Overview

Marx’s critical project has arguably been the most influential body of philosophical work since Lao Tzu and Aristotle. At the heart of Marx’s critical philosophy is his materialism. This seminar aims to introduce the distinctive features and revolutionary essence of Marx’s materialism via analysis of primary texts, with a particular emphasis on Marx’s concepts of “praxis” as a philosophical category, “practical criticism,” and “practical materialism.” The weekly sessions will correspond to Marx’s famous Theses on Feuerbach. The widely quoted eleventh thesis, “Philosophers have hitherto only interpreted the world in various ways; the point is to change it,” will be considered at various points throughout the seminar. To ground each thesis, we will conduct a close reading of passages from various texts, including Contribution to the Critique of Hegel’s Philosophy of Right; The Holy Family; The Communist Manifesto; Contribution to the Critique of Political Economy; Economic Manuscripts of 1861-1863; The German Ideology; and Capital. At the same time, our discussions will be enriched by examples from today’s social and political struggles for human emancipation in various parts of the world.