Description
Book SynopsisThis wide-ranging, multidisciplinary collection of newly commissioned articles brings together distinguished voices in the field of Africana philosophy and African-American social and political thought.
- Provides a comprehensive critical survey of African-American philosophical thought.
- Collects wide-ranging, multidisciplinary, newly commissioned articles in one authoritative volume.
- Serves as a benchmark work of reference for courses in philosophy, social and political thought, cultural studies, and African-American studies.
Trade Review"
A Companion to African-American Philosophy is an indispensable and elegant guide to a constellation of inquiries into and about African-American thought and the production of that thought."
Wahneema Lubiano, Duke University
"Authoritative, compendious, and detailed, this landmark publication sets a standard against which every other reference work in the field must be judged." Wilson J. Moses, The Pennsylvania State University
"A new convergence of reflections on the African-American experience by some of the most active philosophers in the United States. An important reference work for scholars and a useful tool in the classroom." Emmanuel Chukwudi Eze, DePaul University
"This is the most thorough compilation of contemporary African-American philosophy I have yet seen. The inclusion of a selection of essays on cultural issues is a great addition. From racism to reparations to rap, these essays show how philosophers can illuminate current debates and eliminate persistent confusions in the mainstream discussions of these topics." Linda Martín Alcoff, Syracuse University
"A Companion to African-American Philosophy is a valuable reference source. The editors have done an excellent job of representing the essential themes of African-American philosophical thought as well as notable individuals from the field. Libraries that support black history/studies, philosophy, American studies, and contemporary American thought should definitely purchase the Companion: it is well worth the cost. The novice will especially gain a wealth of information." Reference Reviews
Table of ContentsNotes on Contributors viii
Preface xiii
Acknowledgments xv
Part I Philosophic Traditions
Introduction to Part I 3
1 Philosophy and the Afro-American Experience 7
CORNEL WEST
2 African-American Existential Philosophy 33
LEWIS R. GORDON
3 African-American Philosophy: A Caribbean Perspective 48
PAGET HENRY
4 Modernisms in Black 67
FRANK M. KIRKLAND
5 The Crisis of the Black Intellectual 87
HORTENSE J. SPILLERS
Part II The Moral and Political Legacy of Slavery
Introduction to Part II 107
6 Kant and Knowledge of Disappearing Expression 110
RONALD A. T. JUDY
7 Social Contract Theory, Slavery, and the Antebellum Courts 125
ANITA L. ALLEN AND THADDEUS POPE
8 The Morality of Reparations II 134
BERNARD R. BOXILL
Part III Africa and Diaspora Thought
Introduction to Part III 151
9 “Afrocentricity”: Critical Considerations 155
LUCIUS T. OUTLAW, JR.
10 African Retentions 168
TOMMY L. LOTT
11 African Philosophy at the Turn of the Century 190
ALBERT G. MOSLEY
Part IV Gender, Race, and Racism
Introduction to Part IV 199
12 Some Group Matters: Intersectionality, Situated Standpoints, and Black Feminist Thought 205
PATRICIA HILL COLLINS
13 Radicalizing Feminisms from “The Movement Era” 230
JOY A. JAMES
14 Philosophy and Racial Paradigms 239
NAOMI ZACK
15 Racial Classification and Public Policy 255
DAVID THEO GOLDBERG
16 White Supremacy 269
CHARLES W. MILLS
Part V Legal and Social Philosophy
Introduction to Part V 285
17 Self-Respect, Fairness, and Living Morally 293
LAURENCE M. THOMAS
18 The Legacy of Plessy v. Ferguson 306
MICHELE MOODY-ADAMS
19 Some Reflections on the Brown Decision and Its Aftermath 313
HOWARD McGARY
20 Contesting the Ambivalence and Hostility to Affirmative Action within the Black Community 324
LUKE C. HARRIS
21 Subsistence Welfare Benefits as Property Interests: Legal Theories and Moral Considerations 333
RUDOLPH V. VANTERPOOL
22 Racism and Health Care: A Medical Ethics Issue 349
ANNETTE DULA
23 Racialized Punishment and Prison Abolition 360
ANGELA Y. DAVIS
Part VI Aesthetic and Cultural Values
Introduction to Part VI 373
24 The Harlem Renaissance and Philosophy 381
LEONARD HARRIS
25 Critical Theory, Aesthetics, and Black Modernity 386
LORENZO C. SIMPSON
26 Black Cinema and Aesthetics 399
CLYDE R. TAYLOR
27 Thanatic Pornography, Interracial Rape, and the Ku Klux Klan 407
T. DENEAN SHARPLEY-WHITING
28 Lynching and Burning Rituals in African-American Literature 413
TRUDIER HARRIS-LOPEZ
29 Rap as Art and Philosophy 419
RICHARD SHUSTERMAN
30 Microphone Commandos: Rap Music and Political Ideology 429
BILL E. LAWSON
31 Sports, Political Philosophy, and the African American 436
GERALD EARLY
Index 450
