Reading Group Blueprints

Students are often dissatisfied with the selection of topics covered at their universities (see here and here for a taste of examples). Our review of 377 modules taught at the top 10 British departments (following THE) shows that only 3.8% focus on traditions other than the Western Analytical tradition, and 3.1% focus on topics related to class, colonialism, race and gender. As little as 13% of all modules taught contain more than a token amount of content related to those topics. Meanwhile, of all the modules devoted to a specific philosopher, a shocking 100% focuses on a person who was white and male.

We think that the students are right to be dissatisfied.

So, what do you do if a topic you want to learn about is not taught at your university? Start your own reading group! And if this sounds like a daunting task, we are here to help. Below, you will find ready-made Blueprints you can use to create your reading group. Each one offers a set of resources divided by topic and arranged into a consistent narrative, each accompanied by a list of questions to help guide your discussion.

We hope that these Blueprints will help you start your own reading group on a topic that interests you, and fill the gaps left in your curriculum. Happy learning!

What is (not) taught?

How to run a reading group using our Blueprints?
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Choose your Blueprint

  1. Topic. Gather some friends and identify a topic you are all interested in. Will it be feminist philosophy? African languages? Postcolonial theory? You can see a list to choose from below.
  2. Time and Difficulty. Make sure you have the time to run your group. Remember that it will be harder to organise during holidays or exam periods. Equally, make sure to pick the right difficulty level. Some Blueprints are introductory and great for anyone, while others might be better suited for senior students or those who already know a bit about the topic. Note you can also download each Blueprint as a PDF if you want an offline copy!
  3. Unfold! Click or tap the arrow below the Blueprint title. A general Introduction which will tell you what it is about and list any particular instructions. The Categories will give you an indication of the range of issues covered. Below, you will find the main Content: the specific resources you will be looking at.

Run the group

  1. Organise. We recommend that you find a time when your group can meet every week, to keep things consistent.The Content of a Blueprint is divided into weekly sections, with typically one text or video entry per section.
    • Some blueprints might have a different structure – don’t worry, it will all be explained in their Introductions!
  2. Read/Watch/Listen. Each entry has links that will take you to the resource itself. To guide you through, each entry has some further useful notes and comments. Pay particular attention to the ones labelled ‘Study Questions’.
  3. Discuss. These Study Questions are designed to guide your discussion as you meet with your group. Remember – the questions will touch on topics of particular interest, but you might want to expand on them by asking your own questions and discussing points that interest you!

Share your thoughts

  1. Comment. If you like the texts or want to share the thoughts you had while reading and discussing them, you can leave us a comment! Every entry has a comments section at the bottom and we highly encourage you to use it!
  2. Share. We would love to hear your stories! Share your experience with us and other students around the world, post pics of your group, and remember to tag us on twitter, facebook or youtube.
  3. Get in touch. Don’t hesitate to write us if you want to share your experience, recommend improvements, or just tell us what you liked best!
PDF7Level

Sex, What Is It Good For?

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by Emma Holmes, David MacDonald, Yichi Zhang, and Samuel Dando-Moore
Funded by: The School of Philosophical, Anthropological and Film Studies, University of St Andrews

Introduction

This Blueprint is about the ethics of sex and the place of sex in our lives. We explore consent, desire, love, and responsibility. We hope it will help participants to delve deeper into well-known concepts, like consent, as well as to explore issues relating to sex they might not have considered before.

How to use this Blueprint?

This Blueprint features one main reading per week, accompanied by some further readings. The questions refer to the main readings, but your understanding will be enriched by exploring the other sources.

We suggest you spend a session before you start reading, having some preliminary discussions. This would include:

  • General content warnings for the group, which include discussions of unwanted and forced sexual interactions, personal identity where relevant for sexual consent (e.g. trauma experience, mental health, LGBT+ membership, ethnic or racial identity).
  • Making sure everyone is aware of the available support at your university/school/community in case the discussion causes emotional difficulties of any sort.
  • Collectively setting rules for how the discussions should go.
  • Researching the university/school/community’s policies about sex as well as the laws where you are.
  • Discussion of meaning of morally charged terminology such as “rape”, and how giving definitions might be complicated.
  • Discussion of what participants already know and hope to learn from the group.

Contents

    Week 1. Consent

    This week tackles a core question: what is consent? This is an important building block for most of the topics we will go on to cover and a central concept in ethical and legal discussions of sex.

    On DRL Full text Read free
    Alexander, Larry, Hurd, Heidi, Westen, Peter. Consent Does Not Require Communication: A Reply to Dougherty
    2016 2016, Law and Philosophy. 35: 655-660..
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    Abstract: Tom Dougherty argues that consenting, like promising, requires both an appropriate mental attitude and a communication of that attitude.Thus, just as a promise is not a promise unless it is communicated to the promisee, consent is not consent unless it is communicated to the relevant party or parties. And those like us, who believe consent is just the attitude, and that it can exist without its being communicated, are in error. Or so Dougherty argues. We, however, are unpersuaded. We believe Dougherty is right about promises, but wrong about consent. Although each of us gives a slightly different account of the attitude that constitutes consent, we all agree that consent is constituted by that attitude and need not be communicated in order to alter the morality of another’s conduct.

    Comment: The authors argue that consent is an attitude, rather than an act of communication. They give two examples to support this view where the communication of consent doesn’t occur or goes wrong somehow, but nonetheless (they claim) it is intuitively a consensual interaction.

    On DRL Full text Read free
    Jenkins Ichikawa, Jonathan. Presupposition and Consent
    2020 2020, Feminist Philosophy Quarterly. 6(4)..
    Further Reading
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    Abstract: I argue that “consent” language presupposes that the contemplated action is or would be at someone else’s behest. When one does something for another reason—for example, when one elects independently to do something, or when one accepts an invitation to do something—it is linguistically inappropriate to describe the actor as “consenting” to it; but it is also inappropriate to describe them as “not consenting” to it. A consequence of this idea is that “consent” is poorly suited to play its canonical central role in contemporary sexual ethics. But this does not mean that nonconsensual sex can be morally permissible. Consent language, I’ll suggest, carries the conventional presupposition that that which is or might be consented to is at someone else’s behest. One implication will be a new kind of support for feminist critiques of consent theory in sexual ethics.

    Comment: Here Ichikawa argues that the language of "consent" to sex presupposes that there is a 'requester' who asks for sex and a 'consenter' who then replies yes or no. Ichikawa argues that this reinforces sexist norms of how sex works.

    On DRL Full text
    Hurd, Heidi. The Moral Magic of Consent
    1996 1996, Legal Theory 2(2): 121-146..
    Further Reading
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    Abstract: We regularly wield powers that, upon close scrutiny, appear remarkably magical. By sheer exercise of will, we bring into existence things that have never existed before. With but a nod, we effect the disappearance of things that have long served as barriers to the actions of others. And, by mere resolve, we generate things that pose significant obstacles to others' exercise of liberty. What is the nature of these things that we create and destroy by our mere decision to do so? The answer: the rights and obligations of others. And by what seemingly magical means do we alter these rights and obligations? By making promises and issuing or revoking consent When we make promises, we generate obligations for ourselves, and when we give consent, we create rights for others. Since the rights and obligations that are affected by means of promising and consenting largely define the boundaries of permissible action, our exercise of these seemingly magical powers can significantly affect the lives and liberties of others

    Comment: Good introduction to the topic of consent as it makes clear both how strange it is as a power and how pervasive it is in our moral practices. Goes on to provide an interesting argument for consent as a subjective mental state and offers an account of what that might be. Could support a lecture or seminar on consent, or would make good further reading if the topic is only touched on briefly.

    Study Questions

    1. What is “wanting” to have sex (in the sense that is relevant for consent)? Is it a desire, impulse, decision, or something else?
    2. Is it possible to consent to sex while communicating to your partner that you don’t consent?
    3. Is it possible to lie about whether you consent (or don’t consent) to sex?
    4. If consent is an attitude, do we always know whether we consent to sex?
    5. Is communication necessary for consent? Does the fact that Jane and Jim don’t talk at all about whether Jim can come to the party undermine their view that he comes to the party with Jane’s consent?
    1. What is “wanting” to have sex (in the sense that is relevant for consent)? Is it a desire, impulse, decision, or something else?
    2. Is it possible to consent to sex while communicating to your partner that you don’t consent?
    3. Is it possible to lie about whether you consent (or don’t consent) to sex?
    4. If consent is an attitude, do we always know whether we consent to sex?
    5. Is communication necessary for consent? Does the fact that Jane and Jim don’t talk at all about whether Jim can come to the party undermine their view that he comes to the party with Jane’s consent?
    Week 2. Lies and Disclosure

    This topic investigates the relationship between consent and lying or deceiving. We will ask when a lie renders sex non-consensual, or otherwise unethical, and why. We aim to build on the understanding of consent built in the previous week and use it to work out difficult questions about deceit and consent.

    On DRL Full text Read free
    Dougherty, Tom. Sex, Lies, and Consent
    2013 2013, Ethics, 123(4): 717-744..
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    Abstract: How wrong is it to deceive someone into sex by lying, say, about one’s profession? The answer is seriously wrong when the liar’s actual profession would be a deal breaker for the victim of the deception: this deception vitiates the victim’s sexual consent, and it is seriously wrong to have sex with someone while lacking his or her consent.

