Unit 4

All That Is Solid Melts Into Air-
Marx and Modern Reform

Unit Questions:

  1. Would you characterize Marx as "utopian"? as "pragmatic"? as "tragic"? What is his view of human nature?
  2. How does Marx draw upon the methods and assumptions of the authors wehave studied?
  3. Doe Marx apply ideas drawn from Enlightnement political theory, or does he refute Enlightenment assumptions?
  4. How does Modern reform differ from that of the Renaissance, Enlightenment and French Revolution?
  5. Define "communism," "anarchy,""socialism" and "dictatorship." How doe these terms come into play in the work of Marx?
  6. What are the mechanisms, means and ends of reform for Marx?
  7. What is "modern" about Marx?

 

Day 1

The Commercial Revolution and The Wonderful World of Adam Smith

Read Sullivan pp 516-523, 525-526; Heilbronner The Worldy Philosophers pp.31-39, 51-69 "The Economic Revolution" and "The Wonderful World of Adam Smith"

Question:
Is there a Smith beyond the avatar avarice, the lionizer of laisse-faire capitalism?


Day 2

The Industrial Revolution and the Inexorable System of Karl Marx

Read Sullivan pp 526-529; Heilbronner The Worldy Philosophers pp.133-145, 152-158 from "The Inexorable System of Karl Marx"

Question:
How is Marx an Enlightenment thinker? Is he utopian, pragmatic or tragic?

Marx Glossary
Marx Chart
Marx Timeline

 

Day 3 and 4

The Communist Manifesto

Group 5 and Mr. Meyers

Read Communist Manifesto pp. 49-65 (Intro and "I. Bourgeois and Proletarians")

Day 5

The Communist Manifesto

Group 1

Read Communist Manifesto pp. 65-76 ("II. Proletarians and Communists")

 

Day 6

The Communist Manifesto

Group 2

Read Communist Manifesto pp. 77-91 ("III. Socialist and Communist Literature" and IV. Position of the Communists in Relation to the Various Existing Opposition Parties)

 

Day 7

The Communist Manifesto

Group 3

Teach the various prefaces. Please use the 19th Century Social Movements Timeline and the Heilbronner reading to help students contextualize the references in the prefaces.

All: Read Heilbronner The Worldy Philosophers pp.145-152, 158-167 from "The Inexorable System of Karl Marx"

Group 1: Preface to 1872 and 1882 Edition
Group 2: Preface to 1883 Edition
Group 4: Preface to 1888 Edition
Group 5: Preface to 1890 Edition

Winter Break!

Please read the Peter Gay introduction to Civilization and Its Discontents and the Carl Schorske chapter on Freud " " (handout) from Fin-de-Siecle Vienna over break