African American Philosophy

Catalog description

This course guides students through an in-depth study of African-American Philosophy with a focus on three critical areas: (1) philosophical anthropology, (2) liberation/insurrection, and (3) Black existentialism. In the first unit, students consider race and the color-blind principle against the backdrop of liberalism and how this has impacted public policy. They also cover social, political and economic dimensions of African-American philosophy. In the second unit, students will study key works in critical race theory, and this may include some of the judicial opinions and speeches of the late Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall. The final unit explores Black existentialism and the work of such philosophers as George Yancy. Some knowledge of moral and political philosophy (utilitarianism, deontology, virtue ethics, the social contract, etc.) is helpful for this course.