HAP 141 - Job Openings - the Rise of Africana Professional Philosophy

In this book, Charles W. Mills argues that the social contract theories of philosophers like Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, and Immanuel Kant were not race-neutral but rather were designed to regulate relations among whites while justifying the oppression and exploitation of non-whites. Mills contends that this 'Racial Contract' has been a central feature of Western political theory and practice, shaping a system of global European domination and maintaining white supremacy. He proposes a non-ideal theory to expose the inequities of this system and to connect mainstream political philosophy with the political thought of marginalized groups.

Lewis Gordon's "Bad Faith and Antiblack Racism" delves into the philosophical underpinnings of racial oppression. Gordon uses the existentialist concept of bad faith to analyze how individuals and societies deny the reality of racial injustice. He argues that anti-Black racism is not merely a matter of individual prejudice but a systemic phenomenon that shapes social structures and individual consciousness. The book explores the ways in which bad faith manifests in various aspects of life, from interpersonal relationships to political institutions. Gordon's work offers a powerful critique of the ways in which individuals and societies perpetuate racial inequality through self-deception and denial. He calls for a more honest and self-aware approach to confronting the realities of racial injustice.