What: A Curious Soul Philosophy workshop

Where: Online via Zoom
When: Saturdays, February 5, 12, 19, 26, 2022
What Time: 1:00 – 3:00 p.m. Pacific Time

Workshop Description: 
The problem of racism has both defined and divided the United States since its beginnings. In recent years the crisis of inequality on the basis of race has reached a fever pitch with the string of (recorded) police killings of unarmed black individuals and the protests that followed. Though the crisis and need for solutions are a matter of life and death, there is significant confusion about what we even mean by race, whether political morality requires that we ignore or see race, and what we should do to move toward the American promise of freedom, equality, and justice for all.

Philosophers Kwame Anthony Appiah and Amy Gutmann, in their book Color Conscious: The Political Morality of Race, help us think through some of our biggest confusions concerning race and what appropriate remedies for the legacy of racism in our country might be.

Appiah’s essay focuses on the question of what we even mean by race. Is it a biological reality? Does it name some common cultural experience? Is it a social construct? Does it help us or hurt us to adopt racial identities? Gutmann’s essay turns to questions of policy and takes on the debate over whether we should respond to racial injustice with political policies that are “color blind” or “color conscious,” or perhaps “class conscious.” She considers issues like university admissions, corporate hiring, and political representation.

In this workshop, we will embark on an introduction to the philosophy of race by reading and discussing the book Color Conscious, as well as some more recent news articles on police violence. Along the way we’ll consider how we might put into practice a “color conscious” approach in our own lives and communities.

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.

Readings: 
The book to purchase is Color Conscious: The Political Morality of Race, by K. Anthony Appiah and Amy Gutmann.

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.

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.

Registration is now closed.