    Comment: Dougherty argues that if something is a ‘deal-breaker’ for someone’s sexual consent - for example, they will only have sex if their partner is not a soldier - and their partner lies about it, then the sex they have is seriously wrong, because it is non-consensual. The argument goes like this: 1. It is seriously wrong to have non-consensual sex with someone because of their right to bodily autonomy - they should be able to decide when they want to have sex for any reason they choose. 2. When someone is deceived about one of their deal-breakers, they would not have consented to having sex if they had known the truth, so they haven’t really been able to make the decision for themselves about the sex they would actually be having. Therefore, sex when someone is deceived about a deal-breaker is seriously wrong. Dougherty spends the most time arguing for 2 - that deceit about deal-breakers renders sex non-consensual. Dougherty argues that if something is a ‘deal-breaker’ for someone’s sexual consent - for example, they will only have sex if their partner is not a soldier - and their partner lies about it, then the sex they have is seriously wrong, because it is non-consensual. The argument goes like this: 1. It is seriously wrong to have non-consensual sex with someone because of their right to bodily autonomy - they should be able to decide when they want to have sex for any reason they choose. 2. When someone is deceived about one of their deal-breakers, they would not have consented to having sex if they had known the truth, so they haven’t really been able to make the decision for themselves about the sex they would actually be having. Therefore, sex when someone is deceived about a deal-breaker is seriously wrong. Dougherty spends the most time arguing for 2 - that deceit about deal-breakers renders sex non-consensual.

    On DRL Full text
    Fischel, Joseph J.. Screw Consent: A Better Politics of Sexual Justice
    2019 2019, University of California Press..
    Further Reading: Chapter 3, 'The Trouble with Transgender "Rapists"'
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    Abstract: Joseph J. Fischel argues that the consent paradigm, while necessary for effective sexual assault law, diminishes and perverts our ideas about desire, pleasure, and injury. In addition to the criticisms against consent levelled by feminist theorists of earlier generations, Fischel elevates three more: consent is insufficient, inapposite, and riddled with scope contradictions for regulating and imagining sex. Fischel proposes instead that sexual justice turns more productively on concepts of sexual autonomy and access.

    Comment: This reading documents a troubling implication of certain views about consent and deceit so is useful for a real-life application of the debate.

    On DRL Full text Read free
    Tilton, Emily, Jenkins Ichikawa, Jonathan. Not What I Agreed To: Content and Consent
    2021 2021, Ethics, 132(1): 127-154..
    Further Reading
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    Abstract: Deception sometimes results in nonconsensual sex. A recent body of literature diagnoses such violations as invalidating consent: the agreement is not morally transformative, which is why the sexual contact is a rights violation. We pursue a different explanation for the wrongs in question: there is valid consent, but it is not consent to the sex act that happened. Semantic conventions play a key role in distinguishing deceptions that result in nonconsensual sex (like stealth condom removal) from those that don’t (like white lies). Our framework is also applicable to more controversial cases, like those implicated in so-called “gender fraud” complaints.

    Comment: Tilton and Ichikawa attempt to work out what goes wrong in certain deception cases but not in others. This is useful as a reply to Dougherty's argument that sex from deception is always morally serious and it engages with the issues Fischel raises around gender deception.

    Study Questions

    1. Can sexual deception ever be innocuous? What sort of lies seem alright? 
    2. Stealthing is the practice of one partner secretly removing the condom from their penis without telling their partner during sex. Brosky (2017) asks: is stealthing only as bad as secretly putting on a condom when someone has said they don’t want to use one? If it is not as bad as stealthing, does this tell us that what is really going wrong in deception cases is the harm?
    3. Are there things that we ought to disclose before having sex just in case it is a deal-breaker for someone? Is it only if the “deal-breaker” has been made explicit?
    4. What are the difficulties in a legal response to consent and deceit? 5. What if I know someone will lie to me and I want to have sex with them anyway? Is that sex non-consensual?
    5. Is it really true that having sex with an unconscious person and deceiving someone into sex are wrong “for the same reason”, as Dougherty claims?
    6. Fischel (2019) documents how trans people have been prosecuted in the UK for failing to disclose to sexual partners that they are transgender. Are these cases different to the others (such as stealthing), as Fischel claims they are?
    7. Fischel replies that in these cases what is lied about is “bullshit” – questions like “are you a man?” are “bullshit questions” because of the differing social meanings these terms can have. Are these “bullshit questions”? Are there any “bullshit questions” when it comes to sexual consent?
    1. Can sexual deception ever be innocuous? What sort of lies seem alright? 
    2. Stealthing is the practice of one partner secretly removing the condom from their penis without telling their partner during sex. Brosky (2017) asks: is stealthing only as bad as secretly putting on a condom when someone has said they don’t want to use one? If it is not as bad as stealthing, does this tell us that what is really going wrong in deception cases is the harm?
    3. Are there things that we ought to disclose before having sex just in case it is a deal-breaker for someone? Is it only if the “deal-breaker” has been made explicit?
    4. What are the difficulties in a legal response to consent and deceit? 5. What if I know someone will lie to me and I want to have sex with them anyway? Is that sex non-consensual?
    5. Is it really true that having sex with an unconscious person and deceiving someone into sex are wrong “for the same reason”, as Dougherty claims?
    6. Fischel (2019) documents how trans people have been prosecuted in the UK for failing to disclose to sexual partners that they are transgender. Are these cases different to the others (such as stealthing), as Fischel claims they are?
    7. Fischel replies that in these cases what is lied about is “bullshit” – questions like “are you a man?” are “bullshit questions” because of the differing social meanings these terms can have. Are these “bullshit questions”? Are there any “bullshit questions” when it comes to sexual consent?
    Week 3. 'Bad' Desires

    This week concerns whether fantasies, desires, or sexual preferences can be morally or politically ‘bad’ and, if so, what someone can and should do when they have such a desire. In the reading for this week, Bartky is focused on masochistic sexual desires, which she thinks are sometimes at odds with feminist beliefs. Other examples might be: sadistic desires; racial fetishes or preferences (only or especially being attracted to people of a certain race); only finding certain conventionally beautiful bodies attractive; and so on. Is there anything troubling about these desires? If there is, what is to be done?

    On DRL Full text
    Bartky, Sandra Lee. Femininity and Domination
    1990 1990, Routledge..
    Feminine Masochism and the Politics of Personal Transformation, pp. 45-62.
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    Abstract: Bartky draws on the experience of daily life to unmask the many disguises by which intimations of inferiority are visited upon women. She critiques both the male bias of current theory and the debilitating dominion held by notions of "proper femininity" over women and their bodies in patriarchal culture.

    Comment: Chapter 4 is about what a feminist should do when they have a sexual desire which is in tension with their feminist beliefs in a way that makes them feel ashamed. There are two natural choices: to give up the shame and continue to have the desire, or to give up the desire. Bartky examines both of these choices and finds us in a tricky situation: it is sometimes apt and understandable to feel shame about a sexual desire (when it really is in tension with your principles), but she is sceptical about the view that we can change our desires at will or with therapy.

    On DRL Full text Read free
    Zheng, Robin. Why Yellow Fever Isn’t Flattering: A Case Against Racial Fetishes
    2016 2016, Journal of the American Philosophical Association, 2(3): 400 - 419..
    Further Reading
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    Abstract: Most discussions of racial fetish center on the question of whether it is caused by negative racial stereotypes. In this paper I adopt a different strategy, one that begins with the experiences of those targeted by racial fetish rather than those who possess it; that is, I shift focus away from the origins of racial fetishes to their effects as a social phenomenon in a racially stratified world. I examine the case of preferences for Asian women, also known as ‘yellow fever’, to argue against the claim that racial fetishes are unobjectionable if they are merely based on personal or aesthetic preference rather than racial stereotypes. I contend that even if this were so, yellow fever would still be morally objectionable because of the disproportionate psychological burdens it places on Asian and Asian-American women, along with the role it plays in a pernicious system of racial social meanings.

    Comment: Zheng argues that some sexual desires are morally problematic - namely, racial fetishes. Some people defend racial fetishes by claiming they are mere aesthetic preferences, lacking racist content or origins. Zheng responds that they are objectionable regardless because of their role in the sexual objectification of certain racial groups. This is useful as a case study of a "bad" desire: is it really bad? What is bad about it? Can someone change it?

    On DRL Full text
    Willis, Ellen. Toward a Feminist Sexual Revolution
    1982 1982, Social Text, 6: 3-21..
    Further Reading
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    Abstract: In this essay I argue that a sexual liberationist perspective is essential to a genuinely radical analysis of women's condition. Much of my argument centers on the psychosexual dynamics of the family, where children first experience both sexism and sexual repression. This discussion refers primarily to the family as it exists - actually and ideologically - for the dominant cultures of modern industrial societies. Clearly, to extend my focus backward to feudal societies or outward to the Third World would require (at the very least) a far longer, more complex article. I strongly suspect, however, that in its fundamentals the process of sexual acculturation I describe here is common to all historical (i.e., patriarchal) societies.

