Development of Marxist Thought Syllabus
Institution: Washington State University
Department: Politics, Philosophy, and Public Affairs
Course-level: Undergraduate
Format: Lecture
Enrollment: 40-55
Course Description:
This advanced-level course traces the development of Marxist political thought from the original works of Karl Marx, over classic developments of his thought, to contemporary applications in political theory and philosophy. The course has two central goals. First, we aim to gain a deeper understanding of the relationship of the individual subject to the social and political world by engaging with Marxist thought. Second, we critically examine key themes and concepts prevalent in such thought—including alienation, exploitation, exchange- and use-value, class antagonisms, ideology, power, and revolution. The course is organized in three sections. In the first section we critically engage the original works of Karl Marx, covering both his early and late writings. In the second section we study the classic development of his thought in the German (Luxemburg) and French (Althusser) political thought traditions. In the third section, we discuss contemporary applications of Marxist thought in the early Frankfurt School of critical theory, as well as feminist, and postmodern thought.
Course Goals:
The study of the original, classic, as well as contemporary texts will improve students ability (both orally and in writing) to 1) obtain an insight into the main arguments of Marx’s original writings, as well as the classic and contemporary development of his thought; 2) understand how core themes and concepts have emerged and have shifted their meaning in the history of Marxist political thought; 3) learn how to critically engage with and respond to Marxist political thought; 4) write coherent essays on the main arguments of the discussed themes and thinkers; 5) learn how to collaborate with your peers and make an effective oral group presentation.
Books:
You need to purchase two books and one course reader
1. Robert C. Tucker (ed.). The Marx-Engels Reader (second edition, 1978, New York/London: Norton & Company); available at Bookie and online bookstores.
2. Rosa Luxemburg, Reform or Revolution (New York: Pathfinder, 1970)
3. All the writings listed in the syllabus that are not available in these two books are available on Blackboard. One of the requirements of the class is to download these articles and bring them to class on the day we are discussing them.
Course Schedule:
Tue 01/12: Introduction to the Course (no reading); assignment of group presentations
Thu 01/14: Why study Marxist thought today? “Introduction: Reading Marx,” in John Seed, Marx: A Guide for the Perplexed (2010, Continuum International Publishing), pp. 1-14 (online)
Discussion of oral presentation rubric
I. Karl Marx: Original Texts
Tue 01/19: Marx 1: For a Ruthless Criticism of Everything Existing, The Marx-Engels Reader, pp. 12-15
Thu 01/21: Marx 2: Contribution to the Critique of Hegel’s Philosophy of Right: Introduction, The Marx-Engels Reader, pp. 53-61
Tue 01/26: Marx 3: Economic and Philosophic Manuscripts, The Marx-Engels Reader, pp. 66-81, pp. 101-105
Thu 01/28: Marx 4: Theses on Feuerbach, pp. 143-145; The German Ideology, The Marx-Engels Reader, pp. 146-163
Tue 02/02: Marx 5: Capital, Volume One, The Marx-Engels Reader, pp. 294-329
Thu 02/04: Marx 6: Marx, Manifesto of the Communist Party, The Marx-Engels Reader, pp. 469-500
Tue 02/09: Marx 7: Marx, Critique of the Gotha Program, The Marx-Engels Reader, pp. 525-541
You receive study guide for midterm exams
Thu 02/11: Movie: 99%: The Occupy Wall Street Collaborative Film
II. Classics of Marxist Thought
Tue 02/16: Midterm Exams
Thu 02/18: Classics I: Rosa Luxemburg 1: Reform or Revolution (New York: Pathfinder, 1970), pp. 7-16 (Intro)
Tue 02/23: Classics I: Rosa Luxemburg 2: Reform or Revolution (New York: Pathfinder, 1970), pp. 17-56 (Ch. 1)
Wed 02/24: Extra Credit: Humanities Fellows Lecture; Prof. Richard King: Playing with Indigeneity, 5:30 pm, Honors College Lounge
Thu 02/25: Classics I: Rosa Luxemburg 3: Reform or Revolution (New York: Pathfinder, 1970), pp.57-98 (Ch. 2)
Tue 03/01: Classics II: Louis Althusser 1: “Preface to Capital Volume I,” in Lenin and Philosophy and other essays (2001, Monthly Review Press), pp. 45-70
Thu 03/03: Classics II: Louis Althusser 2: “Ideology and Ideological State Apparatuses,” in Lenin and Philosophy and other essays (2001, Monthly Review Press), pp. 85-126
Tue 03/08: Classics II: Louis Althusser 3: “Freud and Lacan,” in Lenin and Philosophy and other essays (2001, Monthly Review Press), pp. 129-150
Discussion of expectations for upcoming paper; explanation of the writing guidelines and the writing rubric.
