Pol. Sci. 253	Mr. Grow
Spring 2001	Office Hours

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

Selections (handouts) 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 weight of each is as follows:

1st paper (7-8 pages)	due April 16	25%
2nd paper (7-8 pages)	due May 23	25%
3rd paper (7-8 pages)	due June 4	25%
Attendance, participation, exercises		25%

Mon Mar 26 INTRODUCTION

Wed Mar 28 THE EUROPEAN TRADITION

Wilson, To The Finland Station, pp. 3-93 (Part I: Ch. 1-8; and Part II: Ch. 1)

Fri Mar 30 THE EUROPEAN TRADITION (2)

Wilson, To The Finland Station, pp. 94-130 (Part II: Ch. 2-4)

Mon Apr 2 GERMAN IDEALISM

Wed Aprl 4 YOUNG MARX

Wilson, To The Finland Station, pp. 131-177 (Part II: Ch. 5-8)

Marx, pp. 7-8 (Discovering Hegel)

...... pp. 70-105 (1844 Manuscripts)

Fri Apr 6 YOUNG MARX (2)

Marx pp. 136-142 (from Society and Economy)

Mon Apr 9 YOUNG MARX (3)

Marx, pp. 143-145 (Theses on Feuerbach)

Wed Apr 11 CLASS AND SUPERSTRUCTURE

Wilson, To The Finland Station, pp. 178-233 (Part II: Ch. 9-11)

Marx, pp. 147-175 (from The German Ideology)

Fri Apr 13 FAMILY AND SOCIETY

Marx, pp. 734-759 (from Engels, Origins of Family, Private Property, and the State)

(1st Paper Assigned)

Mon Apr 16 SOCIAL ORGANIZATION

(1st Paper Due)

Wed Apr 18 THE LOGIC OF HISTORY: CHANGE AND REVOLUTION

Gurley, Challengers to Capitalism, pp. 7-29

Marx, -pp. 203-217 (Wage Labour and Capital)

Fri Apr 20 THE CAPITALIST SYSTEM: FIRST DEFINITIONS

Wilson, To The Finland Station, pp. 338-384 (Part II: Ch. 15)

Gurley, Challengers to Capitalism, pp. 31-54

Marx, Capital, Vol. I, pp. 43-88

Mon Apr 23 THE CAPITALIST SYSTEM: FIRST DEFINITIONS (2)

Wed Apr 25 THE CAPITALIST SYSTEM: GENERAL TENDENCIES

Marx, Capital, Vol. I, pp. 88-144

.....-pp. 221-236 (from Grundrisse)

Fri Apr 27 THE CAPITALIST SYSTEM: GENERAL TENDENCIES (2)

Mon Apr 30 Mid Term Break

Wed May 2

Fri May 4 (No Class)

Mon May 7 THE CAPITALIST SYSTEM: PRICE AND VALUE

Marx, Capital, Vol. I, pp. 145-172

.....-pp. 247-261 (from Grundrisse)

Wed May 9 THE CAPITALIST SYSTEM: SYSTEMIC TRENDS

Marx, Capital, Vol. I, pp. 173-221, 287-304

......-pp. 278-290 (from Grundrisse)

Fri May 11 THE CAPITALIST SYSTEM: SYSTEMIC TRENDS (2)

Mon May 14 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)

Wed May 16 THE SOCIALIST VISION

Wilson, To The Finland Station, pp. 234-337 Part II: Ch. 12, 13, 14)

Marx, -pp. 469-500 (The Communist Manifesto)

Fri May 18 THE CAPITALIST SYSTEM: CHANGE AND REDEMPTION

(2nd Paper assigned)

Mon May 21 MARX'S POLITICS

.......-pp. 522-524 (Possib. of Non-Violent Rev.)

.......-pp. 594-617(Eighteenth Brumaire....)

.......-pp. 618-652 (Civil War in France)

Wed May 23 MARX'S POLITICS (2)

Wilson, To The Finland Station, pp. 385-403 (Part II: Ch. 16)

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...)

(2nd Paper Due)

Fri May 25 LENIN and TROTSKY

Wilson, To The Finland Station, pp. 407-500 (Part III: Ch. 1, 2, 3)

Gurley, Challengers to Capitalism, pp. 63-95

Mon May 28 THE RUSSIAN REVOLUTION

Wilson, To The Finland Station, pp. 501-554 Part III: Ch. 4, 5)

Gurley, Challengers to Capitalism, pp. 97-131

Take Home Paper Topic (paper #3)Assigned

Wed May 30 MARXISM AND CAPITALISM

Gurley, Challengers to Capitalism, pp. 185-210

Mon June 4 Take Home Paper Due