PHIL 274.001 – African American Political Philosophy

Instructor: Matt Hernandez. This course meets MWF 9:05 – 9:55 a.m. in CW 105.

This course will serve as an introduction to the philosophy of race as it has been developed out of African American Political Philosophy. Through a selection of primarily contemporary readings, we will investigate what it means for someone (or something) to be racist, what it is for someone to have a race, and what we should do about it: for example, are Black Americans owed reparations? Should people of color engage in “respectability politics”? Can Hip Hop be a form of resistance against racism?  Through critical engagement with these topics and questions students should develop ways to think about these issues in a complex, philosophically reflective, and productive manner.