Socialism: Theory and Reality

This course offers an examination of the history, development, appeal, and consequences of socialist thought since first envisioned by Karl Marx in the 19th century to the present. The course will focus on four fundamental expressions of socialist thought: 1) the ideas and influence of Karl Marx and his writings during the 19th century; 2) the adoption socialist ideas and systems in the late 20th century (including Communist revolutions in Russia and other Eastern European states, China and other Asian states, and Cuba and other Latin American states) and the eventual failure of those systems with the end of the Cold War; 3) the development of other forms of socialism, including Western European democratic socialism and the welfare state; 4) the persistence of socialism in other forms, including in modern-day Venezuela, and as it is re-emerging in contemporary American politics.