Marxism

 

 

Philosophy 290-0H1.…Topics in Philosophy: Marxism……W 2:00-4:30 pm….3 Credits…. Spring, 2007

Dr. Hollace Graff

 

Course Description

This course offers a survey of Marxism beginning with Marx, covering some of the important developments in 20th century Marxism, and ending with a consideration of at least two works in contemporary Marxist theory.  The emphasis will be on the philosophical foundations of Marxism, on the critical examination of its strengths and weaknesses as a methodology, and on the question of the relationship of reform and revolution.

 

Prerequisite

Although there is no specific prerequisite other than membership in the Honors Program, some background in philosophy and in the history of the 19th and 20th centuries is strongly recommended.

 

Learning Objectives

The learning objectives of this course include:

1.      Understanding the philosophical foundations of Marx’s work with special emphasis on alienation, ideology, and Marxism as a methodology for creative analysis.

2.      Understanding the historical development of Marxism.

3.   Understanding the work of 20th century Marxists who made important philosophical contributions such as Gramsci, Fanon, and Marcuse.

4.   Understanding the efforts of contemporary Marxists to come to terms with issues around ecology, feminism, imperialism, racism, and democracy.

  1. Learning to read, compare, and critique philosophical texts of significant difficulty.
  2. Developing the capacity to present and argue for one’s own positions.

  

Academic Integrity

Students and employees at Oakton Community College are required to demonstrate academic integrity and follow Oakton’s Code of Academic Conduct. This code prohibits:

·        cheating,

·        plagiarism (turning in work not written by you, or lacking proper citation),

·        falsification and fabrication (lying or distorting the truth),

·        helping others to cheat,

·        unauthorized changes on official documents,

·        pretending to be someone else or having someone else pretend to be you,

·        making or accepting bribes, special favors, or threats, and

·        any other behavior that violates academic integrity.

There are serious consequences to violations of the academic integrity policy. Oakton’s policies and procedures provide students a fair hearing if a complaint is made against you.  If you are found to have violated the policy, the minimum penalty is failure on the assignment and, a disciplinary record will be established and kept on file in the office of the Vice President for Student Affairs for a period of 3 years.

Details of the Code of Academic Conduct can be found in the Student Handbook.

  

 Course Practices Required

1.      This class is the Philosophy Department’s Faculty-Student Seminar.  Attendance and participation is very important in this class.  You may earn participation points by attending class and by participating in the discussion or volunteering to give brief summaries of the assigned readings.  You will receive one attendance and participation point for simply attending.  (If you are late or must leave early, you will receive half credit for the day.) You will receive another participation point for participating in the discussion. You can’t participate if you haven’t done the reading.  Although you should definitely attend class if you haven’t done the reading, you should let me know before class that you need to opt out of full participation for the day.  If you opt out, I will not call on you for your analysis during class.  You may ask questions, but it is inappropriate to comment on works that you haven’t read.  I will also offer some extra credit opportunities to make up for absences. These opportunities will involve attendance at events relevant to the class such as public forums on political issues.  I do not distinguish between excused and unexcused absences. However, if you need to be absent because of something such as religious holidays or family emergency, I will make every effort to insure that you have ways to earn extra credit that will compensate for your absence.  A…28-32, B….26-27, C….24-25, D….22-23

2.      You may choose to keep a philosophical reflection journal.  In this journal you will record your reactions to the assigned readings and your responses to questions that I pose in class. The journal should not consist of notes or summaries of the readings. Rather, you should take positions and offer arguments for those positions. Your journal will be collected several times during the semester every three weeks.  I will accept journals late.   I will write comments in your journal and ask questions to which I would like you to respond. In the interest of preserving trees, your journal should not be more than double-spaced, should not use larger than 12-point type, and should not have extra-large margins or large blank spaces between sections. Your journal must be a minimum of 15 pages to receive a passing grade.
                                   OR
You may do a philosophy paper on any aspect of the course material that interests you.  In order to pursue this option, you must turn in a proposal by the first journal due date.  Most papers would involve more extensive reading on a particular subject or a particular theorist than is assigned for the class.  This option is most suitable for those with more background in philosophy.  Needless to say, a philosophical paper must defend a thesis of philosophical significance.

3.      You may choose to take a final examination that is oral or written (take-home).  An oral exam means talking with me about your evaluation of the readings that we have done over the semester.
                                   OR  
You may choose to present a special project to the class at the end of the semester.  This could involve looking at a Marxist theorist that we haven’t studied, presenting a critical overview of issue that we haven’t covered, or offering a major critique of a work that we have discussed.   Again, in order to choose this option, you must provide me with a proposal before the mid-term exam.  It is possible that you could present the research paper that you are doing for requirement # 2 if this is a substantial piece of work.                                            

4.      You may present me with alternative ways to fulfill course requirements. 

5.      Students who face unusual situations such as prolonged hospitalization, military service or family emergencies may work our special plans with me for completing course requirements.

 


Instructional Materials

Selections from Economic and Philosophic Manuscripts of 1844 by Karl Marx

Selections from The German Ideology by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels

Selections from Capital, Volume 1

Selections from Western Marxism, edited by Roger Gottleib

Selections from Marx’s Ecology by John Bellamy Foster*

Selections from From Class to Race by Charles Mills

After Capitalism by David Schweickart

* Under consideration




Methods of Evaluation

1.      The journal or paper will represent 1/3 of your final grade.

2.      Your class participation will represent 1/3 of your final grade.

3.      Your exam or your class project will represent 1/3 of your final grade.


 

Disabilities

If you have a documented learning, psychological, or physical disability, you may be entitled to reasonable academic accommodations or services. To request accommodation or services, contact the ASSIST office in Instructional Support Services. All students are expected to fulfill essential course requirements. The College will not waive any essential skill or requirement of a course or degree program.


 

Discrimination

The Oakton Community College Catalog states:

Oakton Community College does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, national origin, disability, age, sex, sexual orientation, or marital status in admission to and participation in its educational programs, activities and services, or employment practices. The College does not tolerate sexual harassment or sexual assault by or of its students or employees.

In keeping with this policy of tolerance and non-discrimination, in this class all of us (myself included) should strive to listen and give careful consideration to all ideas expressed in class, especially those that are different from our own, without attacking or demeaning the people who have those views. We should also strive to avoid using insulting terms or telling offensive jokes when talking to or about individuals or groups.

 

Getting in Touch

Des Plaines Office……3614

Des Plaines Telephone……847-376-7033

E-Mail……hgraff@oakton.edu

Website…..servercc.oakton.edu/~hgraff/philweb/

My office hours are as follows:

Mondays……10:00-12:00
Tuesdays……2:00-4:00
Wednesdays……10:00-12:00
Fridays…..3:00-5:00 

Please feel welcome to stop by and chat, and be sure to see me if you are having and difficulties in the course. If you cannot make any of these times, please see me for an appointment.