The Un-Diplomatic Podcast

Adom Getachew: W.E.B. Du Bois’s International Thought | Ep. 169

Sep 24, 2023

Adom Getachew, a scholar of W.E.B. Du Bois's life and thought, discusses topics such as the global color line and its limits in understanding international relations, Du Bois's views on violence versus pacifism, strategies for making change as a public intellectual, his evolving perspectives on World War I, blind spots on gender equality and imperial Japan, his perspectives on capitalism and Marxism, and why the Cold War prevented many from learning about Du Bois in school.

01:03:52

Creator website

Episode guests

Adom Getachew

AI Summary

AI Chapters

Episode notes

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

W.E.B. Du Bois's critique of Western civilization and racial hierarchy shaped his international thought.

Dubois's evolving perspectives on the Cold War and capitalism led him to embrace radical ideas and communism.

Deep dives

Dubois's Intellectual Journey and Book on W.E.B. Dubois

This podcast episode explores the intellectual journey of W.E.B. Dubois, a prominent African American scholar and activist. The episode highlights Dubois's book, 'Worldmaking After Empire,' and his co-editorship of 'W.E.B. Dubois's International Thought.' It discusses how Dubois became interested in Dubois's work and the significance of Dubois's ideas in the context of international relations. The episode also emphasizes the complexities of Dubois's thinking and the importance of understanding his contributions to discussions on empire and international order.

Introduction

2min

The Life and Intellectual Development of W.E.B. Du Bois

8min

The Concept of the Color Line

6min

W.E.B. Du Bois's concept of democratic despotism

13min

W.E.B. Du Bois' Success in Writing for Mainstream Publications

2min

W.E.B. Du Bois's Views on World War I

20min

W.E.B. Du Bois's Relationship with Marxism and Capitalism

13min

In this episode, Van sits down with Adom Getachew to talk about W.E.B. Du Bois’s life and Du Bois-ian thought as a prism for making sense of the world, including: The global color line and its limits for understanding IR; Du Bois’s complicated attitude toward violence versus pacifism; strategies for trying to make change as a public intellectual; how he viewed World War I, and how that view changed with time; his blind spots on gender equality and empire—especially imperial Japan; how Du Bois viewed capitalism and Marxism; why the Cold War is the reason I (and probably you) never learned about Du Bois in school.

W.E.B. Du Bois: International Thought (by Adom Getachew and Jennifer Pitts)

Subscribe to the Un-Diplomatic Newsletter: https://www.un-diplomatic.com