Study course on Marxist philosophy

Submitted by Janine on 5 July, 2004 - 6:16

This coming Saturday (10 July) sees the start of a six-part summer course on Marxist philosophy. Classes take place in Hackney on Saturday afternoons. Full course details are below.

a 6-part course based on Marx's 'Theses on Feuerbach'

1. July 10 & 17
Why is crude materialism not good enough? (Theses 1, 9 and 10)

  • What is 'crude' (ie. non-dialectical) materialism?
  • What class interests does it reflect?
  • How is it related to idealism?
  • What is Marx's solution?
  • How does this relate to Lenin's 'Materialism and Empiro-Criticism'?

2. July 24
Can we really know the world? (Thesis 2)

  • What is wrong with Kant's ideas about 'the thing in itself'?
  • What is the problem with Descartes' 'ghost in the machine'?
  • What did Spinoza say?
  • What is Marx's solution?

3. July 31, August 14
Are we products of our environment? (Theses 3, 5 and 8)

  • How does this relate to Robert Owen's 'critical utopian socialism'?
  • Is Draper's account of Owen ('The Two Souls of Socialism') correct?
  • What is Marx's solution?
  • Can there be a 'labour theory of cognition'?

4. August 21
What is religion? (Theses 4 and 7)

  • What did Feuerback say?
  • What did Hegel say?
  • What was Marx's view?

5. August 28
What is the relation between essence and appearance? (Thesis 6)

  • What did Hegel say about this?
  • How is this connected to the abstract/concrete relation?
  • Was Marx (in 'The Holy Family') right against Hegel on this?
  • Why are these questions important for us?

6. September 2
Do we still need philosophy? (Thesis 11)

  • Were workers 'the inheritors of classical German philosophy'?
  • Has science developed as Marx and Engels expected?
  • Must socialism come to the workers from bourgeois intellectuals?
  • Where did Marxism itself come from?
  • What did Lenin think about this?
  • Why is Gramsci's view better than Kautsky's?

All sessions run from 1-2.30pm at Marcon Court Community Hall, corner of Amhurst Road and Marcon Place (nearest stations: Hackney Central / Hackney Downs - buses 253, 254, 106, 48, 55, 30, 38 all stop right outside the hall)

Please:

  • bring some food to contribute to a light lunch for participants.
  • make a donation towards the cost of the room and to help with childcare - we suggest £3 (waged); £1 (unwaged) per session
  • let us know that you will be coming - ring Matt on 07984-431361

It is preferable to attend the whole course, but OK to come to some sessions but not all. We can organise 'catch-up' sessions if you miss a particular week's class.

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