7 required courses at Moscow University

Moscow University, 1977-1978

added 20020924
last update 20020928

General education, Soviet style

The following seven courses were required for all students. Bourgeois critics might complain that 5 of the seven had to do with Communism and materialism, but of course the true fault is in Western universities, ignoring such an important subject. (So-called "political correctness" is a sham substitute, inconsistently applied.)

Source: Moskovskij Universitet, 1977-78 Uchebnyj Process: Katalog-Spravochnik: Gumanitarnye Fakul'tety, Izdatel'stvo Moskovskogo Universiteta, 1977.
(University course catalogue)

P. 6:

A most important feature of a university education is a broad general and scientific preparation. A thorough study of the history of the C.P.S.U., political economy, Marxist-Leninist philosophy, and the foundations of scientific Communism ensure the preparation of specialists, able from correct methodological positions to appraise and deal with concrete facts in science and life.

Pp. 11-13:

COMMON COURSES FOR THE HUMANITIES DEPARTMENTS

(Note: the identical courses were also required for the natural sciences departments.)

1. History of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (C.P.S.U.)

The struggle to establish a Marxist party in Russia. The working-out by V.I. Lenin of ideological, theoretical, tactical, and organizational foundations of the party. The emergence of Bolshevism. The Bolshevik Party in the years of the first revolution [1905 ff], in the period of reaction, and the new revolutionary enthusiasm. The second revolution in Russia. The Party as inspirer and organizer of the victory of the Great October Socialist Revolution. The Party in the period of foreign military intervention and civil war. The struggle of the Party for the resurrection and reconstruction of the nation's economy, for socialist industrialization and collectivization of agriculture. The victory of socialism in the USSR. The Party as inspirer and organizer of the victory of the Soviet people in th Great Patriotic War. The formation of the world system of socialism. The struggle of the CPSU for the achievement of a developed socialist society and gradual transition to Communism. 25th Congress of the CPSU.
Director of the chair of history of the CPSU in the Humanties Departments -- V. A. Lavrin, professor.

2. Marxist-Leninist philosophy

Dialectical materialism as science. Matter and the forms of its existence. Consciousness, its origin and nature. The Leninist theory of reflection. The materialist dialectic as a teaching about universal connectivity and development. The basic laws and categories of the dialectic. The theory of perception. Critique of contemporary bourgeois philosophy. The Marxist-Leninist theory of social development -- historical materialism. Sources and motive forces of social progress. Social-economic formations. Classes and class structure and forms. Critique of contemporary bourgeois sociology. Marxist-Leninist philosophy as a methodology of science. The 25th Congress of the C.P.S.U.
Director of the chair of Marxist-Leninist philosophy for the Humanities Departments -- A. M. Korshunov, professor.

3. Political Economy

The system of categories and laws of political economy of capitalism. The antagonistic nature and the exploitative essence of the capitalist means of production. The most recent tendencies of the development of world capitalism. Critique of bourgeois theories. The system of categories and laws of political economy of socialism. The nature of socialist society as a structure of associated producers, united by community property of the means of production. Analysis of the economic regularity of functioning of a developed socialist society and its gradual growth into Communism. 25th Congress of the C.P.S.U.
Director of the chair of political economy of the Humanities departments -- F. M. Volkov, professor.

4. Scientific Communism

Scientific Communism as an ingredient of Marxism-Leninism. The origin and basic stages in the development of scientific Communism. The transition to Communism -- the path of development of mankind. The theory of socialist revolution. The contemporary era and the world revolutionary process. The world socialist system as the principal revolutionary force of today. The crisis of world capitalism and the revolutionary movement of the working class. The national-liberation movement. Problems of war and peace. The international Communist movement. The 25th Congress of the C.P.S.U. The establishment and victory of Socialism. The dictatorship of the proletariat and its forms. The transformation of social relations in the transitional period. The regularity of development of socialism into communism. Routes of attainment of social uniformity. Political organization of socialist society. Development of socialist democracy. Scientific direction by socialist society. The development of nations. Way of life and family. The spiritual culture of society. The development of the personality. Communist upbringing. Critique of anti-communism.
Director of the chair of scientific communism for the Humanities departments -- A. G. Lashin, professor.

5. Foundations of scientific atheism

Scientific atheism in the system of the Marxist-Leninist world view. The Marxist understanding of the essence, origins, social role of religion, and ways to overcome it. Critique of religious ideology. Analysis of the crisis of religion in contemporary society. Regularity of the development of atheism, its historic forms. Relations of the Communist Party and socialist state to religion, the church, and believers. The achievement of freedom of conscience in a socialist society. Scientific-atheist upbringing.
Director of the chair of history and theory of scientific atheism of the Humanities departments -- N. P. Novikov, professor.

6. A foreign language

Work with original foreign scientific literature in a specialty, reading with general mastery of the content, both in detail and overview, ability to carry a conversation in the limits of elementary dialogue. Transmission of content, read in monograph form.
Directors of the chair of foreign languages in the Humanities departments -- E. A. Ivanova, lecturer; V. N. Rybalka, lecturer; P. V. Carev, lecturer.

7. Physical education

Completion of a program, the basis of which are the norms and requirements of the complex F.T.O. (?) of the 4th level. History of physical culture in the USSR. The hygiene of practicing physical exercises. Medical control, the Soviet system of sports training. Practice activities including light athletics, skiing, tourism, and sports games. The opportunity is offered to achieve one's mastery in training groups in one of 32 types of sport supported at M.G.U.
Director of the chair of physical education and sport -- N. D. Sinani, lecturer.

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