CURRICULUM OF FREE COURSES

Even a cursory look reveals a world now gripped by numerous wars over territory, and bedeviled by economic depression and growing social inequality. Towards the end of the nineteenth-century a book was written which analysed these enormous social problems and provided a remedy.

This book was Progress and Poverty. Its author was an American, Henry George.

Twenty-five years after its publication it had sold over two million copies making it easily among the most widely-read book on economics ever written.� In this book George pointed to a weakness in our most basic economic institution, private property in land.Since it was written its teaching has been endorsed by so many famous men and women that it is hard to imagine why both the book and its author are now all-but forgotten. The Russian writer Leo Tolstoy offered this reason. Those who profit from landed property use all possible means to conceal from themselves and others the truth  and to crush, extinguish and distort it, or, if these do not succeed, to hush it up (A Great Iniquity). The object of the Association for Good Government is to get the principles enunciated in Progress and Poverty and in George's other works given the public discussion that they deserve. These teachings fall easily into three kinds:

• A philosophy of natural rights, notably the inalienable right to use land;
• A political economy developed from the Ricardian theory of rent; and
• Public policies directed against monopoly, notably a "single tax" on the value of land.

The progression of courses, from introductory, intermediate, through to several advanced courses allow time for discussion and revision.

The course is broken down as follows:

Georgist Economic Philosophy: An Introductory Course for Those Seeking Social Justice

• Principles for Social Justice
• Economics for Social Justice
• Public Policy for Social Justice

Georgist Political Economy: An Intermediate Course for Those Seeking Social Justice

• A Free and Open Society
• Enclosed Society
• An Enslaved Society
  
• Overview: Seeing the Cat

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The following is the TENTATIVE schedule of Introductory and Intermediate courses set down for 2019 to to be held at the 1F Henry George House, 122 Lt. Eveleigh St. Redfern (50 meters west of the Redfern Station).

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FREE COURSE OFFERINGS:
Tentative Dates

OUR CORE CURRICULUM

First Offering: Fall Break

Introductory: Economic Philosophy for Those Seeking Social Justice.

3:00 pm to 5:00 pm & (repeat) 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm

Monopoly vs. Prosperity, a Reflective Approach. Tuesday. 14th April

Fundamental Principles & Economics 1. Wednesday15th April

Economics 2 & Public Policy. Thursday 16th April.

Intermediate: Political Economy for Those Seeking Social Justice

3:00 pm to 5:00 pm and (repeat) 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm

Settlers of Catan, a Reflective Approach. Tuesday 21st April

A Free & Open Society vs An Enclosed Society: Wednesday 22nd April

An Enslaved Society to Individual Liberty: Thursday. 23rd April.

Second Offering: Winter Break

Introductory: Economic Philosophy for Those Seeking Social Justice.

3:00 pm to 5:00 pm & (repeat) 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm

Monopoly vs. Prosperity, a Reflective Approach. Monday. 7th July.

Fundamental Principles & Economics 1. Wednesday 9th July.

Economics 2 & Public Policy. Friday 11th July.

Intermediate: Political Economy for Those Seeking Social Justice

3:00 pm to 5:00 pm and (repeat) 6:00 pm to 8:00 p

Settlers of Catan, a Reflective Approach. Monday 13th July

A Free & Open Society vs An Enclosed Society: Wednesday 15th July

An Enslaved Society to Individual Liberty: Friday. 17th July.

Third Offering: Spring Break

Introductory: Economic Philosophy for Those Seeking Social Justice.

3:00 pm to 5:00 pm & (repeat) 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm

Monopoly vs. Prosperity, a Reflective Approach. Monday. 28th September.

Fundamental Principles & Economics 1. Wednesday 30th September.

Economics 2 & Public Policy. Friday 2nd October.

Intermediate: Political Economy for Those Seeking Social Justice

3:00 pm to 5:00 pm and (repeat) 6:00 pm to 8:00 p

Settlers of Catan, a Reflective Approach. Monday 5th October.

A Free & Open Society vs An Enclosed Society: Wednesday 7th October.

An Enslaved Society to Individual Liberty: Friday. 9th October.

