One of the most influential thinkers of all time. The political movement for which millions were ready to kill, and die for. Welcome to the ARU course on Karl Marx and communism! Together, we will get a firm grip on the basic ideas of Marx around capitalism, history, and human nature. Then, we will travel across the turbulent 20th century, through a prism of intellectual inquiry and historical commentary. Our guide in this tour will be a former card-carrying Marxist, Nikos Sotirakopoulos, aided by more members of the ARU faculty. Get on board!
Prerequisites or Corequisites: 300-level courses require that a student has completed the “16-Week Objectivism Seminar” or the “Intensive Seminar on Objectivism”.
Course Start Date: January 7, 2024
Level: 300 Start Date: January 7, 2025 Live Class: Tuesdays, 9-11:30 am PT Quarter: Q2
Instructor Nikos Sotirakopoulos
Syllabus Syllabus
Schedule Schedule
- Main Currents of Marxism: The Founders – The Golden Age – The Breakdown, Leszek Kolakowski
- Karl Marx: Selected Writings, 2nd Edition, David McLellan
- To Run the World: The Kremlin’s Cold War Bid for Global Power, Sergey Radchenko
Students should prioritize gaining access to the first two texts. The text by Sergey Radchenko will only be required after Week 5.
Course Faculty
Nikos SotirakopoulosDr. Sotirakopoulos is a visiting fellow at the Ayn Rand Institute. Dr. Sotirakopoulos received his PhD in political sociology from University of Kent in the UK, and before joining ARU he taught in UK universities for 10 years. He has written two books: The Rise of Lifestyle Activism: from New Left to Occupy, and Identity Politics and Tribalism: the New Culture Wars.