Philosophy of Race - A Primer

It was not until the early 1900s that the idea emerged of a philosophy dealing specifically with issues of race. Unsurprisingly, the philosophy of race was begun by people of color. Philosophy considers race in terms of its social construction, and it analyzes the cultural and moral effects of attitudes toward race. The philosophy of race deals with how ideas and attitudes about race developed and seeks to understand race relations in the context of social and moral philosophy. The critical philosophy of race analyzes and critiques racism, systemic racial hierarchies, and the ways that the racialization of society effects ideas, values, practices, and social institutions.

Similar to feminist philosophy and its focus on gender constructs, critical philosophy of race has a focus on the role of racism and racial hierarchies in shaping the historical patterns of thought and society. Critical philosophers of race acknowledge the ways in which white-dominated social traditions have excluded people of color, and critical philosophy of race is an attempt to decode often veiled words and ideas that power racial hierarchies and attitudes with an eye toward changing those traditions and decreasing racial injustices. It is also critical in calling for an end to the denial of society’s past and ongoing racism, including an end to racial segregation, exploitation, and genocide. Being philosophers, critical philosophers of race are especially critical of philosophy’s denial of its own racial past.