Philosophy

Philosophy of Race

Module code: V7083D
Level 5
15 credits in spring semester
Teaching method: Lecture, Seminar
Assessment modes: Essay

What can philosophy contribute to our understanding of race, of racism, and to the pursuit of justice and equality in the context of race? Although philosophers have been carrying out important critical investigations into the topic of race for a long time, work in this area increased significantly during the twentieth century. Investigations of metaphysical, linguistic, political, and historical questions about race and racism now constitute a highly active area of philosophical research. In this module we will consider, and attempt to answer, a series of questions: Are there such things as races? If so, what sort of things are they? Are races biological categories, or are they socially constructed? Should we retain our concepts having to do with race, or should we attempt to modify or even stop using them altogether? What does it mean to describe something or someone as 'racist'? What sort of action should we take to address contemporary and contemporary racial injustices? What roles have race and racism played in the history of philosophy, and what roles do they play in our understanding of philosophy today?

Module learning outcomes

• Be able to think critically about philosophical views on the nature of 'race', racism, and/or racial discrimination
• Discuss and assess philosophical views on responses for racial disadvantage, such as racial eliminativism, racial conservationism and demands for reparations
• Rationally assess the extent to which racial bias permeates philosophy itself
• Analyse and understand key texts in the philosophy of race