This course explores the rise of capitalism – understood not simply as an economic system but as a political and cultural one as well – from roughly the 14th century to the present day. It aims to acquaint students with many of the more important socio-economic changes of the past seven hundred years and informing the way they think about some of the problems of the present time: globalization, growing disparities of wealth and poverty, and the continuing exploitation of the planet’s natural resources.