    Comment: Willis describes the double binds women are in: between being too good – boring, frigid, a sexual failure, a cold bitch – and being bad – easy, insatiable, demanding. Willis argues that the only way to solve this is to end the association between sex and badness. This presents an answer to Bartky's dilemma: we should choose to eradicate sexual shame, rather than our desires.

    Study Questions

    1. Is there anything wrong with having masochistic sexual desires? Does it depend on who has them and their social context? Does sadomasochism challenge or reinforce any sexual norms? (Does it create new sexual norms?)
    2. Are there unobjectionable sexual desires?
    3. Should we only be concerned with reality and not with fantasy?
    4. Is consent legitimate if your desires have been shaped by an oppressive society?
    5. Can you really be an advocate of sexual freedom while morally critiqueing sexual desires as Bartky does?
    6. Are there other “bad” desires (e.g. racial fetishes, sadistic desires, restrictive beauty conventions,…)?
    7. Can people change their desires generally? Can they change their sexual desires?
    8. Is there anything worrying about a movement calling for people to change their sexual preferences?
    9. Are getting rid of the desire and getting rid of the shame our only two options, as Bartky claims?
    1. Is there anything wrong with having masochistic sexual desires? Does it depend on who has them and their social context? Does sadomasochism challenge or reinforce any sexual norms? (Does it create new sexual norms?)
    2. Are there unobjectionable sexual desires?
    3. Should we only be concerned with reality and not with fantasy?
    4. Is consent legitimate if your desires have been shaped by an oppressive society?
    5. Can you really be an advocate of sexual freedom while morally critiqueing sexual desires as Bartky does?
    6. Are there other “bad” desires (e.g. racial fetishes, sadistic desires, restrictive beauty conventions,…)?
    7. Can people change their desires generally? Can they change their sexual desires?
    8. Is there anything worrying about a movement calling for people to change their sexual preferences?
    9. Are getting rid of the desire and getting rid of the shame our only two options, as Bartky claims?
    Week 4. Sex, Desire and Love

    Proust’s The Captive and The Fugitive explore the complex relationship between sex, desire, and love in intimate relationships and shows how the boundary between sexual and romantic desire is often unclear. This session seeks to use the novel to explore questions about love, sex, and jealousy; as well as how the use of different artistic mediums affects our understanding of these issues.

    On DRL Full text Read free
    Proust, Marcel. In Search of the Lost Time, vol. 5, The Captive.
    1929 1919, Various editions. Moncrieff, C.K. Scott and Kilmartin, Terence (trans)..
    From the paragraph starting 'No doubt, in the first days at Balbec' until 'These means of action are not wanting, alas!' (pp. 58-82 in the Read Free copy PDF conversion)
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    Abstract: Proust’s main character in the book, the narrator, lives with his major love interest, Albertine, in a Paris apartment during this time. He falls in love with her but is constantly tormented by her due to his jealousy. He suspects and accuses Albertine has other same-sex lovers. The volume’s name refers to how he wants to keep Albertine to himself, but she keeps trying (and eventually succeeds in) running away from him.

    Comment: In the excerpt, the narrator talks about his feelings for Albertine. Sentiments such as sexual desire, love, jealousy, and obsession intertwine, forming a vivid image of a possessive and miserable lover. One highlight of this part is him looking at Albertine sleeping. (See the interpretation of choreographer Roland Petit with the same excerpt/chapter ‘Look at her sleeping’.) To a large extent, this excerpt is also representative of the same mentality expressed throughout the entire book. NOTE: As the book has multiple editions, it is impossible to indicate the page range. The range listed above refers to the linked free e-book copy. The e-book itself doesn't have page numbers, but it can be converted to a PDF online and then it will.

    On DRL Full text Read free
    Petit, Roland. Looking at her sleeping
    2007 2007, Harmonia Mundi..
    Further Materials
    Expand entry
    Abstract: A contemporary dance piece performed by Paris Opera Ballet.

    Comment: By showing body movements of love and sexual desire, this clip would provide an representation of the embodied dimension of Proust’s emotional and sexual rumination. We can learn from it that it will be partial understanding if we only describe, analyse and debate sex topics in a dryly manner within academia.

    On DRL Full text
    Luhmann, Niklas. Love as Passion: The Codification of Intimacy
    1987 1987, Harvard University Press..
    Further Reading. Chapter 11, 'The Incorporation of Sexuality'
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    Abstract: Niklas Luhmann is one of the greatest of contemporary social theorists, and his ultimate aim is to develop a conceptual vocabulary supple enough to capture what he sees as the unprecedented structural characteristics of society since the eighteenth century. Ours is a society in which individuals can determine their own sense of self and function rather than have that predetermined by the strict hierarchy of former times, and a key element in the modern sense of individuality is our concept of love, marriage, and lasting personal relationships. This book takes us back to when passionate love took place exclusively outside of marriage, and Luhmann shows by lively references to social customs and literature how a language and code of behavior were developed so that notions of love and intimacy could be made the essential components of married life. This intimacy and privacy made possible by a social arrangement in which home is where the heart is provides the basis for a society of individuals—the foundation for the structure of modern life. Love is now declared to be unfathomable and personal, yet we love and suffer—as Luhmann shows—according to cultural imperatives. People working in a variety of fields should find this book of major interest. Social scientists will be intrigued by Luhmann’s original and provocative insights into the nature of modern marriage and sexuality, and by the presentation of his theories in concrete, historical detail. His work should also be capital for humanists, since Luhmann’s concern throughout is to develop a semantics for passionate love by means of extensive references to literary texts of the modern period. In showing our moral life in the process of revising itself, he thereby sheds much light on the development of drama and the novel in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.

    Comment: What is the difference between friendship and passionate love? By analysing history of European literature, Luhmann proposes a history of evolving emotional, intimate and conversational systems. This adds to the main reading in discussing nuances between relationships.

    Study Questions

    1. Can you think of any important ethical effects of jealousy? What does the novel have to say about the potential ethical upshots of jealousy?
    2. How does sexual desire function in the narrator’s relationship in the chapter?
    3. How do you feel about the same portrayal with different mediums, one with words (the novel), and the other with body movement (the dance)?
    4. How do we write about and analyse the subjective experience of desire and love?
    5. What is the relationship between love and sex?
    6. Does the interconnectedness of sex, love, and desire have implications for the morality of some types of sexual interaction? Is it harder or easier to work out if sex is consensual when love is also present?
    1. Can you think of any important ethical effects of jealousy? What does the novel have to say about the potential ethical upshots of jealousy?
    2. How does sexual desire function in the narrator’s relationship in the chapter?
    3. How do you feel about the same portrayal with different mediums, one with words (the novel), and the other with body movement (the dance)?
    4. How do we write about and analyse the subjective experience of desire and love?
    5. What is the relationship between love and sex?
    6. Does the interconnectedness of sex, love, and desire have implications for the morality of some types of sexual interaction? Is it harder or easier to work out if sex is consensual when love is also present?
    Week 5. Responsibility

    This week seeks to explore an alternative view of how consent works in sexual morality: the relational view. Focusing on Quill Kukla’s 2021 paper, the intended outcome of this session is to allow participants to discuss how much care and attention one owes one’s sexual partners. This revolves around questions of how an individual’s characteristics affect how they consent, and how much others will need to construct a positive environment for this consent to function best. Example included in the paper are women’s ability to consent to sex with men being undermined by sexism, and people with memory loss’s ability to consent being undermined by their own capabilities, or lack thereof. The aim of this week is to ask what people can do to ensure other’s consent is looked after, and when (if ever) we can say that an individual cannot consent to sex at all.

    On DRL Full text Read free
    Kukla, Quill R.. A Nonideal Theory of Sexual Consent
    2021 2021, Ethics, 131(2): 270-292..
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    Abstract: Our autonomy can be compromised by limitations in our capacities, or by the power relationships within which we are embedded. If we insist that real consent requires full autonomy, then virtually no sex will turn out to be consensual. I argue that under conditions of compromised autonomy, consent must be socially and interpersonally scaffolded. To understand consent as an ethically crucial but nonideal concept, we need to think about how it is related to other requirements for ethical sex, such as the ability to exit a situation, trust, safety, broader social support, epistemic standing in the community, and more.

    Comment: Kukla uses this paper to describe a view of consent which is relational. This means that rather than asking questions about what each person individually consented to or not, the question is how the people having sex communicated. If they communicate sufficiently well then the sex is consensual, and if they do not it is not. We can use this to challenge a view of consent which has been implicit in most of the readings so far. This paper is used to discuss blameworthiness and responsibility for wrongful sex, and to ask questions about what the real world obligations of agents are, given their lack of complete information

    On DRL Full text Read free
    Dougherty, Tom. Affirmative Consent and Due Diligence
    2018 2018, Philosophy and Public Affairs, 46(1).
    Further Reading
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    Summary: This paper tries to answer the problem of the moral luck of sex. It uses examples of conduct where the responsible agent fails to check properly for consent, and asks how much of a difference it makes whether their partner considers themselves to have consented or not. It concludes that there are two different obligations: one to conduct due dilligence to ascertain the prescence of valid consent and other to refrian from non-consensual sex.

    Comment: This paper provides an alternative answer to how to determine individual responsibility to Kukla, Quill R. (2018) 'A Nonideal Theory of Sexual Consent'.

