Introduction to Marx
Philosophy 21423
University of Chicago
Autumn 2011
TUES/THURS: 1:30–2:50
SOCIAL SCIENCES 105
INSTRUCTOR Anton Ford
210 Stuart Hall
Office Hours: Wednesday 4:00-6:00
ASSISTANT Tuomo Tiisala
Office Hours: Thursday 3:00-4:30; Harper Cafe
SECTIONS Section 1: Fri. 1:30–2:20 Stuart 209
Section 2: Wed. 10:30–11:20 Stuart 209
DESCRIPTION This introduction to marxism divides itself into three parts: in the first, we consider Marx‘s theory of history; in the second, his critique of capitalism; and in the third, the classical marxist understanding of communist revolution.
TEXTS 1. Marx, Karl Marx: Selected Writings, OUP, ed. David McLellan,
2. Hegel, Introduction to the Philosophy of History, Hackett, ed. Rauch
3. Marx, Economic and Philosophic Manuscripts of 1844, Prometheus, trans. Milligan
4. Marx and Engels, The German Ideology, International Publishers, ed. Arthur
5. Engels, Socialism: Utopian and Scientific, International Publishers
6. Marx and Engels, The Communist Manifesto, Haymarket, ed. Gasper
7. Marx, Capital (Vol. I), Karl Marx, Penguin
8. Marx, The Civil War in France: The Paris Commune, International Publishers
9. Luxemburg, Reform or Revolution, Pathfinder
10. Lenin, State and Revolution, International Publishers
Other readings will be made available on CHALK.
REQUIREMENTS Thoughtful participation in discussion section and class. (20%)
Take-home midterm exam. (30%)
Take-home final exam. (50%)
I. Historical Materialism
Week 1 9/27 INTRODUCTION
9/29 ARISTOTLE’S NATURALISM
Aristotle, On the Soul, II.1-4
Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics, I.1-5,7,13; X.6-8
Aristotle, Politics, I.1-10
Week 2 10/4 HEGEL’S HISTORICAL IDEALISM
Hegel, Introduction to the Philosophy of History
10/6 FEUERBACH’S AHISTORICAL MATERIALISM
Feuerbach, The Essence of Christianity, Ch.1
Towards a Critique of Hegel’s Philosophy of Right, (McL 71-82)
Week 3 10/11 ALIENATED LABOR
Economic & Philosophical Ms.: pp. 19-34; 69-84; 99-114; 115-134
Notes on James Mill (McL124-133)
10/13 THE CRITIQUE OF POST-HEGELIAN PHILOSOPHY
German Ideology: Preface; Part I; pp.103-118
Theses on Feuerbach
Letter to Annenkov, (McL 209-211)
Week 4 10/18 SCIENTIFIC SOCIALISM
A Critique of Political Economy, Preface (McL 424-427)
Engels, Socialism: Utopian and Scientific
10/20 MANIFESTO OF THE COMMUNIST PARTY
Marx and Engels, The Manifesto of the Communist Party
Engels, "Principles of Communism," (“External Links” on CHALK)
10/21 Midterm take-home exam is due.
II. The Critique of Capitalism
Week 5 10/25 GROUNDWORK
Grundrisse: Introduction
Capital: Preface to the First Edition (pp. 89–93); Postface to the Second Edition (pp. 94-103); Preface to the French Edition (p. 104); and Ch. 1, §§1-2 (pp. 125–137)
10/27 THE COMMODITY
Capital, Ch. 1
Week 6 11/1 EXCHANGE, MONEY & CAPITAL
Capital, Chs. 2, 3 (pp. 178–210), 4, 5, 6
11/3 SURPLUS-VALUE
Capital, Chs. 7-10(§§I-II)
Letter to Kugelman, (McL 563-564)
Week 7 11/8 ABSOLUTE AND RELATIVE SURPLUS-VALUE
Capital, Chs. 12, 19
Wage-Labour and Capital, (McL 273-294 + Engels’ Preface)
11/10 SIMPLE REPRODUCTION
Capital, Chs. 23, 24 (§I),
"Results of the Immediate Process of Production," (McL 546-561)
Week 8 11/17 THE ACCUMULATION OF CAPITAL
Capital, Ch. 25 (selections)
11/19 SO-CALLED PRIMITIVE ACCUMULATION
Capital, Chs. 26-33
III. Communist Revolution
Week 9 11/22 THE PARIS COMMUNE
Marx, The Civil War in France
Marx and Engels, The Manifesto of the Communist Party
Gluckstein,The Paris Commune, Ch. 1
11/24 THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY — NO CLASS
Week 10 11/29 REFORM OR REVOLUTION
Marx, Critique of the Gotha Program (McL 610-616)
Luxembourg, Reform or Revolution
12/1 THE STATE AND REVOLUTION
Lenin, The State and Revolution
12/5 Final take-home exam is due.