MS 130 PZ -Pirates, Fugitives, and Thieves

The use of pirates throughout the media has drastically undermined the importance of the history and aesthetic of piracy. While most of our film media focuses on the Golden Age of Piracy, the ethic of being anti-state and anti-capitalism still carries on. In this class we will explore the history of piracy, fugitivity, and theft as a way of exploring the ideas which promote radical views of the political economy. We continue this exploration into the 21st century where piracy is pushed into the technological age. We ask: how can we see pirates on land, on the web and on the cutting edge of a critique of capital? Should piracy be seen as an analogy or a technique? Using theoretical and ethnographic texts drawing on the theme of theft, the course will cover various approaches, arguments and sentiments of lives lived outside of the ideological and physical boundaries of the state.