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  • Textbook
  • © 2018

Philosophy of Race

An Introduction

Palgrave Macmillan

Authors:

  • Constructs an overview for students thinking, talking, and writing about philosophy of race
  • Takes a "birds eye view" of the subfield of philosophy of race, and strives to balance opposing perspectives
  • Written in a clear, accessible style

Part of the book series: Palgrave Philosophy Today (PPT)

Table of contents (10 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages i-xix
  2. Ideas and Realities of Human Race

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 1-2
    2. Ethnicity and Related Forms of Race

      • Naomi Zack
      Pages 93-119
  3. Relations, Practices, and Theories of Race in Society

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 121-122
    2. Racism and Neo-racisms

      • Naomi Zack
      Pages 149-173
    3. Race in Contemporary Life

      • Naomi Zack
      Pages 175-196
    4. Feminism, Gender, and Race

      • Naomi Zack
      Pages 221-244
  4. Back Matter

    Pages 245-258

About this book

Philosophy of Race: An Introduction provides plainly written access to a new subfield that has been in the background of philosophy since Plato and Aristotle. Part I provides an overview of ideas of race and ethnicity in the philosophical canon, egalitarian traditions, race in biology, and race in American and Continental Philosophy. Part II addresses race as it operates in life through colonialism and development, social constructions and institutions, racism, political philosophy, and gender. This book constructs an outline that will serve as a resource for students, nonspecialists, and general readers in thinking, talking, and writing about philosophy of race.   

Reviews

Selected by Choice magazine as an Outstanding Academic Title for 2018


“Zack (philosophy, Univ. of Oregon) has written a book for everyone. Given contemporary (and historical) distress about race, such a book is warmly welcomed, especially a book written by a leader in the field. Zack highlights the salience of race, both historically and presently, in science, politics, law, and so on … . Philosophy of Race will be the go-to resource for those who want an introduction that provides a solid understanding of race in everyday life.” (M. W. Westmoreland, Choice, Vol. 56 (04), December, 2018)​ “This book provides a thorough introduction to critical philosophy of race. Ranging from historical to contemporary philosophy and from theoretical to concrete issues, Zack expertly guides readers through important controversies concerning race and racism. Students will find the text accessible, and instructors will appreciate each chapter’s glossary and list of discussion questions. Philosophy of Race, An Introduction is a timely addition to a field that, as Zack claims, ‘moves at the speed of living history or current events.’” (Shannon Sullivan, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, USA)

“Naomi Zack’s Philosophy of Race, an Introduction displays Zack’s broad knowledge of the field that she helped pioneer.  Wide-ranging and clear, she engages history, politics, science, and society, putting on full display the complexity and interest of the subject.  Zack’s work here will make it the central text for teaching the subject.” (Ron Mallon, Washington University in St. Louis, USA)

“Naomi Zack’s book presents a panoramic view of race sweeping across centuries of philosophical thought, histories of immigration and assimilation, Brazilian, indigenous, and Hindu challenges to prevailing racial categories, and concluding with clarifying reflections on hot-button issues around identity politics and intersectionality. Epic in scope, Zack’s highly informative survey offers an indispensable map for understanding the rise of race in US politics.” (Cynthia Willett, Emory University, USA, and author of Irony in the Age of Empire: Comic Perspectives on Freedom and Democracy)

“The philosophy of race has recently developed into an important subfield of the discipline. In this lively and accessible introduction, Naomi Zack contextualizes and historicizes the emergence of this new subfield and shows how it is closely linked to the ongoing importance of race in everyday life. Covering an impressive amount of territory in time, space, and subject matter,Philosophy of Race: An Introduction will serve as a valuable primer for students new to the topic.” (Charles W. Mills, CUNY Graduate Center, USA)

“Naomi Zack never disappoints. Unlike other philosophical engagements with race that prioritize the historical views of whites, Zack synthesizes sociological data and history to show how power creates the economic and political realities confronting racialized people. Zack accounts for practically every philosophical theorization of race, feminism, colonialism, and poverty present in the literature. This book needs to be in the hands of every philosopher teaching race, and on the shelf of every theorist claiming to write in the philosophy of race.” (Tommy J. Curry, Texas A&M University, USA)

Authors and Affiliations

  • Department of Philosophy, University of Oregon, Eugene, USA

    Naomi Zack

About the author

Naomi Zack is Professor of Philosophy at the University of Oregon, USA. Zack’s newest book is her edited 51-essay Oxford Handbook on Philosophy and Race (2017). Recent publications include: The Theory of Applicative Justice: An Empirical Pragmatic Approach to Correcting Racial Injustice (2016); White Privilege and Black Rights: The Injustice of US Police Racial Profiling and Homicide (April 2015) and The Ethics and Mores of Race: Equality after the History of Philosophy (2011/2015). 

Bibliographic Information