Monday, August 25, 2014

COURSE DESCRIPTION

Here is the course I shall be teaching at UNC Chapel Hill in the Spring Semester.  It appears that I shall be able to record it and post the recording of each class on this blog.  [Nothing is certain, of course, but at least the technical side of things is manageable.]


Philosophy 4__
                            Karl Marx's Critique of Capitalism

Instructor:  Professor Robert Paul Wolff
 
Course Description:  

Karl Marx's great work, Capital, is both the consummation of the century-long tradition of Classical Political Economy of Adam Smith and David Ricardo and a powerful critique of the economic system we know as capitalism.  It is at one and the same time a great work of economic theory, a great work of historical sociology, a great work of social philosophy, and a brilliantly written literary masterpiece.  It is also the single most politically influential work ever written by a philosopher.

In this course we will engage with all of these aspects of the work and weave them into a single integrated interpretation of the text, drawing on Philosophy, History, Sociology, Literary Criticism, and on the mathematical reinterpretation of Marx's economic theories carried out in the twentieth century by a world-wide array of mathematical economists.

There are no formal prerequisites for this course, beyond what is now generally considered high school algebra, but the discussion will be carried on at a sophisticated level of theoretical rigor for which students should be prepared.  It should go without saying that students of every political or ideological persuasion are welcome.

Written work will consist of a number of short problem sets and exercises, followed by a substantial research paper due on the day set by the University for the final examination.

The Instructor has limited the course to twenty enrolled students, but auditors will be welcome

4 comments:

  1. Dare we hope for a *video* recording?

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  2. That apparently poses additional technical pronlems. I shall see.

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  3. There are many good reasons not to attempt video lectures. I have been using a SOny IC digital voice recorder and its SOund Organizer software program to record all philosophy lectures. With audio files, I am able to put whole courses (about 20-25 hours of lectures) on one 700 MB CD, use MP3 files which will play any where, and download or upload files in a matter of minutes later that day. SMall and low tech is much better I think for we poor philosophers. Yale University filmed some of its courses and makes them available online at YOutube to watch for free, however it supposedly cost them about $30,000 per course to do it. You need a camera person, editor, or producer and more time to do good video, excellent audio however is practically achievable for a $50 digital voice recorder and access to a fast computer/internet connection. More professors should be forced to listen to themselves. Always remember to say aloud or describe what you put on the board to your listeners. I put the texts or handouts (class outline, etc.) I use in class online so that a person can see what we use in class as well.

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  4. Professor Couture, I accept with gratitude the voice of experience. What you say makes good sense. I shall stick with an audio recording, and maybe post on line here whatever I put on the board [or flash on a screen -- that much UNC can apparently manage with ease.].

    Many thanks.

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