RATIONALE: The
rationale of this course is two-fold: (i) to expose the
student to the intellectual backdrop against which African-American philosophy
is conceived and to interrogate that background; and (ii) to familiarize the
student with the nature and type of issues that inform contemporary discussions
in African-American philosophy.
Two central concerns of African-American philosophy are social justice for
blacks and "the absurdity" (in the existential sense) of black
existence. Given these concerns, critical works in African-American philosophy
therefore focus on sociopolitical and existential issues. The point of
departure of these concerns is the intellectual framework in the Western world
within which black existence was (and has been) historically circumscribed. In
particular, the views of key figures such as Hume, Kant, Hegel, Nietzsche,
Herder, and Blumenbach, to name a few, helped to
shape and legitimate the "enlightenment" (?) discourse on race and
personhood. The essence of the discourse was whether or not non-whites were
persons. It is in light of this discourse, therefore, that we are to understand
American slavery, its aftermath on blacks, and hence the existential and
sociopolitical concerns of African-American philosophy.
BEHAVIORAL
OBJECTIVE: Upon completing the course the student will have attained the
following: (i) a heightened critical awareness of the
rootedness of African-American philosophic discourse
specifically in the experience of slavery and oppression; (ii) an appreciation
of why African-American philosophy focuses on existential matters and with
issues of race and social justice; and (iii) an exposure to some of the
uncelebrated views of revered canonical figures in the history of Western
philosophy as well as the implications of such views for positions presented by
those philosophers in the areas of ethics, epistemology, and metaphysics.
CONTENT: We will
begin by historicizing the aforementioned sociopolitical and existential
concerns of African-American philosophy through a reading and critiques of a representative selections of the views on race and
personhood articulated by some of the most influential modern philosophers in
the history of ideas. We then will examine some contemporary readings in
sociopolitical discussions of slavery and oppression, resistance, the nature of
rights, citizenship, equality, reparation, and justice. We also will examine
the concept of a person, black invisibility, "the absurd" of black
existence, and alleged black nihilism.
METHODOLOGY:
Lectures, seminar-type class discussions, and regular class presentations.
EVALUATION:
|
1st Test |
20% |
|
2nd Test |
20% |
|
3-5 page
Expository Paper on an assigned topic |
15% |
|
10-12 page
Critical Paper, a further development of the Expository Paper |
25% |
|
1 Mandatory
Class Presentation |
10% |
|
Class
Participation |
10% |
EVALUATION
DATES: TBA
TEXTS: To Be Determined