PHI 353 Philosophical Discussions on Ethnicity and Race: Blackness and Latinidad
An introduction to the central questions in the philosophy of race and ethnicity. Some of the questions explored are: What is the concept of race? Are African-American or Latino/a race categories? Is the concept of race different from or does it encompass ethnicity? Is race a biological category? What is the connection between the concepts of race and ethnicity and racism and discrimination? Are race and ethnicity integral to one's sense of self? How should questions of identity be decided and by whom? We explore the philosophical assumptions behind questions of race, ethnicity, and identity with a special focus on Blackness and Latinidad. Discussions consider not only the ethical but also the metaphysical and epistemological implications of ethnic and racial designations in general, and specifically the designations of African-American and Latino/a. Although the main focus is on Blackness/African-American and Latinidad, we also read about Indian and Asian racial categories.