In this course you will address contemporary economic and social issues through the lens of major thinkers in the intellectual tradition of political economy such as Karl Marx, Friedrich Hayek, and John Rawls. Its aim is to understand the problems that arise from the growth of international markets and globalization in connection with post-industrial societies. By going back to the roots of economic thought, it will be shown that economic theory was once an equivalent to social theory, with room for ethical concerns that make it possible to deal with what the economy ought to be like or what goals of economic policy ought to be. In this regard, this course will address the normative implications of economic issues relevant for contemporary European post-industrial societies.