This course delves into economic thought and the broader question of whether economics determines politics or whether economics arises out of political and cultural beliefs. The course starts with Marx and his critique of capitalism and his conception of history as driven by class struggle. Max Weber and "The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism" explores the relationship between economic behavior and religious beliefs. This view is further developed by Thorstein Veblen in "The Theory of the Leisure Class" in which he examines the social and economic behaviors of the affluent as driven by a pursuit of status. The course concludes with Friedrich Hayek's "The Road to Serfdom" which warns against the dangers of central economic planning and the threat it poses to individual freedoms. Hayek's work is crucial for understanding the arguments against the feasibility and desirability of centrally planned economies. The course not only provides historical and theoretical insights but also encourages students to critically assess the practical implications of economic theories in the modern world.