Course information

Philosophy. Study the fundamental nature of knowledge, reality and existence.

Marxism has experienced a major resurgence in recent years, driven by the contemporary challenges of late capitalism, particularly the growing divide between the very rich and the working poor. This course offers an in-depth look into Marx’s philosophy and its influence from the 19th century to the present day. 

Over 10 weeks, we will explore Marx's historical impact on global socialism and engaged with his philosophical theories on human nature, work, violence, economics, alienation, religion, and the Jewish question.

Outcomes

By the end of this course, you should be able to:

• describe the development of Marx’s life, works, and the historical context in which he lived
• comprehend Marx’s ideas on human nature, work, violence, economics, alienation, and religion
• discuss key concepts of human nature, in relation to empirical realism
• relate Marx’s ideas to contemporary political debates and discussions
• apply Marx’s theories to the assessment of current economic issues and debates.

Content

Introduction

We begin with a study of the Germany of Marx’s youth. We will also consider the political and philosophical influences which shaped his work, with an analysis of his early essay: On the Jewish Question. In this work, Marx makes one of his most enduring arguments by means of introducing the distinction between political and human emancipation.

Intellectual influences

Marx’s ideas are a combination of German philosophy, British political economy and French socialism. We will examine extracts from his 1843 essay Contribution to a Critique of Hegel’s Philosophy of Right. Marx’s notorious remark that religion is the ‘opiate of the people’ is from this work. He also introduces the role of the proletariat in bringing about the emancipation of society as a whole.

Alienated labour: Economic and Philosophical Manuscripts (1844)

This work deals with the issues of alienated labour and private property. Marx also defines his theory of Communism, based on the assertion that humans have an innate urge to transcend oppression and take control of their own destiny. Marx claims that, hitherto, “philosophers have only interpreted the world, the point is to change it”.

The Communist Manifesto

In 1845, Marx collaborated with Engels on a short work which changed the world. Scholars do not consider it the best guide to Marx’s philosophy, but its readability and high rhetorical style made it very popular and therefore influential. With the failure of the 1848 revolution, Marx moved to London where he remained for the rest of his life. We will consider Marx’s influence on the Russian and Chinese Revolutions, and his influence on the anti-imperialist struggles in the third world. 

Marx in the age of digital capitalism

Marxism has witnessed a major resurgence in recent years. This resurgence has been prompted by the contemporary problems facing late capitalism, particularly the growing gap between the very rich and the working poor. The course will look at new assessments of Marx on global capitalism and forecasts of a crisis of capitalism.

Intended audience

Anyone with a general interest in philosophy and the course themes.

Prerequisites

None

Delivery style

Lecture/seminar

Materials

Course handouts and readings are distributed electronically using Dropbox.

Recommended reading

There are no prescribed texts for this course. Some referenced works include:

Edwards, Jaime, and Brian Leiter, 2024, Marx, New York: Routledge.

Henning, Christoph, 2014, Philosophy After Marx. 100 Years of Misreadings and the Normative Turn in Political Philosophy, The Hague: Brill.

Leipold, Bruno, 2024, Citizen Marx. Republicanism and the Formation of Karl Marx’s Social and Political Thought, Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press

Marx, Karl, Karl Marx: Selected Writings, second edition, David McLellan (ed.), Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2000.

Roberts, William Clare, 2017, Marx’s Inferno: The Political Theory of Capital, Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.

Singer, Peter, 2000, Marx: A Very Short Introduction, Oxford: Oxford University Press.