Black Classicism

Catalog description

Classicism has often been a key feature in narratives of western exceptionalism. Imperial powers in Europe and the Americas have traced a cultural lineage back to a “Greek miracle,” the Roman empire, or a “Judeo-Christian” tradition to bolster claims of cultural superiority and to construct the idea of “whiteness.” Unsurprisingly, many critics of Western imperialism have eyed classicism with suspicion. Others, however, have engaged with classical materials in a variety of ways that run counter to traditional exceptionalist narratives. This course examines the ways black thinkers have engaged with classical materials, concepts, and figures and asks how Black Classicisms complicate and enrich our understanding of classicism generally. We will ask: what are the political uses of historical narrative? Are the classics only a tool for the powerful, or can they serve subversive ends as well? We will give particular attention to the place of heroism, exodus, and tragedy in the black political tradition. Is the hero a promising model for politics? What are its limits? Does the Exodus story offer a more promising model, or does it lead to the same problems? Is the past something that can be transcended, or is it a kind of tragic burden? And if life is tragic, how ought we to live amidst tragedy? Readings include: Friedrich Nietzsche, Leo Strauss, Plato, C.L.R. James, Ralph Ellison, W.E.B. Du Bois, Saidiya Hartman, and Euripides.