S. Contemporary Critical Thought

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 cooperation and produced the Cooperism 13/13 public seminar series (here: https://cooperism.law.columbia.edu). The year before, the seminar focused on utopia and the place of utopic thinking in critical theory and praxis, and produced the Utopia 13/13 public seminar series. All of the 13/13 public series can be accessed here: https://cccct.law.columbia.edu/content/13-13.

This year, the seminar will focus on the writings of Karl Marx and will be organized around the public seminar Marx 13/13, which is already ongoing and can be viewed here: https://marx1313.law.columbia.edu. Each seminar will triangulate one key Marx text with one formative interpretation of Marx that shaped critical theory and praxis, in conversation with one brilliant critical philosopher.

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 will meet every two weeks or so.