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I would like to thank everyone for inviting me to share with you some of my strategies for teaching Marx. I have heard from some of you that quite a number of your students are having difficulties grasping the nuances of Marx’s argument. The common theme seems to be that many of your students think conflict theory, dialectical materialism, and historical materialism pretty much means the same thing. I think one of the best strategies for preventing this is first explain what conflict theory is, and what it is not. Conflict theory is mainly a descriptive sociological framework for analyzing and explaining society’s structure. Its main thesis is that individuals in society seek to maximize their advantage, and those who have common interest band together to protect and advance their interests. This creates a society composed of groups that are always in conflict with each other. Here, you can briefly explain an opposing theory, like structural functionalism. I think it will benefit your students to learn what the exact opposite of conflict theory is.

With that out of the way, you can move on to teaching Marx’s work. Before you dive into the text, you have to do some preliminary preparation. First, give a brief background on Marx’s influences; concentrate especially on Hegel. Explain that Hegel was a dialectic idealist. Break down what dialectic idealism is. Point out that Hegel deeply influenced Marx but that Marx only took the dialectic part of Hegel’s philosophy, not the idealism part. Explain that for Hegel, truth is a reflection of an object through the subject’s mind/reason. Marx, on the other hand, believed that truth must be arrived at through sensuous activity, that is, through engaging the world with our senses. So Marx is a dialectic materialist. Ok, but what was his main concern? His main concern was the science of history, that is the examination of history through a materialist approach-specifically, a historical materialist approach. Here you can then elucidate on what historical materialism is, but make sure that at the least, your students understand that historical materialism is a method of looking at and explaining history through the material conditions (mode of production) of society.

Now you have done the preliminary background on Marx’s method. If your students still think that conflict theory is the same as historical materialism, hit them over the head (lightly) with a frying pan until they come to their sense. Just kidding.

A useful pedagogical tool that you might want to use is a comparison chart. You can compare conflict theory and historical materialism by examining each concept’s goals, methods, scope, etc.

Perhaps an example would be useful, so I am going to make a chart for you so that you will know what I mean.

CONFLICT THEORY HISTORICAL MATERIALISM
METHOD: descriptive/non-prescriptive materialist normative/prescriptive dialectic (thesis, antithesis, synthesis) materialist
MAIN THESIS: individuals seek to maximize advantage, bands together according to common interest, creates society in w/c individuals and groups are in conflict the material conditions of society determines the mode of production and thus the relations of people
GOAL: to explain society’s structure to change the world, to overthrow capitalism (here you can mention the quote ‘the point of philosophy is to change the world –thesis on Feuerbach)
THEORETICAL AND PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: societies’ structure, racism, criminal justice, etc. mostly practical, political, &sociological inquiries & disciplines Alienation, commodity fetishism, ideology, class, race, gender, etc. emancipatory politics, the individual in society

Ok, hopefully, if you do all these things your students can see that historical materialism is much more comprehensive in its approach and in its scope of inquiry than plain ol’ conflict theory. I’m sure you can think of more things to add to the comparison chart.

Well, my fellow professors, I thank you for your undivided attention, and I look forward to the pizza they’re serving in the faculty lounge. Thank you everyone.