The Political Philosophy of the Labor Movement

Is the labor movement a proper subject for political philosophy? What would it be to develop a political philosophy of labor unions? In this course, we will explore the relationship of unions to class interests, to ideas of justice and solidarity, and to the critique capitalism. We will consider the contradictions that arise from the fact that unions are institutions embedded in capitalist relations of production, while simultaneously being part of a movement that contests and challenges the terms of those very relations. We will explore the idea that under certain conditions, unions can be conceived of as agents of change involved in political projects oriented to overcoming injustices related to class. Time permitting, we will also explore the complex relationship of class-based political projects to injustices of race and gender. This course will be offered in conjunction with a Neubauer Collegium conference, What Force on Earth: Theorizing the Labor Movement that brings together academics with union organizers to think about the past, present, and future of the labor movement from October 10th to 11th. Participation in the course also makes one eligible to apply for an internship opportunity with the Emergency Workers’ Organizing Committee (EWOC).