Debt

Average student loan debt in the United States is $38,792. Debt collection lawsuits are a growing and unevenly distributed problem. How and why do people go into debt? Why is debt linked to "usury" in some cultures while in others not having debt is a mark of being "underleveraged"? How can "debt" sometimes be an instrument of social solidarity and other times be a source of social discord? In this course we will look at debates about "debt" in different places and times as diverse as 4th century Greece, 18th century England, 19th century Egypt, and the 2008 Financial Crisis and its aftermath around the world.