S. Contemporary Critical Thought I

This seminar focuses, each year, on a different set of topics at the heart of contemporary critical theory in law, politics, and social inquiry. Last year, for instance, the seminar explored different ideas of utopia and the place of utopic thinking in critical theory and praxis, and produced the Utopia 13/13 public seminar series. This coming year, the seminar will explore different forms of cooperation and how we can build a society based on cooperation. We will have sessions on worker cooperatives, on land occupations, on mutuals and other forms of collective organizing. We will produce the Coöperism 13/13 public seminar series.

The graduate student seminar will be structured to frame a series of 13 formal public seminars at which two or three guests, from different disciplines, will be invited to discuss the readings and present on the themes of the seminar. Each formal seminar will host specialists from across the disciplines, from Columbia University and from outside campus. It will prepare entries for the blog of the formal seminars, host the scholars invited to participate in the formal seminars, and prepare questions and comments for the formal seminars. This seminar will function as an advanced graduate research seminar.

The seminar is year-long and meets about every three weeks. The credits are distributed over the Fall and Spring. It can also be taken for one semester if need be.