
| Class 3 | The necessity of ecological crisis | pp. 31-51 of Reference (2) |
| Class 4 | Degrowth | pp. 277-296 of Reference (2) |
| Class 5 | The modern commodity theory of money | pp. 21-77 of Reference (1) |
| Class 6 | The ecological theory of money | Reference (3) |
| Class 7 | Conclusion, term paper | Re-read all the above materials |
Study advice (preparation and review)
To enhance effective learning, students are encouraged to spend approximately 100 minutes preparing for class and another 100 minutes reviewing class content afterwards (including assignments) for each class.
They should do so by referring to textbooks and other course material.
Textbook(s)
No textbook is assigned.
Reference books, course materials, etc.
1) Michiaki Obata, Principles of Political Economy, UT Press, 2009 (in Japanese)
2) Toshihiko Oka, Environmental Economics, Iwanami Shoten, 2006 (in Japanese)
3) Takashi Seo, "Suggestion from Ecological Theory of Money to Reconstruct "Credit Theory of Money"", The QUARTERLY JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC STUDIES (Osaka Metropolitan University), 41-1-4, 2023 (in Japanese)
Evaluation methods and criteria
Comments (30%), Term paper (70%)
Related courses
- LAH.S109 ： Economics A
- LAH.S209 ： Economics B
- LAH.S310 ： Economics C
- LAH.S407 ： Essence of Humanities and Social Sciences7:Economics
Prerequisites
High-level Japanese literacy
Contact information (e-mail and phone) Notice : Please replace from ”[at]” to ”@”(half-width character).
ehara.k.ac [at] m.titech.ac.jp