DRAFT

Deborah Baumgold

928 PLC

baumgold@uoregon.edu

6-4884

Winter, 2010

PS 433/533

Marxism and Radical Thought

Marxism is considered in the context of other nineteenth-century radical theories. The course surveys utopian socialist thought, anarchism, Marxism, and Leninism. Central themes include:

the nature of "radical" theory; the role of the state; human nature and the new society.

Required Books

Capouya & Tompkins, ed., The Essential Kropotkin (Norton)

Tucker, ed., The Marx-Engels Reader, 2nd ed. (Norton)

Lenin, What Is To Be Done? (International)

Lenin, State and Revolution (China Books)

Course Requirements & Grading

Mid-term examination

Final examination

Optional paper

The midterm and final examinations are required of all students; they are essay exams. You may choose to write an optional paper in addition. Assignment weights are as follows.

(1) midterm (1/2) + final (1/2)

OR

(2) midterm (1/3) + paper (1/3) + final examination (1/3)

Course Outline and Reading Assignments

I. Utopian Socialism

A. Engels, "Socialism: Utopian and Scientific," The Marx-Engels Reader, pp. 683-94.

Marx and Engels, Manifesto of the Communist Party ("Critical-Utopian Socialism and Communism"), The Marx-Engels Reader, pp. 497-99.

B. Saint-Simon, excerpts from Social Organization: The Science of Man and Other Writings (Blackboard)

C. Fourier, excerpts from Harmonian Man: Selected Writings of Charles Fourier (Blackboard).

II. Anarchism

A. Kropotkin

The Essential Kropotkin:

“An Appeal to the Young” (pp. 10-26)

“Prisons and the Moral Influence on Prisoners” (part: pp. 50-56)

“Modern Science and Anarchism” (pp. 57-93)

“The Wage System” (part: pp. 102-7)

“Anarchism” (pp. 108-20)

“Mutual Aid” (part: pp. 170-207)

“The Great French Revolution” (part: pp. 208-10)

“The Conquest of Bread” (pp. 226-42)

“Fields, Factories, and Workshops” (part: pp. 263-64, 267-92)

B. Contemporary Anarchism

Gordon, Anarchy Alive!, chs. 1-2, 4 (Blackboard)

Midterm examination

III. Marx

A. The Marx-Engels Reader, pp. 3-6, 16-25, 26-52, 70-93, (recommended: 53-65),143-63.

B. The Marx-Engels Reader, pp. 203-17, 302-329, 439-41 (recommended: 222-26, 236-44, 247-76, 336-61, 364-67, 373-76, 384-403, 407-22).

C. The Marx-Engels Reader, pp. 62-65, 133-35, 179-93, 469-91, 522-41.

IV. Lenin

A. What Is To Be Done?, chaps. I-III (pp. 8-96).

B. State and Revolution (entire).

Final examination

Optional paper due at final examination