Alienation 2: Racism/Sexism

How can we understand and combat contemporary forms of alienation based on race and sex?

What: A Curious Soul Philosophy workshop

Where: Online via Zoom
When: 4 Saturdays, new dates TBA
What Time: 2:00 – 4:00 p.m. Pacific Time

Workshop Description:

The classic philosophers spoke little of  alienation based on race and sex. They spoke primarily of alienation due to “civilized” society’s rules and expectations, class exploitation, and religion. As a greater diversity of voices has been allowed into the conversation of philosophy, it has become clearer how the social standpoint of the philosopher can affect his/her experience, awareness, values . . . and philosophy. Today, there is a growing field of philosophers concerned with racism and sexism. They are speaking out about their direct experience with oppression, analyzing its structures, and looking for solutions. In this workshop we’ll consider different forms of racism and sexism, their similarities and differences, and the different levels of oppression involved in them (including institutional, interpersonal, and unconscious levels of oppression). We’ll relate the philosophies we read to our experiences and to current events, and we’ll brainstorm remedies for alienation that we can put into action.

Calendar:

Week One:
We will begin by reading and discussing Iris Marion Young’s “Five Faces of Oppression,” which outlines five manifestations of alienation: exploitation, marginalization, powerlessness, cultural imperialism, and violence. This is a great starter essay for us, as it gives us a big picture view of the ways in which alienation (whether it is due to race, sex, sexuality, class, ethnicity, religion, etc. or an intersection of these) is produced through a combination of tell-tale problematic practices.

Week Two:
Next we will read a powerful selection called “The Fact of Blackness” from Frantz Fanon’s Black Skin, White Masks. Here, Fanon describes the experience of discovering what his blackness means to a white world. We’ll combine this with a recent article in the New York Times’ “Stone” called “What’s Wrong with ‘All Lives Matter,'” which will help relate Fanon’s experience and analysis to the current Black Lives Matter movement.

Week Three:
Next we will read an essay called “Psychological Oppression” by Sandra Bartky, which is inspired by Fanon’s work and relates the experience of racism to sexism. In this essay Bartky emphasizes a tool of oppression that is often forgotten — getting the oppressed to buy into the inferior image projected onto them by the oppressor. In this case, the oppressor gets the oppressed to do their work for them.  As she describes it: “The psychologically oppressed become their own oppressors.” We will consider how this works in stereotyping, cultural domination, and objectification.

Week Four:
Finally, we will shift fully to the issue of sexism and read an article appropriately entitled “Sexism,” by Ann Cudd and Leslie Jones. The authors illuminate three levels of sexist oppression and alienation: institutional, interpersonal, and unconscious. They also go on to explain two major traditions in feminism that aim to overcome this oppression — what they call “equality” feminism and “difference” feminism. We will discuss these and evaluate their strengths and weaknesses.

About Philosophy Workshops

Philosophy Workshops emphasize discussion, life experience, and practical application. They are led by philosophy professors committed to accessible language and open conversation. No prior philosophical training is necessary . . . just an open mind, a respectful approach to others, and a sense of humor!

About Your Workshop Leader:

Monica Vilhauer, Ph.D. is a former professor of philosophy and the founder of Curious Soul Philosophy. She’s committed to the practical value of philosophy for everyday life, and she’s always looking for ways to move philosophy beyond academic settings and into the community. She does this by offering workshops, retreats, and individual philosophical counseling through Curious Soul.

The Theory and the Lab:
There are two portions of this discussion-based workshop: 1) the Theory, and 2) the Lab.

In the Theory portion of the workshop (the first half of each session) we’ll work to understand key concepts from our reading for the day and from supplementary mini-lectures given by the workshop leader. In the Lab portion of the workshop (the second half) we will reflect on the ways in which the theory applies to our own personal and political struggles. We will devise “experiments” for putting key concepts into practice in our lives, and we will discuss with each other how our experiments work out.

Preparation: 

For each meeting, participants should read in advance the selection of text we’ll be discussing, consider some questions Monica will send by email to help us focus, and come with some marked passages to talk about. Readings will be emailed to participants as PDF files a week in advance of our workshop.

Cost per person: $200 (for four 2-hour philosophy sessions)

• The workshop has limited space. Register today to save yourself a spot!
• Deadline to register: TBA
• ​Register by clicking the button below and following instructions to use PayPal. If you do not have a PayPal account, PayPal still allows you to pay using a credit card.

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