PHIL 16.03 Hegel and Marx
This course concerns two towering figures of the nineteenth century, Hegel and Marx. Our goal is to explore their contrasting views of modern society, especially the modern market economy. We begin with Hegel’s Philosophy of Right, an attempt to show that modern society promotes human freedom. We then turn to Marx’s Paris Manuscripts and Capital, considering his case for the revolutionary overthrow of this society. Topics discussed along the way may include private property, individual rights, human nature, alienation, exploitation, civil society, democracy, false consciousness, and ideology critique.
Prerequisite
One Philosophy course, or permission of the instructor.