GOVT 86.53 Reading Marx's Capital

It’s hard to think of many theorists in history whose ideas were as influential as Karl Marx (1818-1883). While not particularly well-known in his own day, Marx’s ideas came to define world politics in the twentieth century—from the social-democratic and labor parties of most democratic states to the Communism of the 1917 Russian Revolution and Soviet Union, to national liberation movements throughout the colonized Global South, to the labor and student radicalism of the New Left—and still today Karl Marx remains a household name throughout the world. Yet Marx’s ideas are more often referenced than they are understood.

            In this course, we will gain a handle on Marx’s thought through a deep engagement with his masterwork, Capital, Volume 1 (1867). The culmination of a decades-long effort beginning with his now well-known 1844 drafts (the “Economic and Philosophical Manuscripts"), Capital remained the center of Marx’s intellectual efforts throughout his adult life, overseeing new editions and translations of Volume 1 in his later years, and leaving the planned Volumes 2 and 3 unfinished at the time of his death (which his collaborator Friedrich Engels edited and published later). Though less-often read today than some of Marx’s other (shorter) writings, Capital is without doubt the definitive statement of his theorical contributions.

Degree Requirement Attributes

Dist:TMV; WCult:W

The Timetable of Class Meetings contains the most up-to-date information about a course. It includes not only the meeting time and instructor, but also its official distributive and/or world culture designation. This information supersedes any information you may see elsewhere, to include what may appear in this ORC/Catalog or on a department/program website. Note that course attributes may change term to term therefore those in effect are those (only) during the term in which you enroll in the course.

Department-Specific Course Categories

Government