Philosophy of New Social Movements

Master 2024/2025

Type: Compulsory course (Politics. Economics. Philosophy)

Area of studies: Political Science

Delivered by: School of Philosophy and Cultural Studies

Where: Faculty of Social Sciences

When: 2 year, 1, 2 module

Mode of studies: offline

Open to: students of one campus

Instructors: Alexei Gloukhov

Master’s programme: Политика. Экономика. Философия

Language: English

ECTS credits: 6

Full Syllabus Ask Question

Abstract

The course focuses on the social dynamics and the philosophical meaning of the phenomena of social movements and political conflicts. The logical framework includes key concepts, methods and ideas of both contemporary normative and continental philosophy. The rise of a social movement is interpreted as emergence of a logical anomaly, of a ‘private’ language, breaking apart the normative order and making violence inevitable. The end of a social movement is explained as gradual normalization of the logical anomaly. In order to make sense of a social movement one has to pose and answer two series of questions: 1) What is good for ‘us’ (as the members of the movement)? 2) Can we make our good compatible with what is good for the ‘other’ (= not ‘us’)?

Learning Objectives

Students will learn the philosophical methods of interpreting the phenomena of social movements.
Development of the independent moral and political judgement, as well as engagement with visual and textual sources will be emphasized.

Expected Learning Outcomes

To develop logical skills allowing to discuss and to resolve political issues.
To master the key ideas, concepts and methods of the contemporary political philosophy of social movements.
To use the introduced concepts and methods to present a solution in a written essay.

Course Contents

Course framework. Historical Case 1: Communist movement.
Historical Case 2: Communist movement (cont.) Anarchism.
Historical Case 3: Fascism. National-Socialism.
Historical Case 4: Independence and anti-colonial movements.
Historical Case 5: Student movements.
Historical Case 6: Feminism.
Case study: Migration. New nationalism.
Case study: Capitalism, Neoliberalism, Accelerationism.
Case study: New emerging movements. Course conclusion.

Assessment Elements

Seminar
Lecture / Seminar Presense and Activity
Essay
Final Research Essay

Interim Assessment

2024/2025 2nd module
0.5 * Essay + 0.5 * Seminar

Bibliography

Recommended Core Bibliography

Arendt, H. (1973). The Origins of Totalitarianism. [Place of publication not identified]: Mariner Books. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=1871784
Beauvoir, S. de, Malovany-Chevallier, S., & Borde, C. (2011). The Second Sex (Vol. 1st ed). New York: Vintage. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=745281
Benjamin, W., Salzani, C., Moran, B., & Agamben, G. (2015). Towards the Critique of Violence : Walter Benjamin and Giorgio Agamben. London: Bloomsbury Academic. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=1003341
Butler, J. (2007). Gender Trouble : Feminism and the Subversion of Identity. New York: Routledge. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=881409
Cutrofello, A. (2005). Continental Philosophy : A Contemporary Introduction. New York: Routledge. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=106052
Gandhi, & Parel, A. (1997). Gandhi: “Hind Swaraj” and Other Writings. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=616955
Georges Sorel. (2012). Reflections on Violence. [N.p.]: Dover Publications. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=1155886
Karl Marx, & Friedrich Engels. (2019). The Communist Manifesto. [N.p.]: Vintage. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=2156462
Lord, B., & Mullarkey, J. (2009). The Continuum Companion to Continental Philosophy. London: Continuum. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=344310
Plato. (2016). Republic (Vol. Enriched Classic). [N.p.]: Simon & Schuster. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=1992908
Schmitt, C. (2005). Political Theology : Four Chapters on the Concept of Sovereignty (Vol. University of Chicago Press ed). Chicago: University of Chicago Press. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=335369
Schmitt, C. (2007). The Concept of the Political : Expanded Edition (Vol. Expanded ed). Chicago: University of Chicago Press. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=332203
State and revolution. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsbas&AN=edsbas.440BBB15

Recommended Additional Bibliography

Ivan Turgenev. (2013). Fathers and Sons. New York: Sheba Blake Publishing. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=1023910

Authors

GLUKHOV ALEKSEY ANATOLEVICH

Course Syllabus