Philosophy 3395: Topics in Philosophy: Marx SP09 §20064 MWF 12:00-12:50; 131 Harrin Hall
Instructor: Dr. Ron Novy Email: rnovy@uca.edu Telephone: 852-2341	Course page: http://faculty.uca.edu/rnovy Office: 16 Main Hall Office Hrs: MWF 9-10, 11-12; by appt
Texts: Karl Marx: Selected Writings (2nd Ed) David McLellan, ed.; On Marx by Wendy Lynne Lee; and, Why Read Marx Today? by Jonathan Wolff. Additional required materials will be available via the course webpage.
Course Description: The goals of this course are two-fold: (1) to provide a historical overview of the philosophical writings of Karl Marx; and, (2) to examine some attempts by later thinkers to apply Marxist concepts to questions in areas as varied as social justice, human nature, gender, and technology. As Marx wrote in 1845: “The philosophers have only interpreted the world, in various ways; the point, however, is to change it.”
Structure & Expectations: For the most part, this class will follow a seminar format. As such, all members of the class are expected to attend all class meetings, to be familiar with the day’s assigned reading, and to actively participate in classroom discussions.
Grading: Your final grade for this course will be determined as follows: précis & presentation (10%), two evaluative critiques (10%), a paper portfolio (40%) and two exams (20% each). See notes at the course web page for further information on each component.
Exams: There will be both a mid-term and a non-cumulative final exam in this course.
Evaluative Critiques: Through the course of the semester, each student is required to submit two critical, one-page essays on an assigned text.
Paper Portfolio: Each student is expected to produce an eight-ten page conference-quality paper during the course of the semester.
Précis & Presentation: Each student is expected to draw up and present a précis on an assigned article.
Participation & Attendance: Roll will be taken each meeting and will act as a ceiling on course grades. A student’s final grade will not exceed the percentage of classes attended.
Important Notes:
The use of all electronic information devices (cell phones, PDAs, laptop computers, etc.) is prohibited in the classroom.
The academic community regards academic dishonesty as an extremely serious matter with serious consequences – up to and including expulsion from the University. When in doubt regarding plagiarism, quotation, collaboration, etc. consult with the instructor. For further information regarding UCA’s academic misconduct policy, see the UCA Student Handbook.
Sexual harassment by any faculty member, staff member, or student is a violation of both federal law and university policy and will not be tolerated at UCA. For further information regarding the university’s sexual harassment policy, see the UCA Student Handbook.
The University of Central Arkansas adheres to the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act. If you need accommodation under this act, contact the Office of Disability Support Services at 450-3135.

Reading & Exam Schedule

Monday	Wednesday	Friday
		01/16 Introductory Whatnots
01/19 MLK Holiday	01/21 Einstein “Why Socialism?” (1949) Wolff 1-12 Engels “Speech at the Grave of Karl Marx” (1883)	01/23 Woods “The Communist Manifesto After 150 Years” Singer “Why we need a new manifesto”
01/26 Introduction Part 1 (SW 5-8) Marx “Critique of Hegel’s `Philosophy of Right’” (SW 32-45)	01/28 Lee Preface & Chapter 1	01/30 Marx On the Jewish Question (SW 46-64)
02/2 Marx On the Jewish Question (SW 64-69) Lenin: “Socialism and Religion”	02/4 Marx “Towards a Critique of Hegel’s Philosophy of Right: Introduction” (SW 71-82)	02/6 Wolff 13-47
02/9 Lee Chapter 2	02/11 Marx EPMSS “Preface” (SW 83-85) & “Alienated Labor” (SW 85-95)	02/13 Marx EPMSS “Private Property and Communism” (SW 95-104) & “On Money” (SW 118-120)
02/16 Wolff 48-66 Marx “Preface to A Critique of Political Economy” (SW 424-427)	02/18 Lee Chapter 3 Introduction Part II (SW 141-143)	02/20 Marx “Theses on Feuerbach” (SW 171-173)
02/23 Marx The German Ideology (SW 175-184)	02/25 Marx The German Ideology (SW 184-201)	02/27 Marx Communist Manifesto (SW 245-271)
03/2 Levine & Sober “What’s historical about historical materialism?” (1985)	03/4 Exam 1	03/6 Introduction Part III (SW 375-377) Wolff 66-99
03/9 Marx Capital Vol. 1(SW 452-480)	03/11 Marx Capital Vol. 1 (SW 481-508)	03/13 Marx Capital Vol. 1 (SW 508-525)
03/16 Marable: “Introduction” from How Capitalism Underdeveloped Black America DuBois: ”Negroes and the crisis of Capitalism in the United States – Reprise”	03/18 Lee Chapter 4	03/20 Arneson “Marxism and Secular Faith” (1985) Kurrild-Klitgaard “The paradox of rebellion”
03/23-27	Spring Holiday
March30 Geras: “Minimum Utopia: Ten Theses” (2000)	04/1 Sen: Development Thinking at the Beginning of the 21^st Century	04/3 Lee Chapter 5
04/6 Engels “The Monogamous Family” in Origins of the Family, Private Property …	04/8 Davis: “The Approaching Obsolescence of Housework”	04/10 Freire: Pedagogy of the Oppressed (Chapter 2) Gramsci: Men or Machines?
04/13 Engels “Letter to Pyotr Lavrov” (1875) Pannekoek “Marxism and Darwinism” (1909) (sections iv-vii, ix, x) Marx “Letters on Darwin” (SW 565)	04/15 Lee Chapter 6 Foster “Marx’s Ecology in Historical Perspective” (2002)	04/17 Marx The British Rule in India (1853) Marx The Future Results of the British Rule in India (1853) (SW 362-367)
04/20 Foster “Marx and Internationalism” (2000) Marx Inaugural Address 1^st International (1864) (SW 575-581) Marx Letter to Lincoln (1865)	04/22 Roy: “The New American Century” Klein: “The Shock Doctrine: a discussion”	04/24 Edward Nell and Onora O’Neill: “Justice under Socialism” (1972)
04/27 Fromm “Character and Social Process” (1942) Fromm “Individual and Social Origins of Neurosis” (1944)	04/29 Mao “Study” from “The Little Red Book” Breton & Rivera “Manifesto for an Independent Revolutionary Art” Baran “The Commitment of the Intellectual”	05/1 Reading Day
05/6 Exam 2: 11:00 – 01:00	Lee: On Marx; SW: Selected Works; Wolff: Why Read Marx Today? Other Materials will be made available via the course website