Toward a Science of Society

In this session, we’ll start to apply our understanding of science so that we can approach the study of society (and its motion; i.e. history) scientifically. We’ll develop a conception of society as a form of matter and an organic whole. Then, we’ll look at the basic material conditions that have had to be met in order for society to exist at all. Next, we’ll discuss why (even though society is an organic whole) we need to analytically split society into two parts: its material economic base and its ideological superstructure. Finally, we’ll explore the relationship between these two parts throughout the history of society.

Readings

Readings are required unless marked optional. Use the PDF links to read or save a copy. Original online versions are also linked where available.

• PDF
  PDF Post-Modernism Today — Chapter 2

  Siraj (2018)

  Read / download PDF: Post-Modernism Today — Chapter 2 Listen / download audio: Post-Modernism Today — Chapter 2

  Listen here: Post-Modernism Today — Chapter 2

  Book recording · Assigned reading: Chapter 2.

• PDF
  PDF The Three Sources and Three Component Parts of Marxism

  Vladimir Lenin (1913)

  Read / download PDF: The Three Sources and Three Component Parts of Marxism Web version: The Three Sources and Three Component Parts of Marxism Listen / download audio: The Three Sources and Three Component Parts of Marxism

  Listen here: The Three Sources and Three Component Parts of Marxism
• PDF
  PDF A Contribution to the Critique of Political Economy — Preface

  Karl Marx (1859)

  Read / download PDF: A Contribution to the Critique of Political Economy — Preface Web version: A Contribution to the Critique of Political Economy — Preface Listen / download audio: A Contribution to the Critique of Political Economy — Preface

  Listen here: A Contribution to the Critique of Political Economy — Preface
• PDF
  PDF Socialism: Utopian and Scientific — Chapter 3

  Friedrich Engels (1880)

  Read / download PDF: Socialism: Utopian and Scientific — Chapter 3 Web version: Socialism: Utopian and Scientific — Chapter 3 Listen / download audio: Socialism: Utopian and Scientific — Chapter 3

  Listen here: Socialism: Utopian and Scientific — Chapter 3

  Chapter 3 · 54 minutes · read by Bob Neufeld for LibriVox.

• PDF
  PDF What the “Friends of the People” Are and How They Fight the Social-Democrats — Excerpt

  Vladimir Lenin (1894)

  Read / download PDF: What the “Friends of the People” Are and How They Fight the Social-Democrats — Excerpt Web version (complete work): What the “Friends of the People” Are and How They Fight the Social-Democrats — Excerpt

Session slides

Session handout

Use the handout for the discussion questions and exercises on production, the economic base, and superstructure.

Read the handout · Download handout PDF

PDFs, recordings, and slides are also in the Week 2 materials folder. Google Drive’s PDF viewer lets you read online or download a copy.