    Study Questions

    1. How would mental illhealth (e.g. disability: ADHD, or Dementia; Illness: Anxiety, Depression, trauma experience or PTSD) affect one’s ability to consent to sex freely and how, if possible, could one skaffold the consent of a mentally ill partner?
    2. What do you think about Kukla’s example of sex in residential care for elderly people? Is it possible to have morally good sex in this situation?
    3. Is it possible to scaffold an unknown persons’s consent enough to be sure the sex is consensual on a one-night-stand under Kukla’s view?
    4. Does Kukla’s “relational” view of consent or Dougherty’s “Intentional” view explain sexual consent better?
    5. Does a requirement for an “enthusiastic Yes” that many university sexual consent campaigns focus on cover the issues in Kukla’s paper sufficiently?
    1. How would mental illhealth (e.g. disability: ADHD, or Dementia; Illness: Anxiety, Depression, trauma experience or PTSD) affect one’s ability to consent to sex freely and how, if possible, could one skaffold the consent of a mentally ill partner?
    2. What do you think about Kukla’s example of sex in residential care for elderly people? Is it possible to have morally good sex in this situation?
    3. Is it possible to scaffold an unknown persons’s consent enough to be sure the sex is consensual on a one-night-stand under Kukla’s view?
    4. Does Kukla’s “relational” view of consent or Dougherty’s “Intentional” view explain sexual consent better?
    5. Does a requirement for an “enthusiastic Yes” that many university sexual consent campaigns focus on cover the issues in Kukla’s paper sufficiently?
    Week 6. Sex Work and a Caribbean Case Study

    This week aims to use research about the history of sex work and its perceptions in the Caribbean to explore questions of what counts as sex work, how sex work is viewed, what sex work is like, and the ethics of sex work in light of our discussions in previous weeks. 

    On DRL Full text
    Kempadoo, Kamala. Sexing the Caribbean: Gender, Race and Sexual Labour
    2004 2004, Routledge..
    Chapter 3, 'Sex, Work, Gifts, and Money: Prostitution and other Sexual-Economic Transactions', pp. 53-87
    Expand entry
    Abstract: This unprecedented work provides both the history of sex work in this region as well as an examination of current-day sex tourism. Based on interviews with sex workers, brothel owners, local residents and tourists, Kamala Kempadoo offers a vivid account of what life is like in the world of sex tourism as well as its entrenched roots in colonialism and slavery in the Caribbean.

    Comment: Chapter 3 is about the perceptions of sex as transactional in the Caribbean and how the definition of "prostitution" has shifted over time. It details how sex work is organised, both in brothels and in other establishments, such as hotels, nightclubs, etc. It explores the experiences and feelings of women who have experiences of various kinds of transactional sex. This chapter can be used as a case study which allows the reader to explore sex work through a variety of lenses: its interaction with broader social issues like racism and poverty; the place of transactions and intimacy in sex and sex work; sexual norms and the social meanings of sexual relationships; and freedom and choice when engaging in sex and sex work.

    Study Questions

    1. What is the social impact or function of sex work? What is the difference between it, concubinage, and marriage? How did it change over time?
    2. “Sex workers stress the possibility of finding tenderness and sexual pleasure for herself or himself.” What do we think of the possibility of transactional and intimate sex (or generally non-romantic sex)? Does this have any implications for whether sex work can be fulfilling or non-exploitative work?
    3. “In Guyana, the Dominican Republic, Belize, and Cartagena, various parts of the body are defined as off-limits to the client, commonly a woman’s breasts and lips.” They’re reserved for a romantic partner or spouse. Are there any aspects of sex which we find inappropriate for a transactional interaction? Does the fact that the intimate parts are “off limit” affect what you think of the sex work?
    4. What counts as sex work as opposed to merely someone having sex for materialistic benefit? What is the difference between paying for sex and giving a “gift” for sex? Can we describe ‘mistresses’ as prostitutes, when their primary motivation for being in the arrangement is to gain materialistic benefits?
    5. How do gender and race affect the definition and social effects of sex work?
    1. What is the social impact or function of sex work? What is the difference between it, concubinage, and marriage? How did it change over time?
    2. “Sex workers stress the possibility of finding tenderness and sexual pleasure for herself or himself.” What do we think of the possibility of transactional and intimate sex (or generally non-romantic sex)? Does this have any implications for whether sex work can be fulfilling or non-exploitative work?
    3. “In Guyana, the Dominican Republic, Belize, and Cartagena, various parts of the body are defined as off-limits to the client, commonly a woman’s breasts and lips.” They’re reserved for a romantic partner or spouse. Are there any aspects of sex which we find inappropriate for a transactional interaction? Does the fact that the intimate parts are “off limit” affect what you think of the sex work?
    4. What counts as sex work as opposed to merely someone having sex for materialistic benefit? What is the difference between paying for sex and giving a “gift” for sex? Can we describe ‘mistresses’ as prostitutes, when their primary motivation for being in the arrangement is to gain materialistic benefits?
    5. How do gender and race affect the definition and social effects of sex work?
    Week 7. Sexual Planning and Sexual Promises

    This week aims to use previous weeks’ analysis of the general conditions under which sex is morally permissible and apply it to a specific case. The case of promising challenges our intuitions about communication, responsibility for others, and other consent concepts. This leads to asking whether sex is fundamentally different from other actions, and if it is what the previous moral and social concepts discussed mean for whether sexual promises can be permissibly made.

    On DRL Full text Read free
    Liberto, Hallie. The Problem with Sexual Promises
    2017 2017, Ethics, 127(2): 383-414..
    Expand entry
    Abstract: I first distinguish promises with positive sexual content (e.g., promises to perform sexual acts) and promises with negative sexual content (e.g., promises to refrain from sexual acts—as one does when making monogamy promises). I argue that sexual content—even positive sexual content—does not cause a promise to misfire. However, the content of some successful promises is such that a promisee ought not to accept the promise, and, if she does accept, she ought then to release her promisor from the promise. I argue that both positive and negative sexual promises have content of this kind.

    Comment: Liberto argues that promises to have sex, and promises not to have sex, are a special type of promise that it is morally wrong to make. She does this by first arguing why promises to have sex are “overextensive”. This means that sexual promises promise something too important: sex. After she concludes that promises to have sex are overextensive she spends the second half of the paper arguing why promises not to have sex (i.e. monogmany promises) are not disanalogous to promises to have sex, and thus are also overextensive.

    Study Questions

    1. Can promises to have, or not have, sex ever be morally binding?
    2. Is Jane obliged to have sex with John if he wins the football game?
    3. Is it permissible to hold your partner to being monogamous?
    4. Is there an important difference between making a binding plan to have sex and making a binding promise to have sex?
    1. Can promises to have, or not have, sex ever be morally binding?
    2. Is Jane obliged to have sex with John if he wins the football game?
    3. Is it permissible to hold your partner to being monogamous?
    4. Is there an important difference between making a binding plan to have sex and making a binding promise to have sex?
PDF7Level

Chinese Philosophy of Mind

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by Xintong Wei
Funded by: American Philosophical Association Small Grant

Introduction

Chinese philosophy has a long and distinguished history of development spanning a period of more than two thousand years. The historical development of Chinese philosophy can be divided into three major periods: the classical period (6th century-3rd century BCE), the period of the independent growth of Chinese Buddhism (6th century-9th century CE) and neo-Confucianism (11th century-18th century). Chinese philosophy is mostly known for its moral and political thought. Questions concerning moral cultivation, good governance and how to live a good life occupy the centre of Chinese thought and consequently draw most of the contemporary Western scholarship. Topics in philosophy of mind are, in this sense, relatively marginal aspects of Chinese philosophy. However, ancient Chinese thinkers have made important contributions by developing distinctive concepts such as ‘xin 心’ (heart-mind), ‘qing 情’ (emotion) and ‘zhi 知’ (knowing), which play important roles in their accounts of moral epistemology and ethics. For example, in contrast to the Western conception of the mind which distinguishes between cognitive states (such as beliefs and perceptions) and affective states (such as desires and feelings), the Chinese concept ‘xin’ (heart-mind) denotes an entity that is not only the centre of cognition but also of emotion, understanding and intuition. Early Chinese thinkers endorsed a holistic view about the mind-body relationship, leading to the important concept of bodily recognition ‘tiyan 体验’ or ‘tiren 体认’, which is one of the fundamental methods of perception.

This blueprint aims to (1) introduce and trace the development of concepts such as ‘xin’ ‘qing’ and ‘zhi’ and (2) examine and address surrounding issues in mind, moral epistemology and ethics in major Chinese thinkers and schools throughout the three periods. The readings will cover primary sources such as Mengzi, Xunzi, Zhuangzi, Chinese Buddhism and neo-Confucian texts as well as secondary literature.


Contents

    Week 1. Confucian Theory of Mind

    During the Warring States period, the rulers of several powerful states began declaring themselves kings, a title traditionally reserved for the Zhou dynasty’s ruler. The period culminated in 221 B.C.E. when the king of Qin unified China and declared himself the first emperor of the Qin Dynasty. This era was marked by constant conflict, with the general populace frequently facing threats of death and starvation. In their struggle for survival, state rulers sought out talented individuals and innovative solutions to address these problems. As a result, ancient Chinese philosophy emerged with a strong focus on solving social and political issues, leading to a flourishing of ideas and thoughts. One significant development during this time was the establishment of the Confucian School by Confucius, further advanced by thinkers like Mengzi (Mencius) and Xunzi. Confucianism, which emphasises pedagogy and includes several classical texts central to its study, became the dominant ideology during the Han dynasty (206 B.C.E.-220 C.E.).

