0. Preface to Reisman's Lectures on Capitalism

0. Preface to Reisman's Lectures on Capitalism

Author: George Reisman September 7, 2020 Duration: 2:36

OBJECTIVES

1. To provide the student with a comprehensive knowledge of the nature, foundations, and operations of a division-of labor, capitalist society, with special emphasis on the institutions of private ownership of the means of production, competition, the profit motive, and the price system as the basis for economic coordination and economic progress. The consequences of government intervention with respect to these institutions will be considered in depth.

2. To teach the student to think of economic phenomena in terms of their long-run effects on all groups, not merely their short-run effects on those directly concerned.

OVERVIEW

The course will focus on five main current problem areas: 1) The validation of economic activity and fundamental economic institutions in the face of widespread criticisms. 2) Environmentalism and energy supplies. 3) Economic “planning” and the reasons for the worldwide collapse of socialism. 4) The monopoly question and antitrust policy. 5) Prevailing ideas on the nature of productive activity and the effect of government intervention on the standard of living of the average wage earner.

Two leading themes of the course will be 1) The possibility of continuous economic progress based on the combination of economic freedom, private ownership of the means of production, division of labor, saving, and technological progress. 2) The ethical implication of the harmony of the rational self-interests of all men under capitalism.


For anyone who has ever wanted to sit in on a rigorous university course about the economic system that shapes our world, The Capitalist Professor with George Reisman, Ph.D.-Free College Courses on Capitalism opens the classroom doors. Hosted by George Reisman, a Pepperdine University Professor Emeritus of Economics and the author of the seminal work *Capitalism: A Treatise on Economics*, this series transforms his detailed academic lectures into an accessible audio format. Each episode functions as a chapter in a comprehensive education, delving into the principles, history, and philosophical underpinnings of capitalist theory without the tuition fee. You’ll hear Reisman’s direct, scholarly analysis, breaking down complex ideas on production, prices, profit, and the market process with the clarity of a seasoned educator. This isn't a casual interview show but a structured curriculum, offering listeners the rare opportunity to absorb a full, systematic defense and explanation of capitalism from one of its most dedicated intellectual proponents. Tune into this podcast for a methodical and thought-provoking journey through economic theory that challenges conventional narratives and provides a foundational understanding straight from the lecture hall.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 28

The Capitalist Professor with George Reisman, Ph.D. - Free College Courses on Capitalism
Podcast Episodes
Capitalism Macroeconomics Lecture 3 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 3:17:52
The origin and evolution of money and the contemporary monetary system: from barter to media of exchange, to gold and silver commodity money; 100 percent reserve banking and fractional reserve banking; standard money, fi…
Capitalism Macroeconomics Lecture 2 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 3:18:25
The origin and evolution of money and the contemporary monetary system: from barter to media of exchange, to gold and silver commodity money; 100 percent reserve banking and fractional reserve banking; standard money, fi…
Capitalism Macroeconomics Lecture 1 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:31:36
Orientation/review. The dependence of the division of labor on money. The vital connection between money making and productive activity in a division-of-labor society. Money-making and the distinction between production…
Preface to Reisman's Lectures on Capitalism Macroeconomics [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:36
1. To provide the student with a comprehensive knowledge of the operations of a free-enterprise, division-of-labor society, with special emphasis on the phenomena of money, production, real wages and the productivity of…
13. Capitalism Microeconomics: Modern economic history. [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 3:11:59
The division of labor and the concept of productive activity. Exposition and critique of the Marxian exploitation theory. The productivity theory of wages. Labor unions and labor legislation. A reinterpretation of modern…
9. Capitalism Microeconomics: The chaos of socialism [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 3:08:56
Universal price controls and de facto socialism. The chaos of socialism. Understanding the collapse of Soviet Russia and the communist bloc on the basis of price theory. The tyranny of socialism. READINGS Reisman: Chapte…
8. Capitalism Microeconomics - Price controls (contd.) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:49:39
The free market’s efficiency in responding to economic change. Factor prices. Price controls, shortages, and economic chaos. Illustrations from the energy crisis and rent controls. From partial price controls to universa…