For Next Week (All)

*Note: For PGCC students ("2215": M, 6 - 9pm), the following assignments are posted for you all to address after our class this coming Monday (4.14.08). Essentially, you all do not have to do any new readings for this coming Monday, other than what has already been assigned. Also, everyone's outlines are due on Monday for section four and five of your Final Research Projects.

Week 11

• Defining Africana Philosophy

(a) For Monday: See the (3min) webcast “What is Africana Philosophy?":

read the PBS review of “What is Race?”, clicking the 10 “quick facts” at the bottom of the webpage to learn about the social construction of race; and read (ESSENTIAL READING!) “Modern Western Philosophy and African Colonialism” (Eze’s text, African Philosophy).

(b) For Wednesday: View the informative first part ("The Colour [sic] of Money") of the BBC documentary, “Racism: A History”:

highlighting the economic interests that (many argue) drove slavery/imperialism/colonialism and the rationale via philosophy, science and religion that followed; and begin Lucius Outlaw’s text (23 – 28) “African, African American, Africana Philosophy” (Eze).

(c) For Friday: Complete Outlaw’s text (29 – 39) “African, African American, Africana Philosophy” (Eze). Turn in Critiques, assessing the week’s readings.

For further reference, do not hesitate to assess the following OPTIONAL resources:

• For those who want to explore race/racism and philosophy, and contemporary reactions in the virtual world, view the exchange at "Philosophical Misadventures," where you can look at the disturbing views on black people and Africans from thinkers like Kant, Hume, Schopenhauer, Hegel and Mills. Warning!, some of the links and comments can be viewed as "extreme" (there are links to hate sites), though, instructive insofar as we can see how people, old and new, are thinking and using the thoughts of various philosophers to rationalize white power (Eurocentrism).
• View “Race Timeline" and click “Explore Timeline” to look at the social, philosophical and scientific origins of race; listen to the philosopher Kwame Appiah’s audiocast interview, “What is Race?” at “Philosophy Talk;” read Appiah’s text “The Illusions of Race” (Eze).
• For those that want to see the other two parts of the BBC documentary "Racism: A History" ("Fatal Impact" and "A Savage Legacy") do not hesitate to click this link.