Far from some natural order, capitalism has a history, and we can study that history to see when and how it emerged. While Britain’s Industrial Revolution is probably the most familiar reference point, some of the most important economic thinkers, including Adam Smith and Karl Marx, point to the so-called “discovery” (i.e. the conquest and colonization) of the Americas as a key moment in this process. Taking these arguments as its point of departure, this course explores the colonial roots of modern capitalism by examining the writings of Spanish and Portuguese jurists, theologians, and missionaries about the colonial project from the late fifteenth to the mid-seventeenth centuries. What new problems and dilemmas did Iberian colonialism raise, and how did early modern writers attempt to rationalize and resolve them? What new political and economic ideas emerged as a result? To what extent did these writers seek to reconcile political domination and economic extraction with their stated spiritual and religious objectives? More broadly, how should we understand the relationship between colonialism and capitalism, and what does that analysis mean for our understanding of the world today? Readings will consist for the most part of primary sources from the colonial period, but will also include more recent work by political economists, critics, and historians.

This course counts as literature credit toward the Spanish minor.

Class Format:

For Fall 2021: During certain periods of the term, we may engage in large discussions about the course content in an in-person format; during other periods of the term, we may engage in activities where students collaborate in small-group activities via breakout sessions in Zoom.