OUR CURRICULUM OF FREE COURSES
delivered by the
AUSTRALIA SCHOOL OF SOCIAL SCIENCE
2021

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 & nature's bounties & to work for one's just wages;
• 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).

Â

FREE COURSE OFFERINGS 2021:
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. 13th April

Fundamental Principles & Economics 1. Wednesday14th April

Economics 2 & Public Policy. Thursday 15th 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 20th April

A Free & Open Society vs An Enclosed Society: Wednesday 21st 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. 5th July.

Fundamental Principles & Economics 1. Wednesday 7th July.

Economics 2 & Public Policy. Friday 9th July.

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. Monday 12th July

A Free & Open Society vs An Enclosed Society: Wednesday 14th July

From Enslavement to Social Justice & Individual Liberty: Friday. 16th 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. 27th September.

Fundamental Principles & Economics 1. Wednesday 29th September.

Economics 2 & Public Policy. Friday 1st 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 4th October.

A Free & Open Society vs An Enclosed Society: Wednesday 6th October.

From Enslavement to Social Justice & Individual Liberty: Friday. 8th October.

=======================
READING COURSE ON
THE SCIENCE OF POLITICAL ECONOMY

Henry George's final anthology published by his son, Henry George, Jr.  after his death was his final response to the enemies of political economy. He proclaims that the true enemy of the scientific methods is neither ignorance nor even stupidity, which he believes can be overcome by education. It is the vested interests who invest in the insecurities of the many and the egos of leaders to define the problem sets. That way, science arrives at solutions suitable to their intentions but answers the wrong questions. His work employs the "mental laboratory" as a chemist would, but imagines real situations from which to deduce universal and timeless principles that, in turn, will be induced through the correct policies in government. The book also meticulously defines the term with precise meaning and definition.

The study of The Science of Political Economy is both an exercise in his methodology and how it leads to principles to be applied in public policy to achieve an ambitious fourfold goal:

(1) Social justice, which is equality in rights;
(2) Individual liberty, that is enhanced by mutual respect for rights;
(3) Economic efficiency, where there is a gain for all with harm to none;
(4) Sustainable development, so that there is abundance, not scarcity.

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

"THE STUDY OF POLITICAL ECONOMY" LEADING TO THE GENERAL INTRODUCTION OF THE SCIENCE OF POLITICAL ECONOMY.
at 2:00 - 4:00 pm Saturday, 1st May 2021.

BOOK ONE: THE MEANING OF POLITICAL ECONOMY
at 4:00 - 7:00 pm Saturday, 15th May.

BOOK TWO: THE NATURE OF WEALTH
at 4:00 - 7:00 pm Saturday, 29th May.

BOOK THREE: THE PRODUCTION OF WEALTH
at 2:00 - 5:00 pm Saturday 12th June.

BOOK FOUR: THE DISTRIBUTION OF WEALTH
at 2:00 - 5:00 Saturday 26th June.

BOOK FIVE: MONEY - THE MEDIUM OF EXCHANGE
at 2:00 - 5:00 pm Saturday 10th July.

=======================

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 20th 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:
EARLY GLOBAL ECONOMY
2:00 - 5:00 pm Saturday 22nd 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:
THE PROCESS OF EVOLUTION & REVOLUTION
2:00 - 5:00 pm Saturday 28th 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 TRUTH & VESTED INTERESTS
2:00 - 5:00 pm Saturday 27th 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 will 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 induced poverty, darkness and fears.

=============

For Advanced & Special Courses, Seminars & Private Film Viewing & Discussions, please proceed to our Events.