Last Meeting - Th, Feb 21

The venue for the last meeting of the course will be the Philo Dept. It will be a more informal gathering discussing the course. Please think of a question you want to discuss. It'll be a potluck dinner, you can use this blog to indicate, what you'll bring along.

Questions #12 and #13

Question #12 for the class on thursday, 7th of february, is:

"What is Kam Shapiro's critique of the concept of the multitude?"

This paper is due, as always, on wednesday 6pm, the day before class.
Reading: - Shapiro, Kam: The Myth of the Multitude, in: Paul Passavant and Jodi Dean (eds.): Empire's new clothes, Routledge, 2003, p. 289-314
(For the ones who were absent in class: copies of the reading can be picked up in my box in the pigeon hall.)

For all the students who have not yet submitted ten papers, there is an additional paper (question #13) due on wednesday, 13th of february:

"What is your own critique of the multitude?"

Question #11

"What are the problems of the concept of the multitude?"

Reading: Atilio A. Boron: "Empire" and imperialism. A critical reading of Michael Hardt and Antonio Negri. Translated by Jessica Casiro, London/New York: Zed Books, 2005, p. 1-5, 73-124 (Preface, Chs. 5-8, Epilogue)

A copy of the book can be found in the graduate reserve section, ground floor Rizal library.

A short review of the book can be found here.

Question #10

Two questions (on one page) have to be answered for next session (jan 24):

1. Give an account of Malcolm Bull's critique of the revolutionary power of the migration of the multitude!
2. What are Jodi Dean's doubts about the use of the communications network by the multitude?

Readings:
- Bull, Malcolm: Smooth Politics, in: Paul Passavant and Jodi Dean (eds.): Empire's new clothes, Routledge, 2003, p. 217-230
- Dean, Jodi: The Networked Empire: Communicative Capitalism and the Hope for Politics, in: Paul Passavant and Jodi Dean (eds.): Empire's new clothes, Routledge, 2003, p. 265-288

Copies are with the photocopy lady in the filipiana section of the rizal library.

Questions #8 and #9

Question #8 for Thursday, Jan 17:
"In which areas is democracy lacking and which are the corresponding reform proposals?"

Question #9 for Friday, Jan 18:
"How does the democracy of the multitude look like?"

Venue: Thurday will be as usual at CTC 107, Friday will be at the Philo Department