Black Studies 272 - The Political Philosophy of W.E.B. DuBois I

(Offered as POSC 272 and BLST 272 [US]) In this course, which is Part I of a two-part course, students engage the central political philosophical ideas of W.E.B. Du Bois's earliest major works, The Souls of Black Folk (1903) and Darkwater: Voices from Within the Veil (1903). In doing so, we also engage some of the major secondary interpretive sources assessing his ideas. These sources (and Du Bois's) will force us to engage philosophy, history, sociology, and other fields and areas/themes of study including social contract theory, gender studies, and literary theories. Thematically, we focus on any number of ideas: the politics of leadership and representation, the meaning and character of Black identity and development, the politics of resistance to Jim Crow, the relationship between art and politics, the politics of colonialism and anti-colonialism, racial capitalism, and citizenship. 

Limited to 30 students. Fall semester. Assistant Professor Loggins.

How to handle overenrollment: Preference to POSC and BLST majors.

Students who enroll in this course will likely encounter and be expected to engage in the following intellectual skills, modes of learning, and assessment: There is an emphasis in the class on written work. More specifically, students will be expected to write short summaries each week of each of the major chapters. At the end of the semester, students will be expected to write a short bibliographic essay on two of the major secondary source materials covering one of the books.