III. Contemporary Applications
Contemporary I: Marxist Feminist Thought
Thu 03/10: Marxist Feminist Political Thought 1: Simone De Beauvoir, "Introduction," The Second Sex, Constance Borde, and Sheila Malovany-Chevallier (ed.), (2011, Random House), pp. 3-17.
Tue 03/15: Spring Break
Thu 03/17: Spring Break
Tue 03/22: Marxist Feminist Thought 2: Heidi Hartmann, “The Unhappy Marriage of Marxism And Feminism: Towards a More Progressive Union,” in Women and Revolution, Lydia Sargent (ed.), (1981, South End Press), pp. 1-42
First essay due in class (hardcopy and on-line). Question:
Discuss and compare the arguments of Marx with a classic Marxist thinker (either Luxemburg or Althusser) in relation to a specific theme or concept. Whose arguments are more convincing and why? As an example, you might discuss and compare the concepts of freedom as put forth by Marx and Luxemburg.
Extra Credit: Humanities Fellows Lecture; Prof. Claudia Leeb: The Tragedy of Silence: Guilt and Democracy, 5:30 pm, Honors College Lounge
Thu 03/24: No class, Dr. Leeb is presenting at a conference
Tue 03/29: Marxist Feminist Thought 3: Nancy C.M. Hartsock, “The Feminist Standpoint: Toward a Specifically Feminist Historical Materialism,” in Feminist Theory Reader: Local and Global Perspectives, 2nd ed., Carole McCann and Seung-Kyung Kim (ed.), (2010, Routledge), pp. 316-331
Thu 03/31: Marxist Feminist Thought 4: Claudia Leeb, “Marx and the Gendered Structure of Capitalism,” Philosophy & Social Criticism (vol. 33, no. 7, November 2007)
Contemporary II: Frankfurt School of Critical Theory
Tue 04/05: Frankfurt School of Critical Theory 1: Max Horkheimer, “Traditional and Critical Theory,” in Critical Theory: Selected Essays (New York: Continuum Publishing, 1975), pp. 188-243.
Thu 04/07: Frankfurt School of Critical Theory 2: Theodor W. Adorno, “The Culture Industry: Enlightenment as Mass Deception,” in Max Horkheimer and Theodor W. Adorno, Dialectic of Enlightenment, John Cumming (trans.) (2002, The Continuum Publishing Company), pp.120-167.
Tue 04/12: Frankfurt School of Critical Theory 3: Theodor W. Adorno, “Reflections on Class Theory,” in Can One Live after Auschwitz?: A Philosophical Reader (2003, California: Stanford University Press), pp. 93-110
Thu 04/14: Frankfurt School of Critical Theory 4: Herbert Marcuse, “4. The Closing of the Universe of Discourse,” One-Dimensional Man: Studies of the Ideology of Advanced Industrial Society, pp. 84-119.
Contemporary III: Postmodern Marxist Thought
Tue 04/19: Postmodern Marxist Thought 1: Jacques Derrida, Injunctions of Marx, in Specters of Marx (1994, Routledge), pp. 1-60
Thu 04/21: Postmodern Marxist Thought 2: Jacques Derrida, Conjuring Marxism, in Specters of Marx (1994, Routledge), pp. 61-95
Tue 04/26: Postmodern Marxist Thought 3: Slavoj Zizek, “Postmodernism or Class? Yes Please,” in Contingency, Hegemony, Universality: Contemporary Dialogues on the Left, Judith Butler, Ernesto Laclau and Slavoj Zizek (ed.), (2000, London/New York, Verso Press), pp. 90-135
Thu 04/28: Postmodern Marxist Thought 4: Alain Badiou: “The Idea of Communism,” in Contemporary Marxist Theory, Andrew Pendaki, Jeff Diamanti, and Nicholas Brown (ed.), (2014, New York: Bloomsbury Academic Press) , chapter 17
Tue 05/03: Finals: 10:10am-12:10pm