hough historians advance many theories about the details of early ancient history, we know certainly one thing; civilization began when people liberated time from survival work by dividing tasks and refining skills. Such specialization allowed human beings to pursue the noblest potential of our nature.

Thus, the need for arranging work in a family group, a household or οἶκος, has been with us from early days. Over centuries human beings from the ancient Near Eastern empires, to Greek households and the πόλις, to Roman imperial managers have slowly deepened understandings of how to coordinate human action by free exchange for mutual benefit.

Studying economics can illuminate an amazing, complex world of human interaction and help us to understand how individual motives paint the broader picture of interactions in society. This allows us to better understand how human beings make choices and how our choices affect one another.

The science of economics received a pre-birth with the political economics of the mercantilist 16th century period. However, modern economics began with the publication of Adam Smith’s monumental work, Wealth of Nations, in 1776. Since then economists from Karl Marx to contemporary practitioners, some focused on experimental scientific methods, others more philosophical, have expanded and deepened human inquiry.

CLRC's economic studies explore this wide range of thought with two one-semester Economics courses. Students may take either course to fulfill a one-semester requirement for Economics in high school.  Those interested in delving more deeply into economics are encouraged to take both.

Economic Practices (fall semester) focuses on current economic thinking patterns including topics like money, private property, entrepreneurship and competition, investment, credit, and the stock market.

Economic Principles (spring semester) focuses on the foundations and historical framework of economics using Adam’s Smith’s Wealth of Nations, the Marx Engels Reader, and the Outline of Sanity by G.K. Chesterton.

A Summer Economics option is also available - Preface to Economics