SiMON FRASER UNIVERSITY
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S.73-59
MEMORANDUM
SENATE
?
From
SENATE COMMITTEE ON...UNDER.ADUAT,E.. STUDIES
NEW COURSE PROPOSAL - FACULTY OF
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,....
Subject
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INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDIES - GS 300- Date APRIL 18, 1973
- AN INTRODUCTION TO MARXIST-
T.FtTUT1T (TTTC19M
MOTION:
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"That Senate approve, as set forth in S.73-59,
the new course proposal for General Studies
300-5 - An Introduction to Marxist-Leninist
Criticism of the Arts."
If the above motion is approved,
MOTION:
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"That Senate waive the normal two semester
time lag requirement in order that General
U
?
Studies 300-5 may first be offered in the
Spring Semester 74-1."
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SiMON FRASER UNIVERSITY ?
S.
735c/
MEMORANDUM
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SENATE
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........................................................................From
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Senate Conini.teepnUnrg.Studies
New Course Proposal - Faculty of
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11 18
Subject......
InterdisciplinaryStudies'
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CS
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.
Date.........
.
"P......
-
An Introduction to Marxist-Lenini t
flrlf I -I urn .-.f 1-1 . i
On the recommendation of the Faculty of Interdisciplinary
Studies, the Senate Committee on Undergraduate Studies has approved
the new course proposal for General Studies 300-5 - An Introduction
to Marxist-Leninist Criticism of the Arts, as set forth in SCUS 73-1
(updated March 15,
1
973), and forwards it to Senate for Its
consideration.
This submission contains the following information:
(a)
Course proposal;
(b) Course outline; and
(c)
Rationale for the course.
It should be noted that this course is an extension of
one already offered, by the two faculty members proposing the
course, as a directed readings course in the English Department.
It is proposed as a new course to encompass some additional material,
to permit Its offering on a more regular basis and to accommodate
higher student demand than is possible In a directed readings course.
The course does not overlap with other courses within the University
and will not require additional resources beyond the provision of
somerelease time for the faculty member teaching it.
.......
1 Mugridge
SiMON FRASER UNIVERSITY SCar
73/
MEMORANDUM
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.................
Dr.
I. Mugridge
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hairman.
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From
......
...
R.
I
C. Brown, Dean,
Senate...CQmm....ee... Q.n ........... ..............................
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Interdisciplinary Studies.
Undergraduate Studies.
Subject,.,
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Date....... .....
Dec ernber ... Z./.72.. ...................
................... .... ...
Course Proposal: An Introduction to Marxist-Leninist Criticism of the Arts.
The above-named course proposal has been approved by the
Faculty of Interdisciplinary Studies Curriculum Committee and is forwarded
herewith to the Senate Committee on Undergraduate Studies for consideration.
i2
RCB /JMB
Enclosure.
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DIVISION OF GENERAL STUDIES
?
NEW COURSE PROPOSAL
1.
CALENDAR INFORMATION
Program: General Studies. Course Number: 300 Title: An Introduction to
Marxist-Leninist
Criticism of the Arts
Sub-title or Description:
An Introduction to Marxist-Leninist Criticism of the Arts.
Credit Hours: 5
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Vector Description: (2-3-0)
Prerequisiteè: At least 60 semester hours credit.
2.
ENROLMENT AND SCHEDULING
Estimated Enrolment: 15 maximum.
Semester Offered (e.g. Yearly, every Spring, twice yearly, Fall and Spring):
• ?
Yearly, every spring.
When will course first be offered?
Spring 1974
3.
JUSTIFICATION
A.
What is the detailed description of the course including differentiation
from lower level courses, from similar courses in the same department, and
from courses in other departments in the University?
There are no similar courses in any department in the University. These texts
(see enclosed list) have not been assembled together for any course.
B.
What is the range of topics that may be dealt with in the course?
Esthetics
Practical Criticism
Literature (tragedy, comedy, lyric, etc.)
S
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2.
C.
How does this course fit the goals of the program?
It is genuinely interdisciplinary; it is innovative; it will interest students;
it has not been offered before.
D.
How does this course affect degree requirements?
General elective.
E.
What are the calendar changes necessary to reflect the addition
of this course?
Calendar addition.
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NOW
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F. What course, if any, is being dropped from the calendar if
this course is approved?
None.
C. What 1s the nature of student demand for this course?
We have had a very good response to the course when it was given as directed
reading, from both English and P.S.A. .students. Of course, only an opinion
poll could really answer this question.
H. Other reasons for introducing the course.
It to a
necessary part of a broad literary or political theory education.
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3.
4. BUDGETARY AND SPACE FACTORS
A.
Which faculty will be available to teach this course?
S. Delany ?
) ?
English Department.
C. Banerjee
B.
What are the special space and/or equipment requirements
for this course?
None.
C.
Any other budgetary implications of mounting this course:
is
Release time for the above faculty.
Approval:
Dean of Division:
i2
C
Senate:
S
English 441-42
?
C. Banerjee
Spring 1973
?
S. Delany
January ?
8: General introduction to political principles (class,
class struggle, capital, wage-labor). Marx, Wage-
Labor and Capital; Marx and Engels, Communist Mani-
festo; Lenin, The State; Lenin, Imperialism, the Latest
Stage of Capitalism.
15: General introduction, continued (what are, revolutionary
ideas and attitudes?). Engels, Socialism, Utopian and
Scientiftc; Lenin, Left-Wing Communism, an Infantile
Disorder; Mao Tse-Tung, Combat Liberalism.
22: Marx and Engels, On Art and Literature (out of print; Xerox?
Xerox copies on reserve). Lenin, On Literature and Art.
29: Leon Trotsky, Literature and Revolution, Trotsky article
on Celine in Atlantic Monthly.
