This course surveys classic works of European social thought on the nature of capitalism and its relationship with culture, where culture is understood in both aesthetic and anthropological senses. What is capitalism? What kind of culture – attitudes, human relationships, and values – does it promote or presuppose? What impact has it made on cultural artifacts such as literature, art, philosophy, and social thought? These are some of the primary questions we shall consider. No previous background in European history or social thought is required.