    Confucians were concerned with restoring political order and achieving moral transformation in society through self-cultivation and the preservation of family relations. They advocated for top-down social reform, believing that the ruler should serve as a moral exemplar for the people. Socially and politically conservative, Confucians idealised the sage kings of antiquity and viewed history not as a progression but as a decline into degeneration and corruption. They believed the masses could be transformed through rites (codes of propriety that shape external behaviour) and music (which affects internal emotions and feelings). The ultimate goal was to cultivate the virtue of ‘Ren’ (humanity). The Confucian approach to the philosophy of mind must therefore be situated within this context of their broader concerns in cultivating moral virtues and transforming society. For Confucians, the human mind is primarily characterised not by cognitive or affective functions, but by aspects of the ‘original mind’ that are essential for making correct moral responses.

    On DRL Full text
    Chen, Xunwu. The problem of mind in Confucianism
    2016, Asian Philosophy 26 (2):166-181.
    Expand entry
    Abstract: This essay explores the Confucian theory of mind. Doing so, it first examines the early Confucian concept of the human mind as a substance that has both moral and cognitive functions and a universal nature. It then explores the neo-Confucian concept of the human mind, the original mind, and the relationships between the human mind and human nature, as well as between the human mind and the human body. Finally, it explores the Confucian concept of cultivation of the mind.
    On DRL Full text
    Mengzi. Chapter Four: Mengzi (Mencius)
    2023, In Ivanhoe, Philip and Van Norden, Bryan (eds.), Readings in Classical Chinese Philosophy, 3rd edition. Indianapolis, IN: Hackett Publishing Company.
    Primary text for referencing
    Expand entry
    Abstract: The third edition of Ivanhoe and Van Norden's acclaimed anthology builds on the strengths of previous editions with the addition of new selections for each chapter; selections from Shen Dao; a new translation of the writings of Han Feizi; selections from two texts, highly influential in later Chinese philosophy, the Great Learning and Mean ; and a complete translation of the recently discovered text Nature Comes from the Mandate . Each section of this volume begins with a brief Introduction and concludes with a lightly annotated Selective Bibliography. Also included are four appendices: Important Figures, Important Periods, Important Texts, and Important Terms.
    On DRL Full text
    Xunzi. Chapter Nine: Xunzi
    2023, In Ivanhoe, Philip and Van Norden, Bryan (eds.), Readings in Classical Chinese Philosophy, 3rd edition. Indianapolis, IN: Hackett Publishing Company.
    Primary text for referencing
    Expand entry
    Abstract: The third edition of Ivanhoe and Van Norden's acclaimed anthology builds on the strengths of previous editions with the addition of new selections for each chapter; selections from Shen Dao; a new translation of the writings of Han Feizi; selections from two texts, highly influential in later Chinese philosophy, the Great Learning and Mean ; and a complete translation of the recently discovered text Nature Comes from the Mandate . Each section of this volume begins with a brief Introduction and concludes with a lightly annotated Selective Bibliography. Also included are four appendices: Important Figures, Important Periods, Important Texts, and Important Terms.

    Study Questions

    1. What is the Confucian understanding of the human mind?
    2. How do you understand the Confucian approach to a theory of mind from the perspective of moral self-cultivation? How does this approach differ from Western philosophy of mind?
    3. According to Mengzi, all human beings share the same original mind (Benxin 本心) (which is the cause of four sprouts of goodness). How do you understand the original mind? What is Mengzi’s argument in 6A1-3 6A8?
    4. For Mengzi, the four fundamental aspects of the original mind are inherent capacities that enable us to make correct moral judgments and act accordingly. How does it differ from a Western understanding of the mind? Why does Mengzi think that such capacities are inherent rather than acquired?
    5. Another important Confucian thinker Xunzi opposed Mengzi’s understanding of the original mind. For Xunzi, the original human mind is not inherently good. The moral capacities characteristics of Mengzi’s original mind are products of moral cultivation. What are the implications of the two conceptions of mind on how we should cultivate the mind?
    Week 2. Mind-Body in Early Chinese Thought

    While many have argued that early Chinese thinkers endorsed a holistic view about the mind-body relationship, there is also evidence that they distinguish the mental from the body. One important notion in Confucian ethics is the idea of the extension of one’s mind. To cultivate one’s mind is to extend and deepen it so that it ‘can embrace the ten thousand things and the whole universe’ (Mengzi 7A4). To make sense of this idea, Chen (2017) suggests that we should interpret Confucians as endorsing substance dualism: the mental and the body as two distinct substances. He traces the idea of extension the mind in classic Confucian texts and neo-Confucian writings such as that of Wang Yangming.

    Full text
    Slingerland, Edward. Body and Mind in Early China: An Integrated Humanities-Science Approach
    2013, Journal of the American Academy of Religion, 81(1): 6–55.
    pp. 6-18
    Expand entry
    Abstract: This article argues against the strong “holist” position that the early Chinese lacked any concept of mind–body dualism, and more broadly against a “neo-Orientalist” trend that portrays Chinese thought as radically different from Western thought. In the first half, it makes the case against strong mind–body holism by drawing upon traditional archeological and textual evidence. In the second, it turns to resources from the sciences, arguing that large-scale quantitative–qualitative analyses of early Chinese texts suggest that they embrace a quite vigorous form of mind–body dualism, and further that a huge body of evidence coming out of the cognitive sciences suggests that this is not at all surprising. In this section, the role that deep humanistic knowledge can, and should, play in scientific approaches to culture is also explored. The article concludes by suggesting that a mutually informed, humanities–scientific approach to religious studies is the best way for our field to move forward
    On DRL Full text
    Chen, Xunwu. Mind and space: a Confucian perspective
    2017, Asian Philosophy 27 (1):1-15.
    Expand entry
    Abstract: This essay explores the Confucian concept of the space of the mind and the Confucian view on cultivation of the space of mind. It then argues that the distinction between the mind as a mental substance and the body as a material substance is that the mind can be infinitely extended while the body can only extended to a certain limit.
    On DRL Full text
    Raphals, Lisa Ann. A tripartite self: mind, body, and spirit in early China
    2023, New York: Oxford University Press.
    Chapters 1 and 4
    Expand entry
    Abstract: Chinese philosophy has long recognized the importance of the body and emotions in extensive and diverse self-cultivation traditions. Philosophical debates about the relationship between mind and body are often described in terms of mind-body dualism and its opposite, monism or some kind of "holism." Monist or holist views agree on the unity of mind and body, but with much debate about what kind, whereas mind-body dualists take body and mind to be metaphysically distinct entities. The question is important for several reasons. Several humanistic and scientific disciplines recognize embodiment as an important dimension of the human condition. One version, the problem of mind-body dualism, is central to the history of both philosophy and religion. Some account of relations between body and mind, spirit or soul is also central to any understanding of the self. Recent work in cognitive and neuroscience underscores the importance of our somatic experience for how we think and feel.

    Study Questions

    1. What is the myth of strong mind-body holism in Early Chinese thought? What is the Early Chinese monistic conception of the universe that lends support to this interpretation?
    2. What are Slingerland’s (2013) reasons for being sceptical about the strong mind-body holism? Which reason he offers is the most convincing in your view?
    3. What according to Slingerland, distinguishes the heartmind (xin) from other organs in the body? If heartmind has those special features, does it support some form of mind-body dualism?
    4. Does it make sense to say that a mind can occupy a space? What is the Confucian conception of the space of mind? When Confucians talk about the space of the mind, should we take it metaphorically or literally?
    5. Chen (2017) argues that in Confucianism, space is constitutive of the mind. What does he mean by this claim? Which Confucian theorist’s (Mengzi, Lu, Zhu, Wang) elaboration of the idea of extending one’s mind is the most plausible?
    Week 3. Emotion (qing 情) in Zhuangzi

    The Daoist school was a loosely affiliated group of thinkers, with the legendary figure Laozi as its first notable proponent. Laozi is attributed with writing the Daodejing, a foundational metaphysical treatise. Daoist philosophy further developed and matured through the writings of Zhuangzi. Early Daoist thinkers proposed radical departures from the ideals and practices of their contemporary society, rejecting the narrowly human concerns of other philosophical schools, as well as their views on government and conventionality. Daoist philosophers advocated for spiritual elevation, freedom, and a life of tranquility, creating a mental utopia for Chinese intellectuals. Unlike many of their contemporaries, who focused primarily on good governance and moral cultivation, Daoist philosophers were also deeply interested in cosmology, ontology, the nature of language, and epistemology.

    Little is known about Zhuangzi’s life. He was a contemporary of Mengzi (Mencius), the prominent Confucian philosopher. The book “”Zhuangzi”” is a compilation of his writings, along with contributions from other authors, collected over a period from the 4th to the 2nd century B.C.E. (Graham 2003:58). There is ongoing debate about the dating of specific sections. Zhuangzi’s prose is distinct and regarded as a literary masterpiece, characterized by the use of parables—stories that are often fanciful, featuring imaginary creatures or historical figures. These tales are typically pithy, witty, and amusing, making them accessible and attractive while also challenging readers to interpret the underlying philosophical ideas.

