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Please note that this course is open to Master’s students in any discipline, as long as they have some economics background (at very least an introductory course in economics – at either the Bachelor’s or Master’s level). The course is limited to 16 participants (‘first-come-first-served’) . Please register in KSL (open from 15.07.-07.09.2025)
Economics of Slavery
The economics of slavery examines how enslaved labor shaped the development of global capitalism, particularly in the Atlantic world. Far from being a pre-modern anomaly, slavery was deeply embedded in market systems and fueled the growth of industries such as agriculture (sugar, cotton), banking and finance. Understanding slavery as an economic system reveals how exploitation, profit, and racial inequality were intertwined in the foundations of modern economies. This topic is both important and provocative, as it challenges conventional narratives about economic progress and invites reflection on the long-term consequences of coerced labor. It is also a truly interdisciplinary field, drawing on insights from economics, history, political science, sociology, and philosophy to understand the broader moral, institutional, and social structures that sustained slavery and its legacies. This seminar will involve studying economic aspects related to slave societies, slave trade, abolition, post-emancipation, reparations, etc.
Students will form groups of 2-4 persons and will choose one economic aspect of slavery to their interest (or will be assigned one if needs be) and develop a deep analysis of this topic. One should note that this does not necessarily need to be a purely economic analysis, but can focus also other disciplines as long as they are relevant to the economic questions.
Initial Meeting: 18.09.2025, 08.00-10.00hrs, A222, UniS
submission homework: 04.01.2026, 23.55hrs |
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