What is Race?

Catalog description

What is race? Race can determine a lot about people’s lives. It can determine the targets of racial discrimination, violence, and injustice. It can determine who benefits from racial progress. It can be the basis of privileging some and subordinating others. It can impact a person’s self-identity. But what does it mean to belong to a certain racial group? This course will explore different philosophical answers to the question of ‘what is race?’. Is race solely biological? Are there “racial” genes? Or is race a social construction? Is race a political or cultural category? What are the consequences of each of these accounts? By engaging with these questions, students will cultivate their ability to clearly articulate their thoughts and develop their own opinions.