PHIL 220 Philosophy of Race and Racism

This course introduces students to philosophical debates on race and racism. Questions to be studied include: 1) What is race? Do races even exist? If so, are they biological in nature, social in nature, or some combination of the two? What is ethnicity? Are Jews best defined as a race, an ethnicity, or a religion? 2) Can people change their race, i.e., be transracial? Should they have to pass to do so? What is racial identity anyway, and should it ever come apart from race? 3) What is racism? Are antisemitism and islamophobia forms of racism? What makes a person, an institution, or an entire society ‘racist’? If a person is racist, is it fundamentally because of their attitudes, beliefs, behaviors, or otherwise? Throughout the semester, students will develop their own critical perspectives and independent arguments on debated issues. Serves as Africana Studies, Educational Studies, JIMES, and PPE elective.