Volume One of Marx's Capital: A Critique of Political Economy, first published in 1867, is one of the most famous and consequential books of the last two hundred years. Melding philosophy, economics, politics, history and more, and delivered in a pungent literary style, it remains one of the classic accounts of the modern condition - our condition - as well as providing a riveting account of nineteenth-century English industrial capitalism. This course will take on Marx's masterpiece in its entirety, using the new translation published by Princeton University Press.
Marx’s Capital
This is an In-person course which requires your attendance to the weekly meetings which take place in Oxford.
Overview
Programme details
Courses starts: 24 Apr 2024
Week 1: Commodities and Exchange (Chapters 1-2)
Week 2: Money (Chapter 3)
Week 3: From Capital to Labour Power (Chapters 4-6)
Week 4: The Labour Process and the Production of Surplus Value (Chapters 7-9)
Week 5: The Working Day (Chapters 10-11)
Week 6: Relative Surplus Value (Chapters 12-14)
Week 7: Machinery and Large-Scale Industry (Chapter 15)
Week 8: From Absolute and Relative Surplus Value to the Accumulation of Capital (Chapters 16-24)
Week 9: Capitalist Accumulation (Chapter 25)
Week 10: The Secret of Primitive Accumulation (Chapters 26-33)
Recommended reading
All weekly class students may become borrowing members of the Rewley House Continuing Education Library for the duration of their course. Prospective students whose courses have not yet started are welcome to use the Library for reference. More information can be found on the Library website.
There is a Guide for Weekly Class students which will give you further information.
Availability of titles on the reading list (below) can be checked on SOLO, the library catalogue.
Preparatory reading
- Capital: A Critique of Political Economy, Volume One / Marx, Karl
- Capital: A Critique of Political Economy, Volume One / Marx, Karl
Certification
To complete the course and receive a certificate, you will be required to attend at least 80% of the classes on the course and pass your final assignment. Upon successful completion, you will receive a link to download a University of Oxford digital certificate. Information on how to access this digital certificate will be emailed to you after the end of the course. The certificate will show your name, the course title and the dates of the course you attended. You will be able to download your certificate or share it on social media if you choose to do so.
Fees
| Description | Costs |
|---|---|
| Course Fee | £285.00 |
| Take this course for CATS points | £30.00 |
Funding
If you are in receipt of a UK state benefit, you are a full-time student in the UK or a student on a low income, you may be eligible for a reduction of 50% of tuition fees. Please see the below link for full details:
Tutor
Dr Meade McCloughan
Meade McCloughan has been studying philosophy for 40 years and has taught at University College London and Birkbeck College London. He is on the organising group of the Marx and Philosophy Society.
Course aims
To understand and appreciate Marx's achievement in Capital, Volume One.
Course objectives:
- To analyse and evaluate Marx's arguments in Capital, Volume One.
- o assess the applicability of Marx's approach to our own times.
Teaching methods
Students will be expected to have their own copy of the text, ideally the new translation by Paul Reitter, due to be published by Princeton University Press in November 2024, but the older Penguin version by Ben Fowkes will suffice. We will read the designated chapters, or selections from them, in advance of each class. The tutor will give a presentation on the material in class, before opening up for discussion. Electronic presentations will be used and made available to students in advance in a variety of formats. Students will be able to benefit from formative feedback on written work during the course.
Learning outcomes
By the end of the course students will be expected to:
- understand the essentials of Marx's analysis of capitalism;
- have developed skills in evaluating the variety of methods (philosophical, economic, historical) Marx employs;
- be able to appreciate Marx's literary style.
Assessment methods
Participants will be given four short exercises during the course to take home and complete (up to 500 words each) and then return subsequently (either hardcopy or electronically). The tutor will assess and provide written comments on completed exercises. Students will be able to do all four short exercises.
Students can choose to be assessed for the course EITHER on the basis of THREE completed short exercises OR by submitting an essay of 1,500 words on a chosen topic from the course (suggested questions will be provided during the course). Those choosing to write an essay can submit a 500 word draft for feedback in advance of submitting the final version or can use one of the short exercises for the same purpose.
Coursework is an integral part of all weekly classes and everyone enrolled will be expected to do coursework in order to benefit fully from the course. Only those who have registered for credit will be awarded CATS points for completing work the required standard.
Students must submit a completed Declaration of Authorship form at the end of term when submitting your final piece of work. CATS points cannot be awarded without the aforementioned form - Declaration of Authorship form
Application
To earn credit (CATS points) for your course you will need to register and pay an additional £30 fee per course. You can do this by ticking the relevant box at the bottom of the enrolment form or when enrolling online.
Please use the 'Book' or 'Apply' button on this page. Alternatively, please complete an enrolment form (Word) or enrolment form (Pdf).
Level and demands
The Department's Weekly Classes are taught at FHEQ Level 4, i.e. first year undergraduate level, and you will be expected to engage in a significant amount of private study in preparation for the classes. This may take the form, for instance, of reading and analysing set texts, responding to questions or tasks, or preparing work to present in class.
Credit Accumulation and Transfer Scheme (CATS)
To earn credit (CATS points) you will need to register and pay an additional £30 fee per course. You can do this by ticking the relevant box at the bottom of the enrolment form or when enrolling online. Students who register for CATS points will receive a Record of CATS points on successful completion of their course assessment.
Students who do not register for CATS points during the enrolment process can either register for CATS points prior to the start of their course or retrospectively from the January 1st after the current full academic year has been completed. If you are enrolled on the Certificate of Higher Education you need to indicate this on the enrolment form but there is no additional registration fee.