Michael Hardt. The Common in Communism. 2009 1/9

http://www.egs.edu/ Michael Hardt, speaking about the common in communism, capitalism and socialism, nature of economic and social production, economy, property, labor, conditions, regulation, privatization, nationalization, economic and financial crisis, political evolution, climate change, Karl Marx in a lecture at the European Graduate School, or EGS, in Saas Fee, Switzerland. Free Public open lecture for the students and faculty of the European Graduate School EGS Media and Communication Studies department program Saas-Fee Switzerland Europe 2009 Michael Hardt.

Michael Hardt. Michael Hardt, born 1960 is an American literary theorist and political philosopher based at Duke University. Michael Hardt's recent writings deal primarily with the political, legal, economic, and social aspects of globalization. Perhaps his most famous work is Empire, a book about the current global power structure, written with Antonio Negri. The sequel to Empire, called Multitude: War and Democracy in the Age of Empire, describes the possible democratic alternatives to that structure, was released in August, 2004, and details the idea of the multitude (which Michael Hardt and Negri initially elaborated in Empire) as the potential site of a global democratic movement. Many of Michael Hardts seminars focus on the work of important figures in the history of critical theory and political theory, such as Marx, Jefferson, Gramsci, Foucault, Deleuze, and Guattari.

Sometimes referred to as the "Communist Manifesto of the 21st Century", Empire proposes that the forces of current class oppression, namely - corporate globalization and commodification of services (or "production of affects") have the potential to fuel social change of unprecedented dimensions.

Born in Washington DC, Michael Hardt attended Winston Churchill High School in Potomac, Maryland. He studied engineering at Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania from 1978 to 1983. In college during the 1970s energy crisis, Michael Hardt began to take an interest in alternative energy sources. Talking about his college politics, Michael Hardt said, "I thought that doing alternative energy engineering for third world countries would be a way of doing politics that would get out of all this campus political posing that I hated."

After college, Michael Hardt worked for various solar energy companies. Michael Hardt also worked with NGOs in Central America, doing tasks like bringing donated computers from the U.S. and putting them together for the University of El Salvador. Yet, Michael Hardt says that this political activity did more for him than it did for the El Salvadoreans. In 1983 he moved to Seattle to study comparative literature. From there Michael Hardt went to Paris where he would meet Negri and write his dissertation under Negri's guidance. Michael Hardt speaks fluent French and Italian, and is Professor of Literature and Italian at Duke University. In 2006, Michael Hardt was a member of the group of 88 Duke professors who signed a statement supporting the accuser in the Duke rape case.

Michael Hardt also works on modern Italian literature and culture. His oevre includes: Gilles Deleuze: an Apprenticeship in Philosophy, Labor of Dionysus: a Critique of the State-form, with Antonio Negri, Empire, with Antonio Negri, Multitude: War and Democracy in the Age of Empire, with Antonio Negri, and Commonwealth, with Antonio Negri.

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[terrorfarmer]

First, let me say how beneficial it is that you post these great presentations. Second, to reiterate many who have had the same grist with these youtube videos posted... please find a way to improve the sound quality.

[egsvideo]

thank you for the comment. please understand though, that at european graduate school the quality of the idea, the content, the lecture, will always be more relevant, than the beauty of the shell or the shine of duplicate. while we accept that you enjoy these lectures, while we are happy if we can share the learning experience with the public, the main purpose of this channel on youtube is to allow our students to work with the recordings and transcriptions.

[shmike1984]

right. yea we puny minds outside of graduate schools couldn't possibly find a use for this shit, eh?

[egsvideo]

thank you for the comment. you are welcome. please keep in mind, that european graduate school is a rather small institution without a significant overhead or dedicated documentation department. i hope you could enjoy the lecture.

[Headliner]

@egsvideo is it possible for people who went to college in Appalachia to be accepted somewhere like egs?

[egsvideo]

@Headliner thank you for the comment. the european graduate school does not discriminate based on race, belief, gender or nationality. please, go to the admission/online application section of the website, fill out the application form and you will get a response right away.

[egsvideo]

thank you for the comment. the european graduate school does not discriminate based on race, belief, gender or nationality. please, go to the admission/online application section of the website, fill out the application form and you will get a response right away.

[chris902]

@CRAPCANNONS

Of course, capitalism is never implemented by means of coercion and mass murder, right?

[CRAPCANNONS]

The hidden aspect of these utopian ideas is always that, in its empirical implementation, is coercion. People with guns will have to be deployed against the hold-outs for the 'common good'.

There's no mystery why Communist texts always miss the mark when attempted in life. Mass-murder is always the inevitable result. There's no reason to think that would ever change. All these ideas have a 'year zero'.

[zurbarab]

Hardt's best, must thorough lecture.  Very dense. I've gone over it about 10 times. ¡ Viva Michael Hardt ! Saludos desde Los Angeles.

[nico108]

Very strong lecture!

[Egorend]

Go Michael!!! He's talking about concrete things and making concrete arguments!!  Wow!! It's not postpostpostpostspostclaptrap! Amazing! Refreshing!