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

 

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).

 

 

FREE COURSE OFFERING:

Introductory: Economic Philosophy for Those Seeking Social Justice.

10:00 am – 12:00 nn & (repeat) 3:00 pm – 5:00 pm

• Monopoly vs. Prosperity, a Reflective Approach. Monday. 15th April

• Principles & Economics 1. Tuesday 16th April

• Economics 2 & Public Policy. Wednesday 17th April.

Intermediate: Political Economy for Those Seeking Social Justice

10:00 am – 12:00 nn & (repeat) 3:00 pm – 5:00 pm

• Settlers of Catan, a Reflective Approach. Wednesday 24th April

• A Free & Open Society; An Enclosed Society: Thursday 24th April

• An Enslaved Society & Overview: Friday. 26th April.

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READING COURSE ON THE CONDITION OF LABOUR
AN OPEN LETTER TO POPE LEO XIII.

In May 1891 Pope Leo XIII issued  an Encyclical Letter entitled Rerum Novarum in which he condemned what he saw as ‘The Socialist Scheme: The Destruction of Private Property’.  Henry George thought this would be interpreted as an attack on his own proposals and wrote an open letter to the Pope entitled ‘The Condition of Labour’ in which he clarified how they differed from ‘socialist ideas’ and were entirely consistent with the fundamental teachings of the Christian Faith.

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

PREFACE/INTRODUCTION AND CHAPTER ONE
at 2:00 - 5:00 pm Friday, 8th February.

CHAPTERS TWO AND THREE
at 2:00 - 5:00 pm Friday, 8th March

CHAPTERS FOUR AND FIVE
at 2:00 - 5:00 pm Friday 12th April.

Writing for Social Justice Workshop:
at 2:00 - 5:00 pm Saturday 4th May.

Pitching for Social Justice Workshop:
at 2:00 - 5:00 pm Saturday 8th June.

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SECOND OFFERING in July, from 10:00 am - 12:00 nn. Students may attend courses on the dates interchangeably or repeatedly.

Introductory: Economic Philosophy for Those Seeking Social Justice.
Principles & Economics I: Monday 8th & Tuesday 9th July (repeat).
Game Learning 1: Catan, a Reflective approach.  Wednesday 11th July.
Economics II & Public Policy: Thursday 12th & Friday 13th July (repeat).

Intermediate: Political Economy for Those Seeking Social Justice
Free & Open Society; Enclosed Society: Monday 15th & Tuesday 16th July (repeat)
Game Learning 2: Monopoly.  Wednesday 17th July. 2:00 - 5:00 pm
An Enslaved Society & Conclusion: Thursday 18th & Friday 19th July (repeat)

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THIRD OFFERING (on September - October, between school terms) from 10:00 am - 12:00 nn and repeated 3:00 - 5:00pm. . Students may attend courses on the dates interchangeably or repeatedly.

Introductory: Economic Philosophy for Those Seeking Social Justice.

Principles & Economics 1: Monday 30th September.
Economics II & Public Policy: Tuesday 1st October.
Game Learning 1: Catan, a Reflective approach. Wednesday, 2nd October.

Intermediate: Political Economy for Those Seeking Social Justice

Free & Open Society; Enclosed Society: Monday 7th October.
An Enslaved Society & "Seeing the Cat": Thursday 8th October. 
Learning Laboratory 2: Monopoly.  Wednesday 9th October.