Course Description
An exploration of several topics related to philosophy and race: race and racism in the history of Western philosophy; contemporary and historical meanings and understandings of racial categorizations; challenges to white supremacist philosophical paradigms; and the significance of matters of race for philosophical investigations concerning identity, politics, ethics, and religion.
Additional Requirements for Graduate Students:
In addition to all readings assigned to undergraduates,
graduates will read selections from Locke, “Second Treatise On
Government,” Kant, "Physical Geography and Observations on the
Feeling of the Beautiful and the Sublime,” Roussea, “The Social
Contract,” and Rawls, “A Theory of Justice." Graduate students
will write an additional 20+ page paper.
Athena Title
Philosophy and Race
Prerequisite
PHIL 2010 or PHIL 2010H or PHIL 2010E or PHIL 2020 or PHIL 2020H or PHIL 2020E or PHIL 2030 or PHIL 2030H or PHIL 2030E or any 3000-level PHIL course or permission of department
Semester Course Offered
Offered spring
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Course Objectives
Students will explore a variety of topics related to philosophy and race including race and racism. Students will become familiar with both historical and contemporary literature on the topic of philosophy and race, and learn to write a philosophical paper on a topic in the area.
Topical Outline
Required Texts: 1) Philosophers on Race: Critical Essays, Julie K. Ward and Tommy L. Lott, eds. (POR) 2) God Is Red: A Native View of Religion, Vine Deloria Jr. 3) In My Father's House: Africa in the Philosophy of Culture, Kwame Anthony Appiah 4) Racial Formation in the United States: From the 1960s to the 1990s, Michael Omi and Howard Winant 5) White Women, Race Matters: The Social Construction of Whiteness, R. Frankenberg 6) Visible Identities: Race, Gender, and the Self, Linda Martín Alcoff 7) The Racial Contract, Charles Wade Mills and Winant 8) White Women, Race Matters: The Social Construction of Whiteness, R. Frankenberg 9) Visible Identities: Race, Gender, and the Self, Linda Martín Alcoff 10) The Racial Contract, Charles Wade Mills This course is an exploration of several topics related to philosophy and race: race and racism in the history of Western philosophy; contemporary and historical meanings and understandings of racial categorizations; challenges to white supremacist philosophical paradigms; and the significance of matters of race for philosophical investigations concerning identity, politics, ethics, and religion. This is a reading intensive course. Students are expected to attend every class and to do all assigned reading before class meetings. There will be an in-class quiz on the readings every week, and a long paper assignment on a topic of your choice (12-15 pages for undergrads, 20+ for grads). The average of your ten best quiz grades will constitute 25% of your final grade. “Distinction Without a Difference? Race and Genos in Plato,” Rachana Kamtekar; “Ethnos in the Politics: Aristotle and Race,” Julie K, Ward “Medieval Muslim Philosophers on Race,” Paul-A. Hardy; “Patriarchy and Slavery in Hobbes’ Political Philosophy,” Tommy L. Lott “‘An Inconsistency Not to be Excused,’: On Locke and Racism, Willliam Uzgalis; “Locke and the Dispossession of the American Indian,” Kathy Squadrito “Between Primates and Primitives: Natural Man as the Missing Link in Rousseau’s Second Discourse,” Francis Moran III; “Kant as and Unfamiliar Source of Racism,” Robert Bernasconi "Liberalism’s Limits: Carlyle and Mill on ‘The Negro Question,’” David Theo Goldberg The Racial Contract, Charles Wade Mills, pp. 1-40 The Racial Contract, Charles Wade Mills, pp. 41-90 The Racial Contract, Charles Wade Mills, pp. 91-end Film, TBA In My Father's House: Africa in the Philosophy of Culture, Kwame Anthony Appiah, pp. 3-72 In My Father's House: Africa in the Philosophy of Culture, Kwame Anthony Appiah, pp. 73-136 In My Father's House: Africa in the Philosophy of Culture, Kwame Anthony Appiah, pp. 137-192 Racial Formation in the United States: From the 1960s to the 1990s, Michael Omi and Howard Winant, pp. vii-52 Racial Formation in the United States: From the 1960s to the 1990s, Michael Omi and Howard Winant, pp. 53-94 Racial Formation in the United States: From the 1960s to the 1990s, Michael Omi and Howard Winant, pp. 95-160 Women and Girls in Georgia conference, please try to attend! White Women, Race Matters: The Social Construction of Whiteness, Ruth Frankenberg, pp. 1-70 White Women, Race Matters: The Social Construction of Whiteness, Ruth Frankenberg, pp. 71-136 White Women, Race Matters: The Social Construction of Whiteness, Ruth Frankenberg, pp. 137-244 “Heidegger and the Jewish Question: Metaphysical Racism in Silence and Word,” Berel Lang “Sartre on American Racism,” Julien Murphy; “Sartrean Bad Faith and Antiblack Racism,” Lewis R. Gordon “Beauvoir and the Problem of Racism,” Margaret A. Simons: "Dewey's Philosophical Approach to Racial Prejudice,” Gregory Fernando Pappas God Is Red: A Native View of Religion, Vine Deloria Jr., pp. ix- 66 God Is Red: A Native View of Religion, Vine Deloria Jr., pp. TBA God Is Red: A Native View of Religion, Vine Deloria Jr., pp. TBA God Is Red: A Native View of Religion, Vine Deloria Jr., pp. TBA Visible Identities: Race, Gender, and the Self, Linda Martín Alcoff, Pt. 1 Visible Identities: Race, Gender, and the Self, Linda Martín Alcoff, Pt. 2 Visible Identities: Race, Gender, and the Self, Linda Martín Alcoff, Pt. 3 Visible Identities: Race, Gender, and the Self, Linda Martín Alcoff, Pt. 4
Syllabus