MARXISM AND POLITICS

MONTH LONG SEMINAR STARTS FEBRUARY 2ND

"Marxism and Politics" is a four-session mini-course led by Chris Cutrone and hosted in collaboration with The Portal. Throughout the course we will explore the questions and concepts inspired by Chris Cutrone’s Marxism and Politics, and mediated with Chris Cutrone. We start the course with a focus on the question “What is Society for Marxism?” This will lead us to the edge in the exploration of the idea of contradiction as either epistemological or ontological, or both epistemological and ontological; as well as a thought lab forwarding the hypothesis that capitalism is the central contradiction of our modern society. Finally, we will end the month with a collective reflection on the nature of society and Marxism today, as well as the possibilities of society and Marxism tomorrow.

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Join Now

Join Now

Two ways to access: purchase the mini-course as a stand-alone seminar, or join The Portal as a monthly or yearly member

Marxism and Politics
€50.00
One time

Get access to a seminar series led by Chris Cutrone at The Portal centred on Marxism and Politics


✓ Four live events
✓ Lifetime access to recordings
Philosophy Portal Members
€50.00
Every month
€500.00
Every year

Philosophy Portal is an online education platform opening space for the next generation of great thought, and cultivation of future philosophical mind. Philosophy Portal members get access to The Portal live event spaces, book clubs, either free or discounted access to courses, permanent early bird pricing on future courses, and priority to apply for retreats. Couples are encouraged get a 2 for 1 deal.


✓ Four live events every month
✓ Recorded history of our sessions (150+ hours of material)
✓ Deleuze and Analysis course (live)
✓ Slovenian School Reading group (live)
✓ Discounts on recorded/future courses

Meet Your Teacher

Professor Chris Cutrone

Chris Cutrone is a college educator, writer, and media artist, committed to critical thinking and artistic practice and the politics of social emancipation. Born in 1970 and raised in Valley Stream on Long Island near New York City, Cutrone is an Adjunct Associate Professor in the Departments of Art History, Theory and Criticism and Visual and Critical Studies at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (since 2004) and instructor at the Institute for Clinical Social Work (since 2018). He was a longtime lecturer in the Social Sciences Collegiate Division at the University of Chicago (2002-2018), where he completed the PhD in the Committee on the History of Culture (2013) and MA in Art History (2005). He received the MFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (1996) and the BA from Hampshire College (1993). His doctoral dissertation is on Adorno’s Marxism (2013).

Cutrone is the original lead organizer of the Platypus Affiliated Society (its reading group in Chicago was established in 2006). From 1989–92, the fall of the Berlin Wall, the Gulf War and the collapse of the Soviet Union, to the Los Angeles Riots and the election of Bill Clinton, Cutrone was a youth member of the Spartacist League, U.S. section of the International Communist League (Fourth Internationalist), upholding the revolutionary socialist tradition of Marx, Engels, Lenin, Luxemburg, Trotsky and the October Revolution of 1917.

Session 1: What Is Society for Marxism?

  • In this session we will outline society as a question for Marxism as inspired by the Lenin and Critical Theory sections of Marxism and Politics (“Lenin” p. 17-74, “Critical Theory”, p. 75-246)

Session 2: Contradiction: Ontological v. Epistemological

  • This session will explore the edge of the idea of contradiction as ontological vs. epistemological inspired by the “Philosophy” section of Marxism and Politics (p. 247-418).

Session 3: Capitalism as Social Contradiction

  • We focus on the topic of capitalism as the central social contradiction of modern inspired by Marxism and Politics section “Socialism and capitalism” (p. 619-666)

Session 4: Society and Marxism, Today and Tomorrow

  • We open a collective self-reflection on the question of society and Marxism both today and tomorrow inspired by the Prologue/Epilogue of Marxism and Politics (“Prologue” p. 1-16, “Epilogue” p. 667-734).

UPCOMING EVENTS

UPCOMING EVENTS

FEBRUARY 2025

Online
830pm CET (Central European Time)

Sunday February 2nd / Session 1: What Is Society for Marxism?

Sunday February 9th / Session 2: Contradiction: Ontological vs. Epistemological

Sunday February 16th / Session 3: Capitalism as Social Contradiction

Saturday February 22nd / Session 4: Society and Marxism, Today and Tomorrow

Recommended readings:

Session 1: Lenin (p. 17-74), Critical Theory (p. 75-246)

Session 2: Philosophy (p. 247-418)

Session 3: Socialism and capitalism (p. 619-666)

Session 4: Preamble/Prologue (p. 1-16), Epilegomena/Postscripta/Appendix (p. 667-734)

Join Now

Join Now

Two ways to access: purchase the mini-course as a stand-alone seminar, or join The Portal as a monthly or yearly member

Marxism and Politics
€50.00
One time

Get access to a seminar series led by Chris Cutrone at The Portal centred on Marxism and Politics


✓ Four live events
✓ Lifetime access to recordings
Philosophy Portal Members
€50.00
Every month
€500.00
Every year

Philosophy Portal is an online education platform opening space for the next generation of great thought, and cultivation of future philosophical mind. Philosophy Portal members get access to The Portal live event spaces, book clubs, either free or discounted access to courses, permanent early bird pricing on future courses, and priority to apply for retreats. Couples are encouraged get a 2 for 1 deal.


✓ Four live events every month
✓ Recorded history of our sessions (150+ hours of material)
✓ Deleuze and Analysis course (live)
✓ Slovenian School Reading group (live)
✓ Discounts on recorded/future courses

Check our reviews on

Pre-Course Conversation 1

The Death of the Millennial Left

Pre-Course Conversation 2

Marxism and Politics

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