Monthly Archives: January 2010

Study Questions for Dummett essay

1. What is “racism,” in the strict sense of the word, according to Dummett? (p. 28)

2. Dummett thinks that racial prejudice (“racism” in the strict sense of the word) is irrational. Why? (pp. 28-9)

3. Dummett also thinks that the mere belief in the intellectual inferiority of a racial group cannot rationally lead to racism. Why? (p. 29)

See wiki entry on SIR Mike Dummett http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Dummett

Study Questions for Kant, Hegel, and Eze

  1. (a) Why does Kant think that there are four human “races” and which are they? (Kant, pp. 40-41) (b) What does he think causes racial variations in humans? (Kant, pp. 43-45)
  2. Which were the two ways in which one could study the nature of “man,” according to Kant? (Eze, p. 105)
  3. (a) What, according to Kant, makes us humans and persons? (Eze, pp. 106-107) (b) Why did he think that human nature is in essence a moral nature? (Eze, p. 112) (c) Why did he think that civilization marks man’s essential nature? (Eze, p. 113)
  4. (a) Why did Kant think that the supposed innate psychological differences between human “races” are essentially moral differences? (Eze, pp. 115-116) (b) And why did he think that black people lack “true” character? (Eze, p. 116)
  5. What does Hegel mean by the sentence, “The stage of self-consciousness which the spirit has reached manifests itself in world history as the existing national spirit, as a nation which exists in the present…”? (Hegel, p. 110)
  6. (a) What is the connection between nature and human freedom and development, according to Hegel? (Hegel, p. 111) (b) What does he mean by the claim that, “The torrid and frigid regions, as such, are not the theatre on which world history is enacted. In this respect, such extremes are incompatible with spiritual freedom”? (Hegel, p. 112) (c) How does he characterize the spiritual character of the three continents Africa, Europe and Asia? (Hegel, p. 122) (d) And how does Hegel characterize Africans and their relation to history, morality and slavery (Hegel, pp. 127-128, 133-135).

    KANT Kant HEGEL  EZE  Emmanuel Chukwudi EzeFYI, see http://www.multimedia.ualberta.ca/index.cfm?cfnocache&type=2&feed=10130 (QuickTime)

Hello class!

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Welcome to our course site for “The Critique of the Concept of Racism” at websites.umass.edu. Use this space to share thoughts and feelings about the readings and class discussions. Start blogging! The image to the left is from an exhibit at the Pan-African Historical Museum USA in Springfield, MA, at Tower Square. We encourage you to check out the exhibits at PAHMUSA. We also use it to remind us that racism has had and continues to have serious implications. Let us be mindful of this as we use this blog to communicate to each other.

From shackles and enslavement to freedom and achievement, you can feel the struggles and successes of African-Americans over the course of time, as you enter the incredible museum exhibits at the Pan African Historical Museum USA (PAHMUSA). Located on the mezzanine level near the Columbus Avenue parking garage air walk, PAHMUSA is perhaps one of Tower Square’s best-kept secrets. Displaying artifacts including a slave sales receipt, authentic photos, letters and other items, PAHMUSA’s exhibits also include outstanding murals as well as other African American artwork and sculptures. Call for appointments or tours: 413.733-1823  — http://visittowersquare.com/entertainment/galleries/