Politics 314: Special Studies in Politics - Intermediate Level: Marx and Marxism

Credits 4
Credit Type
Semester Offered
Fall
Faculty
Walling

 

The political, economic, and philosophical ideas of Karl Marx and his followers have profoundly shaped the world we live in, and continue to offer a set of critiques, viewpoints, and theories for radicals to use today. In this course we will consider some of Marx's most famous ideas, including his theories of alienation, ideology, exploitation, class conflict, and historical materialism, along with how they were taken up by some of his successors to address the problems of reform and revolution, imperialism, and oppression due to race and gender. We will attempt understand how well Marx's arguments work, how coherently the different parts of the Marxist project hold together, and what of value can be taken from the Marxist world view today. 

Distribution Area
Students entering Fall 2024 or later: Power and Equity (PEQ)
Students entering prior to Fall 2024: Social Sciences (SO DIST)