CFP: Philosophy of Race: Introductory Readings

Philosophy of Race: Introductory Readings

Call for Abstracts  

Due by May 1, 2014

http:/www.PhilosophyOfRace.com 

Interest in Philosophy of Race is growing. This collection of readings will celebrate and contribute to that growth.

Some philosophical questions about race are metaphysical or ontological, or existential:

Do races exist? If so, what are they? What does their existence depend on? What determines what racial category or categories an individual is a member of? How might race relate to biology, appearance, social facts, history and other categories and characteristics? What is it like to be of a particular race, and of mixed race? How does race affect our conscious experiences? How does race affect our unconscious assumptions? 

Other questions, related to the metaphysical questions, are ethical, social and political:

What is the nature of racism and racial prejudice, discrimination and stereotypes? Why are these wrong? Can racial preference, of any kind, be justified? Is racial solidarity, or racial pride, justified? Can affirmative action, or quotas, be justified? If a racial group has been harmed, what should be done to address that harm? Are racially-oriented hate speech and hate crimes uniquely wrong, and deserving of special punishment? Can racial profiling be justified? 

These are just a few questions in philosophy of race: there are many, many more, including how race relates to philosophical theorizing and the experiences of philosophers as persons and professionals. For more topics, see the list below from PhilPapers*:

While there is much scholarship in these areas, this collection seeks to intentionally bring the issues and arguments of that scholarship to readers with little philosophical background, such as students and general interest readers, as well as scholars new to the field. Diverse submissions, representing a plurality of theoretical, practical and lived perspectives, are sought for this collection.

Submissions must be new, but can be developments of, or reflections on, prior work: e.g., authors might submit an essay that explains a previous argument or inquiry and offers subsequent thoughts, to encourage readers to pursue that earlier work. Final submissions should each be about 2000-5000 words, or longer if necessary, and written in any manner appropriate for a general audience, either as a traditional philosophical essay or an essay infused with personal narrative.

Abstract(s), ideally consisting of an introduction and an outline of the essay, are due by May 1, 2014. Early submissions are encouraged: multiple abstract submissions are allowed. Accepted authors will be notified soon after that deadline; rough drafts will be due at the end of summer; final drafts due early fall.

Please contact Nathan Nobis, Department of Philosophy and Religion, at Morehouse College, Atlanta, GA USA, with questions and suggestions: [email protected]; 404-825-1740

A PDF of this Call for Abstracts is available at www.PhilosophyOfRace.com. Please re-post and share this Call. Thank you. 

The list from PhilPapers (used with their permission) provides more topics in Philosophy of Race:

Conceptions of Race (116 | 1)
Race as a Biological Kind (20) Race as Socially Constructed (36) Race as a Subjective Identity (10) Eliminativism about Race (9) The Normative Role of Race Concepts (9) Pluralism about Race (2) The Metaphysics of Race, Misc (17) Conceptions of Race, Misc (12) The Politics of Race (142 | 37)
Apartheid (23) Affirmative Action* (100 | 96) Color Blindness and Color Consciousness (6) Interracial Coalitions (2) Race and Civil Rights (4) Race and Democratic Representation (2) Race and Justice (13) Racial Discrimination (32) Racial Inequality (5) Reparations* (11) The Politics of Race, Misc (18) Racism (248 | 161)
Cognitive Accounts of Racism (6) Institutional Accounts of Racism (7) Motivational Accounts of Racism (3) Cultural Racism (10) Racial Discrimination (32) Racism and Psychology (9) Racism and Sexism (9) White Supremacy (19) Xenophobia (10) Racism, Misc (14) Racial Identity (83 | 39)
Race as a Subjective Identity (10) Mixed Race (6) Racial Assimilation (1) Racial Passing (3) Racial Solidarity and Unity (11) Racialization (13) Racial Identity, Misc (10) Topics in the Philosophy of Race (227 | 13)
Critical Race Theory (24) Cosmopolitanism* (260 | 189) Epistemologies of Ignorance (14) Implicit Bias* (32) Intersectionality (60) Phenomenology of Race (9) Race and Class (4) Race and Culture (3) Race and Ethnicity (13) Race and Gender (8) Race and IQ (3) Race and Science (15) Whiteness (58) Topics in the Philosophy of Race, Misc (3) Affirmative Action* (100 | 96) African-American Philosophy* (121 | 39) Latin American Philosophy of Race and Ethnicity* (64) Philosophy of Race, Miscellaneous (31 | 2)
Philosophy of Race, General Works (5) Philosophy of Race, Misc (24)