Economics 8, Principles of Sociology, was taught by Professor Thomas Nixon Carver in 1917-18. The course could be taken by both undergraduates and graduate students. 17 students were registered (7 Seniors, 8 Juniors, 2 other classifications). Links to all readings are provided!
Added later to Economics in the Rear-View Mirror: mid-year exam questions (from February 1923 for a later version of the course) and the final examination questions from June 1918.
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ECONOMICS 8
I
Introduction
1. Various definitions of Sociology.
Spencer, Principles of Sociology. Part I, chaps. 1.
Carver, Sociology and Social Progress. Pages 1-14 and 65-70
2. Sociology considered.
1) As the study of the development and progress of social groups, particularly the sovereign group called the state or the nation.
2) As a study of human adaptation as it is affected and modified by the social group.
Carver, Sociology and Social Progress. Pages 88-120.
Spencer, Principles of Sociology. Part II, chaps. 1-6.
3. Adaptation.
(a) Passive.
(b) Active.
The Environment.
(a) Physical.
(b) Social.
Bristol, Social Adaptation, Preface and Introduction.
Carver, Sociology and Social Progress. Pages 174-270.
4. The method of trial and error, or of variation and selection in adaptation.
Carver, Sociology and Social Progress. Pages 276-391.
II
Physical Adaptation
5. The Problem of race improvement.
Carver, Sociology and Social Progress. Pages 392-418, 631-715.
6. Heredity and Environment as factors in the determination of individual character.
Bristol, Social Adaptation. Chaps. 4, 5, and 6.
7. Tests of fitness for survival.—The validity of the economic and commercial as compared with the political tests.
Carver, Sociology and Social Progress. Pages 121-126, 419-471, and 522-576.
Carver, Essays in Social Justice. Chap. 7.
8. The selective agencies at work in modern society.
Carver, Sociology and Social Progress. Pages 676-715.
Carver, Essays in Social Justice. Chap. 5.
III
Moral Adaptation
9. The breeding up of a tame, domesticated, or socialized variety of the human species as opposed to a wild, unsocial or criminal variety.
Carver, Sociology and Social Progress. Pages 577-592.
Spencer, Principles of Sociology. Part III, chaps. 1-3, and 9-12.
10. Morality considered as the economizing and utilizing of human energy, and immorality as the wasting or dissipating of that energy.
Spencer, Principles of Sociology. Part IV, chaps. 1, 11, and 12.
Carver, Essays in Social Justice. 1 and 2.
Carver, Sociology and Social Progress. Pages 577-592.
11. The variation and selection of moral codes.
Sumner, Folkways. Sections 1-40; 159-165; 712-728.
12. Forms of conflict.
(a) Destructive.
(b) Deceptive.
(c) Persuasive.
(d) Productive
Carver, Essays in Social Justice. Chaps. 3, 4, and 5.
Carver, Sociology and Social Progress. Pages 133-173.
13. The earmarks of a good religion.
Carver, The Religion Worth Having.
14. Sympathy; Imitation; Consciousness of Kind.
Carver, Sociology and Social Progress. Pages 472-521.
15. Earmarks of a good man.
A. Knowledge of environment.
(a) physical.
(b) social.
B. Forethought.
(a) industry.
(b) thrift.
C. Dependability.
(a) honesty.
(b) sobriety.
(c) courage.
(d) fidelity.
Ross, Social Control. Pages 1-88; 432-442.
Bristol, Social Adaptation. Pages 301-304.
IV
Control of the Physical Environment
16. Scarcity; Economy; Wellbeing.
Spencer, Principles of Sociology. Part VI, chaps. 1, 2, 3, 21, 22, 23.
17. Desire and repugnance; attainment of good and avoidance of harm.
Production and destruction.
Spencer [sic, “Carver” is correct], Sociology and Social Progress. Pages 127-132.
Spencer, Principles of Sociology. Part VI, chaps. 1, 15, 16
18. Proportionality.
(a) of consumers’ goods.
(b) of producers’ goods.
19. Valuation.
Carver, Essays in Social Justice. Pages 85-202.
Cost.
Coördination of labor performed:
(a) at different places.
(b) at different times.
Carver, Essays in Social Justice. Pages 203-263.
20. The storing of social energy.
The standard of living.
Veblen, The Theory of Business Enterprise. Pages 1-82, 133-150.
21. The battle of the standards.
Economic competition.
Taussig, Principles of Economics. Vol. II, pages 443-478.
22. Poverty and the uneconomic distribution of human talent.
Summary—The earmarks of a good industrial system.
A. An ample product.
B. Distributed in proportion to merit.
(see Earmarks of a good man)
C. Consumed rationally.
Carver, Essays in Social Justice. Pages 264-375.
V
Control of the Social Environment
23. Purpose of social control.
(a) release,
(b) direction,
(c) storing of social energy.
Right of the state to be.
Limits of state interference.
Carver, Essays in Social Justice. Pages 376-429.
Carver, Sociology and Social Progress. Pages 788-808.
24. Source of social control.
Is monarchy a more highly evolved form of government than democracy?
Republican and democratic theories.
Psychology of self-government.
Spencer, Principles of Sociology. Part V, chaps. 1, 2, 17, 18.
25. Voting a means of increasing governmental sensitiveness.
Can democracy select good men?
Spencer, Principles of Sociology. Part V, chap. 19.
Carver, Sociology and Social Progress. Pages 716-788.
26. Can democracy discipline itself?
The earmarks of a good government.
Source: Harvard University Archives. Syllabi, course outlines and reading lists in Economics, 1895-2003 (HUC 8522.2.1) Box 1, Folder “1917-1918”.