Pol. Sci. 253 Mr. Grow
Fall 1997 Carleton College
Thur Sep 11 INTRODUCTION
Gurley, Challengers to Capitalism, pp. 1-5
Tues Sep 16 THE EUROPEAN TRADITION
Wilson, To The Finland Station, pp. 3-130
Thur Sep 18 YOUNG MARX
Wilson, To The Finland Station, pp. 131-177
Marx, -pp. 7-8 (Discovering Hegel)
......-pp. 70-105 (1844 Manuscripts)
......-pp. 136-142 (from Society and Economy)
......-pp. 143-145 (Theses on Feuerbach)
Tues Sep 23 CLASS AND SUPERSTRUCTURE
Gurley, Challengers to Capitalism, pp. 7-29
Wilson, To The Finland Station, pp. 178-233
Marx, pp. 147-175 (from The German Ideology)
Thur Sep 25 FAMILY AND SOCIETY
Marx, pp. 734-759 (from Engels, Origins of Family, Private Property, and the State)
(1st Paper Assigned)
Tues Sep 30 SOCIAL ORGANIZATION
(1st Paper Due)
Thur Oct 2 THE CAPITALIST SYSTEM: FIRST DEFINITIONS
Wilson, To The Finland Station, pp. 338-384
Gurley, Challengers to Capitalism, pp. 31-54
Marx, -pp. 203-217 (Wage Labour and Capital)
Marx, Capital, Vol. I, pp. 43-88
Tues Oct 7 THE CAPITALIST SYSTEM: GENERAL TENDENCIES
Marx, Capital, Vol. I, pp. 88-144
.....-pp. 221-236 (from Grundrisse)
Thur Oct 9 THE CAPITALIST SYSTEM: PRICE AND VALUE
Marx, Capital, Vol. I, pp. 145-172
.....-pp. 247-261 (from Grundrisse)
Tues Oct 14 THE CAPITALIST SYSTEM: SYSTEMIC TRENDS
Marx, Capital, Vol. I, pp. 173-221, 287-304
......-pp. 278-290 (from Grundrisse)
Thur Oct 16 THE CAPITALIST SYSTEM: CRISES
Gurley, Challengers to Capitalism, pp. 54-61
Marx, Capital, Vol. I, pp. 351-72, 486-507, 574-606
......-pp. 291-293 (from Grundrisse)
......-pp. 443-465 (Crisis Theory)
(2nd Paper Assigned)
Tues Oct 21 MARX'S POLITICS
Wilson, To The Finland Station, pp. 234-337
Marx, -pp. 469-500 (The Communist Manifesto)
.......-pp. 522-524 (Possib. of Non-Violent Rev.)
.......-pp. 594-617(Eighteenth Brumaire....)
.......-pp. 618-652 (Civil War in France)
(2nd Paper Due)
Thur Oct 23 ENGELS' RESTATEMENT
Wilson, To The Finland Station, pp. 385-403
Marx, pp. 525-541 (Critique of Gotha Program)
Engels, -pp.683-717 (Socialism: Utopian and Scientific)
-pp. 728-733 (Anarchism, Authority)
-pp. 760-768 (Letters...)
Tues Oct 28 LENIN AND TROTSKY
Wilson, To The Finland Station, pp. 407-519
Gurley, Challengers to Capitalism, pp. 63-95
Lenin, Imperialism, The Highest Stage of Capitalism
Thur Oct 30 THE RUSSIAN REVOLUTION AND THE RISE OF STALIN
Wilson, To The Finland Station, pp. 520-554
Lenin, State and Revolution
Gurley, Challengers to Capitalism , pp. 97-131
(3rd Paper Assigned)
Tues Nov 4 TBA
Thur Nov 6 TBA
Tues Nov 11 MAO AND CHINESE MARXISM
Gurley, Challengers to Capitalism, pp. 133-183
Mao, pp. 23-39, 85-133
Thur Nov 13 MARXISM AND CAPITALISM
Gurley, Challengers to Capitalism, pp. 185-210
(3rd Paper Due)
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The development of Marx's social and economic theory was one of the great intellectual achievements of the 19th century. It is a remarkable synthesis of ideas from philosophy, history, and the social sciences.
Marx argued that he wanted to change the world, not merely interpret it. He intended for his work to have a practical effect by helping shape the thinking of the industrial working class, to which, in Marx's thinking, "the future belonged."
Yet the very breadth and power of Marx's synthesis (as well as the fact that his work was largely unfinished) has given rise to many interpretations. These different interpretations--each with their own proponents--have had a major impact on the course of political events in the 20th century. Soviet Marxism, for example, was as different from Chinese Marxism as the thinking of the mature Marx was different from that of the romantic young man who began to dream of a different world order. These interpretations of Marx continue to shape political movements right up to the present day, as evidenced by the differences between, say, the millenarian Marxist movements in Cambodia and the more mechanistic Marxism of Castro's revolution in Cuba.
This course is an introduction to the major themes in Marx's large body of political and economic works. Students are expected to master the logic embedded in these themes, evaluate their political significance, and trace their emigration into radical movements far from the German, French, and English revolutions they were intended to guide.
Readings
The readings present historical information and analytic perspectives. Students are responsible for all of the assigned readings, even those not discussed in class. Readings should be completed before coming to class on the date indicated in the syllabus.
The following books will be used as texts for this course:
Robert C. Tucker, The Marx-Engels Reader Marx, Capital, Volume I
John Gurley, Challengers to Capitalism
Edmond Wilson, To The Finland Station
And selections from the following will also be used:
Lenin -Imperialism, The Highest Stage of Capitalism State and Revolution
Mao Zedong, Selected Readings From the Works of Mao
Grading
Grades for the course will be based on three papers, a series of short exercises, and participation in the class discussions. Each paper will require the analysis of a political or economic topic, and require also that the analysis be supported with citations from the assigned texts. The paper and exercises are designed to be completed in a finite period of time: extensions will be granted only for reasons supported by the Dean of Student's office.
The weight of each is as follows:
1st paper (8 pages) due Sept. 30
25%
2nd exercise (8 pages) due Oct. 21
25%
3rd exercise (10-12 pages) due Nov.
25%
Attendance, participation, exercise
25%