    Zhuangzi’s philosophy is grounded in this-world concerns, aiming to help people cope with suffering and misery. According to Zhuangzi, while one must learn to navigate the human world and recognize human distinctions as they are, one can always embrace the perspective of the Dao, which transcends all human distinctions. By doing so, one sets one’s spirit free, allowing it to roam at ease in the world of Dao. The wise person (智者) which occupies an important place in Zhuangzi’s thought in characterized by their emotional state. Understanding emotion is therefore crucial to understand Zhuangzi’s conception of the good life.

    On DRL Full text
    Ren, Songyao. The Zhuangist views on emotions
    2018, Asian Philosophy 28 (1):55-67.
    Expand entry
    Abstract: In this article, I will look into the Zhuangist views on emotions. I will argue that the psychological state of the Zhuangist wise person is characterized by emotional equanimity accompanied by a general sense of calmness, ease, and joy. This psychological state is constitutive of and instrumental to leading a good life, one in which one wanders the world and explores the plurality of daos. To do so, I will first provide an overview of the scholarly debate on this issue and unveil the disconcerting disagreement that underlies it. Then, I will survey some passages in the Zhuangzi and sketch my interpretation of the Zhuangist views on emotions. Next, I will examine the theoretical foundation for this interpretation by referencing the Zhuangist pluralism and their conception of the good life. Finally, I will look into some potential objections to the Zhuangist views on emotions and attempt responses to them.
    On DRL Full text
    Oh, Sangmu. Two Levels of Emotion and Well-Being in the Zhuangzi
    2021, Dao: A Journal of Comparative Philosophy 20 (4):589-611.
    Expand entry
    Abstract:

    Emotion is an essential component of human nature, and therefore it is necessary to explore the issue of a desirable emotional state if we want to properly discuss human well-being. This article examines the issue by advocating a new understanding of the Zhuangzi’s 莊子 ideas on emotion. In terms of the Zhuangzi’s ideas on the desirable emotional state, scholars have presented various interpretations to date, even arguing that the ideas themselves are mutually contradictory or inconsistent. This article shows that the Zhuangzi’s ideas about emotions are in fact consistent by dividing emotions into two types: “conventional knowledge-dependent emotions” and “true knowledge-dependent emotions.” It then examines the characteristics of a desirable emotional state and the conditions necessary to reach it and explores the implications of the Zhuangzi’s ideas for discussions on well-being in modern times.

    On DRL Full text
    Zhuangzi, trans. Burton Watson. The Complete Works of Chuang Tzu
    1968 -476 -400 -300 -221, Columbia University Press.
    Primary texts for referencing
    Expand entry
    This is one of the standard and often-cited translations of the full text of the Zhuangzi

    Study Questions

    1. What is Zhuangzi’s main disagreement with Confucians on the nature of emotions?
    2. What are the three interpretations of Zhuangzi’s view on emotion discussed by Ren (2018)?
    3. Zhuangzi was a master storyteller. What is the moral of the story of the death of Zhuangzi’s wife, Zi Gao seeking advice from Confucius, Ai Tai Tuo the ugly, and Master Yu’s illness? Do these passages support Ren’s moderate interpretation of Zhuangzi’s view on emotions?
    4. How does Zhungzi’s view on emotion fit with his pluralism and his conception of the good life?
    5. What is the nature of emotions? Can emotions be right or wrong? Why does Zhuangzi think that ordinary emotions should be extirpated? How would a Confucian respond to Zhuangzi? Do you think ordinary emotions are valuable?
    Week 4. Mind in Chinese Buddhism I: the Consciousness-Only (wei shi) school

    Buddhism is founded by Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha (meaning the enlightened/awaken one). After Guatama Buddha passed away, the questions about Buddhahood split his followers into two strands: Theravada (the way of the elders) Buddhism, (which is also called disparagingly as Hinayana) and Mahayana Buddhism (the greater vehicle). Theravada Buddhism focuses on individual salvation and one’s own efforts in understanding the Buddha’s teaching. They believe that only a special group of people have the potential to reach Buddhahood as such it did not completely cut off its root in the Indian caste system. Mahayana Buddhism, by contrast, is characterized by its altruism and compassion, which is embodied in the doctrine of bodhisattvas. And it is this brand of Buddhism, Mahayana Buddhism that spread northwest and entered China around 1st C.E. It met Daoism and Confucianism and around 5/6 C.E Chinese Buddhism emerges and spread further northeast to Japan and Korea.

    This ethical teaching of Mahayana Buddhism sits well with the idea of Sagehood in Chinese philosophy, which is also an ideal achievable by everyone. It resonates with the Confucian ethical outlook, which promotes humanity and benevolence. Buddhism also introduces many philosophical ideas such as the concept of mind, ideas of space and time, consciousness, self-awareness to the Chinese thought.

    It is not until the sixth century that Chinese Buddhism began to take its distinctive shape. When Xuanzang (596-664) return from 10 years’ study and travelling in India, he brought back with him 657 Buddhist texts and devoted the rest of his time to translating Sanskrit texts into Chinese. The translation school he founded and the consequent systematic translation of Buddhist texts into Chinese set the foundation for the development of Chinese Buddhism. Scholastic interpretations, classifying and ranking of of Buddhist teachings and texts became the basis of competing schools of Buddhism, the foremost being the Consciousness-Only (Weishi zong), Heavenly Terrace (Tiantai zong), Pure Land (Jingtu zong) Flower Ornament (Huayan zong) and the Chan school. This blueprint focuses on the Consciousness-only (Weishi) and the Chan School (also known to the west as Zen Buddhism through Japan).

    If attending to the primary texts, also look at Vasubandhu’s Thirty Stanzas.

    On DRL Full text
    Liu, JeeLoo. An Introduction to Chinese Philosophy: From Ancient Philosophy to Chinese Buddhism
    2006, Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell.
    Chapter 9
    Expand entry
    Abstract: "An Introduction to Chinese Philosophy" unlocks the mystery of ancient Chinese philosophy and unravels the complexity of Chinese Buddhism by placing them in the contemporary context of discourse. Elucidates the central issues and debates in Chinese philosophy, its different schools of thought, and its major philosophers. Covers eight major philosophers in the ancient period, among them Confucius, Laozi, and Zhuangzi. Illuminates the links between different schools of philosophy. Opens the door to further study of the relationship between Chinese and Western philosophy.
    On DRL Full text
    Li, Jingjing. Through the Mirror: The Account of Other Minds in Chinese Yogācāra Buddhism
    2019, Dao: A Journal of Comparative Philosophy 18 (3):435-451.
    Expand entry
    Abstract:

    This article proposes a new reading of the mirror analogy presented in the doctrine of Chinese Yogācāra Buddhism. Clerics, such as Xuanzang 玄奘 and his protégé Kuiji 窺基, articulated this analogy to describe our experience of other minds. In contrast with existing interpretations of this analogy as figurative ways of expressing ideas of projecting and reproducing, I argue that this mirroring experience should be understood as revealing, whereby we perceive other minds through the second-person perspective. This mirroring experience, in its allusion to the collectivity of consciousness, yields the metaphysical explication of mutual interdependence and the prescription of norms for compassionate actions.

    On DRL Full text
    Xuanzang. Chapter 23: Buddhist Idealism – Hsüan-tsang of theConsciousness-Only School
    1963, In Chan,Wing-tsit (ed.), A Sourcebook in Chinese Philosophy. Princeton University Press.
    Primary text for referencing
    Expand entry
    Abstract: A Source Book in Chinese Philosophy covers the entire historical development of Chinese philosophy from its ancient origins to today, providing the most wide-ranging and authoritative English-language anthology of Chinese thought available. This superb book brings together key selections from all the great thinkers and schools in every period—ancient, medieval, modern, and contemporary—and presents these texts in their entirety. Each selection is accompanied by explanatory aids and scholarly documentation that shed invaluable light on all aspects of Chinese thought. Featuring elegant and faithful translations of some of the most important classical writings, some translated here for the first time, A Source Book in Chinese Philosophy is an indispensable resource for students, scholars, and anyone interested in Chinese philosophy and culture.

    Study Questions

    1. What are the 8 forms of consciousness? What is the storehouse consciousness?
    2. How do you make sense of the idea that the world is the creation of intersubjective minds of all sentient beings? How is the world created through the three stages of transformation of consciousness?
    3. If the world consists of the consciousness of all sentient beings, does it mean that sentient beings are more real than non-sentient beings?
    4. How can we make sense of the interaction between ‘our’ body and ‘our’ consciousness if no self exists? If the physical body and hence sense organs do not exist, how do the first five forms of consciousness arise?
    5. To what extent does the problem of other minds pose a challenge to the consciousness-only thesis?
    Week 5. Mind in Chinese Buddhism II: the Chan School (Zen Buddhism)

    Chan Buddhism is a radical break from this scholastic approach—an explicit rejection of language, conceptualization and advocate for a kind of authentic Buddhist teachings that can only be found in the immediate, face-to-face encounters of Buddhist masters and their students. Chan Budhism is heavily influenced by Daoism and has a deep influence on neo-Confucian Wang Yangming’s development of his theory of mind. One central tenant of Chan Buddhism is the claim that all sentient beings have buddha-nature, which is the mind, the source of enlightenment.