Mayakovsky poems (in Penguin Bold anthology).
February 5: Christopher Caudll, Illusion and Reality; Studies in A
Dying Culture (particularly essays on Wells, Lawrence and
Liberty).
12: Mao Tse-Tung, Talks at the Yenan Forum; Oppose Stereotyped
Party Writing.
19: Post-revolutionary Chinese literature. Chiang Ching, On
the Revolution in Peking Opera; Snow article (Xerox);
Meserve anthology of Chinese drama; Mao's poems, in
Penguin anthology or separate edition.
26: Georg Lukacs, The Writer and the Critic; ContemporaM
European Realism.
March
?
5: The Neo-Hegelians. T. Adorno on jazz Walter Benjamin,
"The Work of Art in an Age of Mechanical Reproduction,"
from Illuminations; Herbert Marcuse on art, from Counter-
revolution and Revolt; Hippolyte review of Lukacs' Hegel
book from Studies on Marx and Hegel.
12: Proletarian art and Socialist Realism. John Berger, Art
and Revolution; Joseph Freeman, "Introduction" to Prole-
tarian Literature of the Thirties.
?
LuJa,
(v f((Lf).
1
,
9: Practical Criticism: Brecht, St. Joan of the Stockyards,
The Measure Taken, poems
(A
few in Penguin anthology), and
writings on drama, ed. John Willett, Brecht on Theatre.
S
?
26: Discuss methodology for papers.
April ?
2: Practical criticism: open.
S
SiMON FRASER UNIVERSITY
MEMORANDUM
From ....... .... ......T.
.Sterling.,...chairm
.
...
....... .................
Faculty
.
of I:ter^iphnary Studies
Urergr4ateçur iculum Committee.
Date..
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bár.V,77............... ...... ......
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... ..........
....
•y r
i.
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I..
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Dr. I
.
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..... Mugridgeha.rman,
Sexiate..C.omrnitte.e..on..U.nd,ergra.dua
Studies.
Subject
An Introduction to
Marxist-Leninist Criti4s
Attached is a copy of a letter received from .ofesrs
'
S./belany and
C. Bannerjee giving justification for the off erin ?
..the1ted course.
F'urther, a point was made during a meeting of the Interdisciplinary Studies
Curriculum Committee that any qualified student who applies for entry to the
course should be admitted.
fl
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Enclosure.
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SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY, BURNABY 2, B.C., CANADA
DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH; 291-3136
29 June 1972
Proposal for General Studies Course: Marxist-Leninist
?
Literary Criticism
1.
Why this course belongs in the General Studies Program.
The
two sponsors have given this course before, in Spring 1972, and found
a very encouraging response from students within and outside of the English
Department. Several who took the course were from PSA and history, some
had joint majors, one was an artist. Since the course was offered as a
directed-reading course (441-42) it was limited to six: four more audited
and several others came to one or more sessions. As the course was not
officially announced, all of these students heard of it by word-of-mouth,
and we are certain that there will be a demand for it (in fact several
students from PSA and English have already decided to take it this spring
under whatever auspices it is offered). The course is, by definition,
genuinely inter-disciplinary, drawing on history, economics, political
science, esthetics, critical theory, literature, and (to some degree)
the other arts (painting, drama, sculpture, dance, caafts).
We must also add that a course of this nature is extremely demanding, and
requires a good deal of preparation. Under the directed-reading program
we receive no credit for our work in the course, despite the fact that
we serve as many
?
students in this course as are served in regular
curriculum courses, and despite the large additional burden that it places
on us. Although we will continue to offer the course unofficially, we feel
that the university ought not to rely on voluntary work for high-quality
teaching, but should give the usual credits for this work.
2.
Organization of the course (see attached syllabus as well).
The course is divided into three sections. The first two sessions were
devoted to discussion of the political, economic and historical principles
of Marxist theory, with some attention to the way in which these principles
would apply to art and criticism (though the next section of the course
deals more fully with the latter). Most of the students were already
familiarl with some Marxist theory, whether from PSA courses or their
own reading, and though this is desireable it is not an absolute pre-
requisite.
The body of the course consists of reading and sicussing the work of major
and minor Marxist and other left critics (e.g., Marx and Engels, Lenin,
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IIII
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SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY, BURNABY 2, B.C., CANADA
DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH: 291-3136
Trotsky, Christopher Caudwell, Mao Tse-Tung, Georg Lukacs, the Frankfort
school, and some current writers).
The last four sessions consisted of practical criticism, in an attempt to
exercise Marxist critical theory on texts chosen by the students (in this
case, Shakespeare, Brecht, and some post-revolutionary Russian and Chinese
poets). We also discussed at this point uiethdo1ogy for the critical papers
which students submitted on writers of their own choice; these papers in-
cluded D.H. Lawrence, Thomas Wolfe, Robert Browning, Jane Austen and
others. The papers and practical criticism sessions will obviously
change from year to year, depending on the interest of the students.
3. Justification of seminar format and limited enrollment.
For several reasons we think that the course would not be suitable to a
lecture format. Most important, the purpose of the course is not to impart
specific information but to develop a critical approach. Our concern is
therefore with methodology rather than with any given set of facts. We
. ?
want to encourage each student to use his or her own experience and know-
ledge in developing this methodology, and to do this through discussion
of the texts and problems that constitute the content of the course. Such
questions as the possibility of tragedy, the function of catharsis, the
status of crafts, the stylistic consequences of particular attitudes, are
not to be dealt with in lecture, or at least not effectively dealt with
except in discussion. Finally, it may not be as obvious to the committee
as it is to
US
that Marxist esthetics and art criticism is still in an
experimental stage of development. We who teach the course are continually
learning from it, so that we would be reluctant to present the subject as
if it were a settled one.
S. Delany
C. Banerjee
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