In the process of removing old OPE-L files from my laptop (in order to
free up memory), I came across an old message from Jerry that arrived last
December when I was in Cuba and which I had always intended to answer. Maybe
some of the newer members of the list would be interested in sharing with us
the way they teach Capital.
In message Fri, 6 Dec 1996 16:16:03 -0800 (PST),
Gerald Levy <glevy@pratt.edu> writes:
> Ted wrote in [OPE-L:3780]:
>
>
>> [...] Her understanding of Capital went through a transformation in
>> the late 1940s, certainly deepened after her 1953 studies of Hegel's
>> Absolute Idea, and took a new comprehensive form in her 1958 Marxism
>> and Freedom. [...]
>>
>
> Has anyone ever taught an advanced course on Marx where there are
> readings from both Hegel and _Capital_ (or the _Grundrisse_)?
I've taught an *introductory* course on Marx (4 hours of lecture plus an
hour of seminar for 13 weeks) for undergraduates which has included the
following:
1. re Hegel: I've lectured on the Phenomenology, the Logic, Philosophy of
Right and Philosophy of History. (Also lectured on Feuerbach.) I haven't
given the students any of Hegel to read. (I tell them it would be too
sadistic.) However, I have distributed to them several pages of excerpts
from Lenin's Philosophical Notebooks (that I made years ago--- pre
-computers), which has the advantage of looking back to Hegel to see what
was important to a Marxist years later, has some good quotes from Lenin
as well as his excerpts from the Logic; it means that I can make reference
to Lenin's comments at those key points. I also have them read at the same
time the concluding chapter of Levins and Lewontin, The Dialectical
Biologist. Incidentally, I tell them at the time that all my lectures on
Hegel are really lectures on Capital. (Also, it is worth noting---given
Ted's original message-- that it was my reading of Dunayevskaya that
directed me to the importance of Lenin's Philosophical Notebooks.)
2. I then take them through the early Marx (Jewish Question, Critique of H,
Note on Mill, 1844Mss, Theses on Feurbach, excerpts from GI and Poverty of
Philosophy)--I lecture, they have selected readings. Then, Wage Labour and
Capital and the Intro to the Grundrisse. (The midterm would come at this
point).
3. Then several weeks of lecture on the Grundrisse. (Somewhere I have the
list of pages from the Vintage edition that I've reproduced which they
read.) Then they start Capital while I lecture on TSV before getting into an
overview of the 3 volumes. (I only have them read Vol. I--- although I have
given them Vol III, Ch. 15 on occasion.) Other than Marx, the only other
readings are from some of my essays on the falling rate of profit and crisis
theory, some chapters of my book (thereby economising on lecture time) and
several chapters from Duncan's book (which I consider to be the best single
short introduction to Capital for economists--- probably because I agree
with his discussion of value.)
How do we do all this in 13 weeks? Very quickly. I could definitely use
another 3 weeks (at least).
By the way, as to what we do for an encore, I also occasionally do a
seminar in Marxian economics which looks at post-Marx Marxists and current
questions (with the subject whatever interests me and whatever I think will
attract students). Mainly, it has been some aspect of post-war capitalist
restructuring (eg., focussing on regulation school, SSA, etc).
I hope this stimulates some others to say what they do in their classes.
in solidarity,
mike
---------------------------
Michael A. Lebowitz
Economics Department, Simon Fraser University
Burnaby, B.C., Canada V5A 1S6
Office: (604) 291-4669; Office fax: (604) 291-5944
Home: (604) 872-0494; Home fax: (604) 872-0485
Lasqueti Island: (250) 333-8810
e-mail: mlebowit@sfu.ca
---------------------------
Michael A. Lebowitz
Economics Department, Simon Fraser University
Burnaby, B.C., Canada V5A 1S6
Office: (604) 291-4669; Office fax: (604) 291-5944
Home: (604) 872-0494; Home fax: (604) 872-0485
Lasqueti Island: (250) 333-8810
e-mail: mlebowit@sfu.ca