Economic theory must distinguish between publicly owned and privately owned property if it is to account for the effect of institutions on the behavior of individuals. Careful study of the theories of Marxists and the real-world experience in the Soviet economy offer important lessons and insight for economic modeling and the ongoing development of theory. In this course, Marxist/Leninist theory and Soviet reality will be studied with an open mind, and with the goal of taking lessons from the case study.

Enroll in course

MOOC List is learner-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Course Outline

- Introduction to Soviet Economic History

- Why Study Marx?

- The Soviet Union: An Experiment in Marxism

- Lessons from the Soviet Union

- Stages of Central Planning and Marxism in the Soviet Union

- Lessons for Public versus Private Ownership

- Marx's Labor Theory of Value

- Planning to Plan

- Marxist Utopianism

- From Revolution to Planning

- War Communism: Lessons for Leaders

- The Retreat to Markets: The New Economic Policy

- The New Economic Policy in Crisis

- Stalinism and Alternatives

- The Path to Stalinism and the Party Line

- Stalin's Rise and The Tragedy of Collectivization

- Exam