PHIL 276.001 – Ideology, Capitalism, and Critique

Instructor: Conner Schultz. This course meets TR 9:30 – 10:45 a.m. in PH 328.

What if the beliefs you hold most strongly were shaped by forces you never even noticed? This course takes a deep dive into the world of ideological critique, which aims to uncover the hidden economic, political, and social structures that shape what we think and why we think it. We will begin with a discussion of Marxist critical theory and Marx’s radical claim that ideology works primarily to mask the truth of class oppression. We will then consider criticisms of the Marxist approach––for instance, the claim that it marginalizes gender and racial oppression. We will also situate Marxist critical theory into broader debates regarding the philosophical importance of “irrelevant influences” on belief. Readings will include Karl Marx, Charles Mills, Franz Fanon, Miranda Fricker, and Sally Haslanger. Along the way, we will look at various case studies in ideology, such as Noam Chomsky and Edward Herman’s Manufacturing Consent and Slavoj Zizek’s The Pervert’s Guide to Ideology.

Have registration questions? Our PPE Administrators can help! Please email them at ppeprogram@unc.edu for assistance.