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READING COURSE ON
PROTECTION OR FREE TRADE

Henry George explains quite prophetically how, on the one hand, protectionism, monopolies, concessions & other policies restricting the production, movement & exchange of goods leads to imperialism &, eventually, war. On the other hand, he explains how economic liberties and mutual respect by ending all restrictions imposed by privilege lead to not only to equal rights & opportunities but to lasting peace as well. The Reading Course this year is dedicated to the study of Protection or Free Trade. It is Henry George's political economic prescription to the nagging threat and eruotion of war and a proposed road map for lasting peace.

The reading courses will be held on a weekend on the following TENTATIVE dates covering the cited chapters:

PREFACE/INTRODUCTION AND
CHAPTERS ONE TO NINE.
at 6:00 - 8:00 pm Friday, 21st February.

CHAPTERS TEN TO SIXTEEN
at 2:00 - 5:00 pm Friday, 20th March

CHAPTERS SEVENTEEN TO TWENTY
at 6:00 - 8:00 pm Friday 3rd April.

CHAPTERS TWENTY-ONE TO TWENTY-FIVE
at 2:00 - 5:00 pm Saturday 2nd May.

CHAPTERS TWENTY-SIX TO TWENTY-NINE
at 2:00 - 5:00 Saturday 23rd May.

RECOLLECTION & REVIEW:
at 2:00 - 5:00 pm Saturday 13th June.

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A HISTORY OF POLITICAL ECONOMY

The course was designed to familiarise Georgists and their sympathizers to the historical processes that gave rise to schools of political economic thought and influenced their respective milieus. It serves as a bridge to understand differences and common points among frameworks, promises costs and benefits, as well as promises and accomplishments.

SESSION ONE:
CYCLES OF CIVILISATION
2:00 - 5:00 pm Saturday 29th February

From the Cradles of Civilisation to the Empires of Christianity, Islam and China, the course begins with the contending religious and social philosophies underlying the institutions that governed the politics of cooperation and contest as well as production, distribution, exchange of goods and services at the time that led to the insights of Abū Zayd ‘Abd ar-Raḥmān ibn Muḥammad ibn Khaldūn al-Ḥaḍramī and the School of Salamanca and the Scottish Enlightenment, the forerunners of political economic thought.

SESSION TWO:
TRADE-OFFS OF GLOBAL EXPANSION
2:00 - 5:00 pm Saturday 31st May

From the crossing of the Atlantic to to the American Declaration of Independence, the economic scales began to shift in favour of Europe, which struggled with the conflict between the colonial acquisition and preservation of newfound wealth and power through conquest and victory among rivals and the virtue of noblesse oblige to the weak, marginalized and oppressed who, in turn, grew in the awareness of their own humanity, dignity and fundamental equality. It was in this era when political economy or classical economics was born; from the debates between the mercantilists and physiocrats to the publications of Adam Smith, David Ricardo and Thomas Malthus.

SESSION THREE:
EXAMINING THE PROCESS OF REVOLUTION
2:00 - 5:00 pm Saturday 29th August

From the overthrow of French monarchy and the Spinning Jenny  to to the eve of WWI and the first wireless transmission by Marconi, the economic scales began to shift in favour of Europe, which struggled with the conflict between the colonial acquisition and preservation of newfound wealth and power through conquest and victory among rivals and the virtue of noblesse oblige to the weak, marginalized and oppressed who, in turn, grew in the awareness of their own humanity, dignity and fundamental equality. Thus will this session discuss the drastic turn of neoclassical economics to the reduction of natural resources to capital in general, wages as an expense and advances made by capital and a conflict between classes as well as between colonies and empires. It was at this exciting time that Henry George's ideas took shape and spread like wildfire and influenced economic reforms around the world.

SESSION FOUR:
THE GROWING CHALLENGES OF HUMANITY
2:00 - 5:00 pm Saturday 28th November

From the conflicts between Tesla and Edison as well as the Allies and Axis to the race in outer space and cyberspace as well as a resurgent Asia, the economy has transformed on global and national scales and, while many assume that political economic thought has not caught up with the challenge of change to propose effective responses to them, this session wille examine the fundamental principles largely ignored and can lead to reconciling economic efficiency, social justice, sustainable development and individual liberty -- the idea of Henry George that has been conveniently shelved by vested interests but will inevitably cast light on the darkness and fears spread by contending vested interests.