    Full text
    Liu, JeeLoo. An Introduction to Chinese Philosophy: From Ancient Philosophy to Chinese Buddhism
    2006, Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell.
    Chapter 12
    Expand entry
    Abstract: "An Introduction to Chinese Philosophy" unlocks the mystery of ancient Chinese philosophy and unravels the complexity of Chinese Buddhism by placing them in the contemporary context of discourse. Elucidates the central issues and debates in Chinese philosophy, its different schools of thought, and its major philosophers. Covers eight major philosophers in the ancient period, among them Confucius, Laozi, and Zhuangzi. Illuminates the links between different schools of philosophy. Opens the door to further study of the relationship between Chinese and Western philosophy.
    Full text
    Zeuschner, Robert. The Understanding of Mind in the Northern Line of Ch’an (Zen)
    1978, Philosophy East & West 28 (1):69-79.
    Expand entry
    Abstract: This article investiagtes Northern School's understanding of the relatiosnhip between the defiled mind and the pure mind. The defiled mind seems to correspond roughly to the Western notion of mind, but the notion of the pure mind is less clear. How is the pure mind related to the defiled mind? Are they two different minds or two aspects of the same thing? Are they separable? Is one more fundamental than the other? If so, in what sense? These tended to be the kinds of questions which the Chan Buddhists were concerned with. Furthermore, the realization of the pure mind was considered an essential part of the goal for the Ch'an Buddhist.
    On DRL Full text
    The Chan School. Chapter 26: The Zen (ch’an) School of Sudden Enlightenment
    1963, In Chan,Wing-tsit (ed.), A Sourcebook in Chinese Philosophy. Princeton University Press.
    Primary text for referencing
    Expand entry
    Abstract: A Source Book in Chinese Philosophy covers the entire historical development of Chinese philosophy from its ancient origins to today, providing the most wide-ranging and authoritative English-language anthology of Chinese thought available. This superb book brings together key selections from all the great thinkers and schools in every period—ancient, medieval, modern, and contemporary—and presents these texts in their entirety. Each selection is accompanied by explanatory aids and scholarly documentation that shed invaluable light on all aspects of Chinese thought. Featuring elegant and faithful translations of some of the most important classical writings, some translated here for the first time, A Source Book in Chinese Philosophy is an indispensable resource for students, scholars, and anyone interested in Chinese philosophy and culture.
    Week 6. Philosophy of Mind in Neo-Confucianism I: the concept of heartmind (xin 心)

    Neo-Confucianism refers to the revival of classical Confucianism developed between 11th and 18th centuries in China, spanning over four dynasties in Chinese history, Song Yuan Ming and Qing dynasties. This is a period of relative stability and prosperity. The population grows from estimated 90 million to 200 million by the time of the Ming Dynasty and to 300 million by the end of 18th century in the Qing Dynasty. With the expansion of population there was a growth of cities, commerce, the flourishing of art and the emergence of a national economy. Neo-Confucianism was a new form of Confucianism resulting from the challenge and influence of Daoism and Buddhism within Chinese literati circles.

    One prominent neo-Confucian school, the School of Mind was founded by Wang Yangming. He contends that morality is grounded in the individual’s moral reflection; emphasises cultivation of ‘Liangzhi’, the innate faculty of pure knowing or moral consciousness. The school of mind contends that morality is grounded in the individual’s moral reflection and cultivation of the human mind.

    Full text
    Angle, Stephen C., Tiwald, Justin. Neo-Confucianism: A Philosophical Introduction
    2017, Cambridge, UK: Polity.
    Chapter 4: Heartmind
    Expand entry
    Abstract: Neo-Confucianism is a philosophically sophisticated tradition weaving classical Confucianism together with themes from Buddhism and Daoism. It began in China around the eleventh century CE, played a leading role in East Asian cultures over the last millennium, and has had a profound influence on modern Chinese society. Based on the latest scholarship but presented in accessible language, Neo-Confucianism: A Philosophical Introduction is organized around themes that are central in Neo-Confucian philosophy, including the structure of the cosmos, human nature, ways of knowing, personal cultivation, and approaches to governance. The authors thus accomplish two things at once: they present the Neo-Confucians in their own, distinctive terms; and they enable contemporary readers to grasp what is at stake in the great Neo-Confucian debates.
    On DRL Full text
    Liu, JeeLoo. The metaphysical as the ethical: a pragmatist reading of Wang Yangming’s “The Mind Is the Principle”
    2024, Asian Journal of Philosophy 3 (1):1-29.
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    Abstract: This paper explores a late-Ming Chinese philosopher Wang Yangming’s (1472–1529) philosophical assertions showcasing the pivotal role that human mind plays in shaping our worldview. Wang Yangming’s view—especially his declaration that the Mind is the Principle—emphasizes that the human mind is the sole foundation of moral principles and that worldly affairs are identified with human ethical practices. This position has been contentious both in his times and among contemporary scholars. While some critics, notably Chen Lai, find Wang’s synthesis of the ethical and the metaphysical realm problematic, others like Wing-tsit Chan view Wang Yangming’s philosophy as verging on subjective idealism. Both Chen and Chan argue that Wang Yangming commits the fallacy of the conflation of fact and value. In this paper, I defend Wang Yangming’s ethics-oriented metaphysics against such criticisms. I will engage a comparative study between Wang Yangming’s perspective and pragmatist metaphysics—a modern philosophical stance which sees metaphysics as intertwining with human ethics and practices. Building upon this comparative study, this paper aims to highlight the intrinsic bond between metaphysics and ethics and to advocate for the centrality of ethics in shaping the very foundation of metaphysical thinking. The conclusion of this paper is that Wang Yangming’s metaphysics aligns with commonsense realism, rather than with subjective idealism. His metaphysics is not a confused worldview that conflates fact with value, nor is it subjective idealism. Instead, it is a metaphysics with the ethical grounding of human engagements and humanistic concerns.
    On DRL Full text
    Xiangshan, Lu. Recorded Sayings
    2009, In Ivanhoe, Philip (ed.), Readings from the Lu-Wang School of Neo-Confucianism. Indianapolis, IN: Hackett Publishing Company.
    Primary text for referencing
    Expand entry
    Abstract:

    This volume provides selected translations from the writings of Lu Xiangshan; Wang Yangming; and the Platform Sutra, a work which had profound influence on neo-Confucian thought. Each of these three sections is preceded by an introduction that sketches important features of the history, biography, and philosophy of the author and explores some of the main features and characteristics of his work. The range of genres represented—letters, recorded sayings, essays, meditations and poetry—provide the reader with insights into the philosophical and stylistic themes of this fascinating and influential branch of neo-Confucian thought.

    On DRL Full text
    Yangming, Wang. Instructions for Practical Living
    2014, In Tiwald, Justin and Van Norden, Bryan (ed.), Readings in Later Chinese Philosophy: Han Dynasty to the 20th Century. Cambridge: Hackett.
    Primary texts for referencing
    Expand entry
    Abstract: An exceptional contribution to the teaching and study of Chinese thought, this anthology provides fifty-eight selections arranged chronologically in five main sections: Han Thought, Chinese Buddhism, Neo-Confucianism, Late Imperial Confucianism, and the early Twentieth Century. The editors have selected writings that have been influential, that are philosophically engaging, and that can be understood as elements of an ongoing dialogue, particularly on issues regarding ethical cultivation, human nature, virtue, government, and the underlying structure of the universe. Within those topics, issues of contemporary interest, such as Chinese ideas about gender and the experiences of women, are brought to light.

    Study Questions

    1. What is the neo-Confucian understanding of the heartmind (xin)? What is the connection between heartmind and the Pattern (li)?
    2. What are neo-confucians’ main criticisms of Xunzi and Buddhist conception of the heartmind?
    3. Some neo-confucians hold the identity thesis that heartmind is Pattern. What are the arguments in favour of the identity thesis? Explain the difference between this view and that of Zhu Xi’s.
    4. What are the implications of the identity thesis? Identify some potential worries for the identity thesis.
    5. How do neo-Confucians address the worry about lacking an independent standard of assessment? Do they have a plausible response?
    Week 7. Philosophy of Mind in Neo-Confucianism II: moral psychology

    Zhu Xi was the most influential neo-Confucian in China. Zhu researched and reflected on the received Five Classics(The Book of Change, Odes, History, Rites, and Spring and Autumn Annals), and compiled, edited, and commented on a compendium of essential Confucian texts, the Great Learning (Daxue), the Analects (Lunyu) of Confucius, the Book of Mencius (Mengzi), and the Doctrine of the Mean(Zhongyong), titled the Four Books (Sishu). His editing and commentaries to Confucian classics became the orthodox and served as the curriculum of the civil service exam from 1313 to 1905.

    Central to Zhu’s moral psychology is the idea of Li and Qi. Li is the principle or pattern that is in everything and governs the universe. Each person’s heartmind contains a perfect li. As such, individuals are capable of acting in perfect accordance with morality. However, while li is the underlying structure, qi is also part of everything. Qi obscures our perfect moral nature. The task of moral cultivation is to clear our qi. If our qi is clear and balanced, then we will act in a perfectly moral way. Zhu thinks human desires obstruct us from following the principle and should be eliminated. Contrary to Zhu’s view, Wang Fuzhi believes that natural emotions and desires play an important role. He develops an account of moral psychology that has been characterized by commentators as moral sentimentalism. Moral sentiments under reflection lead an agent to act in accordance with the heavenly principle.

    For the primary texts of Zhu Xi, focus on the following sections: “The Mind” and “The Mind, The Nature, and The Feelings””, pp. 628–32.

    On DRL Full text
    Liu, JeeLoo. Neo-Confucianism: Metaphysics, Mind, and Morality
    2017, Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.
    Chapters 5 and 7
    Expand entry
    Abstract: Solidly grounded in Chinese primary sources, Neo Confucianism: Metaphysics, Mind, and Morality engages the latest global scholarship to provide an innovative, rigorous, and clear articulation of neo-Confucianism and its application to Western philosophy. Contextualizes neo-Confucianism for contemporary analytic philosophy by engaging with today’s philosophical questions and debates Based on the most recent and influential scholarship on neo-Confucianism, and supported by primary texts in Chinese and cross-cultural secondary literature Presents a cohesive analysis of neo-Confucianism by investigating the metaphysical foundations of neo-Confucian perspectives on the relationship between human nature, human mind, and morality Offers innovative interpretations of neo-Confucian terminology and examines the ideas of eight major philosophers, from Zhou Dunyi and Cheng-Zhu to Zhang Zai and Wang Fuzhi Approaches neo-Confucian concepts in an penetrating yet accessible way
    On DRL Full text
    Xi, Zhu. Chapter 34 Part B: The Complete Works of Chu Hsi
    1963, In Chan,Wing-tsit (ed.), A Sourcebook in Chinese Philosophy. Princeton University Press.
    Primary text for referencing
    Expand entry
    Abstract: A Source Book in Chinese Philosophy covers the entire historical development of Chinese philosophy from its ancient origins to today, providing the most wide-ranging and authoritative English-language anthology of Chinese thought available. This superb book brings together key selections from all the great thinkers and schools in every period—ancient, medieval, modern, and contemporary—and presents these texts in their entirety. Each selection is accompanied by explanatory aids and scholarly documentation that shed invaluable light on all aspects of Chinese thought. Featuring elegant and faithful translations of some of the most important classical writings, some translated here for the first time, A Source Book in Chinese Philosophy is an indispensable resource for students, scholars, and anyone interested in Chinese philosophy and culture.
    On DRL Full text
    Fuzhi, Wang. Chapter 36: Wang Fuzhi
    1963, In Chan,Wing-tsit (ed.), A Sourcebook in Chinese Philosophy. Princeton University Press.
    Primary text for referencing
    Expand entry
    Abstract: A Source Book in Chinese Philosophy covers the entire historical development of Chinese philosophy from its ancient origins to today, providing the most wide-ranging and authoritative English-language anthology of Chinese thought available. This superb book brings together key selections from all the great thinkers and schools in every period—ancient, medieval, modern, and contemporary—and presents these texts in their entirety. Each selection is accompanied by explanatory aids and scholarly documentation that shed invaluable light on all aspects of Chinese thought. Featuring elegant and faithful translations of some of the most important classical writings, some translated here for the first time, A Source Book in Chinese Philosophy is an indispensable resource for students, scholars, and anyone interested in Chinese philosophy and culture.
    On DRL Full text
    Wang, Kaili. On self-deception: from the perspective of Zhu Xi’s moral psychology
    2021, Asian Philosophy 31 (4):414-429.
    Expand entry
    Abstract:

    In order to construct a satisfactory theory of cheng-yi 誠意, Zhu Xi 朱熹 develops an account of how self-deception is possible—a profound problem that has puzzled many philosophers. In Zhu’s opinion, zhi 知 can be divided into two categories: a priori knowing and empirical knowing. The further division of empirical knowing defines three sorts of self-deception: the self-deception caused by one’s ignorance, the self-deception caused by one’s superficial knowing, and the self-deception that may occur when one acquires genuine knowledge. In this paper, I will construct a theoretical model of self-deception that follows Zhu’s criterial definition of self-deception in Daxue Zhangju 大學章句, thereby accounting for the possibility of these three sorts of self-deception. Better understanding of Zhu’s conception of self-deception could, moreover, open fruitful avenues for further work on his metaphysics and moral psychology.

    Study Questions

    1. What roles do emotions play in Zhu Xi’s moral psychology? How does his view differ from that of Mengzi’s?
    2. What is the standard for assessing emotions? Do you find the standard of evaluation plausible?
    3. Liu labels Wang Fuzhi as a moral sentimentalist. What does she mean by that? What are the differences between emotions and sentiments according to Wang?
    4. Wang famously argues against Zhu Xi’s doctrine of ‘preserving the principle (pattern), extirpating desires’ (存天理,灭人欲). What are his reasons?
    5. If our actions are guided by moral sentiments which can be inappropriate or misapplied, how then are we supposed to distinguish the right actions from the wrong ones and act accordingly?

PDF7Level

Class, Status, and Aesthetics

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by Quentin Pharr and Clotilde Torregrossa
Funded by: British Society of Aesthetics

Introduction

When it comes to how class and status structures might shape our aesthetic preferences, as well as how such structures might be challenged or reinforced by our interactions with various aesthetic objects, there are a number of questions to explore. Typically, these questions are treated separately in such disciplines as: sociology, critical theory, cultural studies, or art history. But, in large part, they have not been discussed together, let alone discussed all that much within analytic aesthetics. Through this blueprint, though, our hope is to introduce intermediate philosophical readers to a range of topics which bear on class, status, and aesthetics in order to illustrate the roles that aesthetics can play in both class and status structures, and vice versa.


Contents

    Week 1. Historical and Theoretical Background
    On DRL Full text
    Shiner, Larry. The Invention of Art: A Cultural History
    2001 2001, University of Chicago Press.
    Chapter 5: 'Polite Arts for the Polite Classes', pp. 75-98
    Expand entry
    Abstract: With The Invention of Art, Larry Shiner challenges our conventional understandings of art and asks us to reconsider its history entirely, arguing that the category of fine art is a modern invention—that the lines drawn between art and craft resulted from key social transformations in Europe during the long eighteenth century.

    Comment: This text is very useful in showing the often problematic contingencies behind the establishment of the modern art practice and, consequently, attempts to define art. Looking at how the historical development of the concept traced power relations within and between societies, should help us to become more sensitive to those relations and their influence on art theory, and notice the assumptions behind the modern classificatory attempts. This should inspire a discussion on the aims of the project of art classification at large.

    On DRL Full text
    Bilton, Tony, Bonnett, Kevin. Social Class
    2002 2002, In Introductory Sociology, 4th ed. Palgrave Macmillan.
    pp. 96-111
    Expand entry
    Abstract: This welcome new edition builds on the strengths of its predecessor in its thematic coherence, clarity of exposition and analytical depth. It is carefully structured to cover all the main substantive topics studied at an introductory level within a framework that engages with exciting contemporary debates about modernity, globalization, and social identity. Key features of the new edition include: a completely new chapter on the media; extended coverage of social divisions to include disability, youth, old age, class, gender and race; and clearer treatment of social theory, incorporating discussion of work by such contemporary theorists as Habermas, Giddens, and Beck.

    Comment: Social theorizing is at the heart of any discussion of class and status. Accordingly, it will help to have a basic understanding of how sociologists have tended to think about social stratification, be it along social class, gender, race, or social status. Both historical and conceptual, this selection provides such a basic understanding for the readings to come.

    Study Questions

    1. What is the distinction between social class and social status – for instance, can they come apart and, if so, when?
    2. What sort of social strata and stratifications can readers identify in their own social environments?
    3. How do these strata intersect with one another, if at all?
    4. To what extent, if at all, is the distinction between “fine” arts and other arts or crafts historically based in status and class prejudices?
    5. To what extent, if at all, is the distinction currently based on such prejudices?
    1. What is the distinction between social class and social status – for instance, can they come apart and, if so, when?
    2. What sort of social strata and stratifications can readers identify in their own social environments?
    3. How do these strata intersect with one another, if at all?
    4. To what extent, if at all, is the distinction between “fine” arts and other arts or crafts historically based in status and class prejudices?
    5. To what extent, if at all, is the distinction currently based on such prejudices?
    Week 2. Distinguishing Aesthetic Objects: High Art and Low Art
    On DRL Read free
    King, Alex. High Art, Low Art, and the Status of Aesthetics
    2014 2014, Aesthetics for Birds, November 18, 2014 [Blog].
    Expand entry
    Abstract: In this blogpost, King introduces the distinction between high art/highbrow and low art/lowbrow things both in terms of historical and social underpinnings. However King suggests that the distinction need not be cashed out simply in terms of what kinds of objects we choose to experience (e.g. fine wines vs. beer), but should also be understood in terms of the mode of appreciation or engagement we choose or endorse when experiencing certain objects. For instance, we can have a higbrow mode of appreciation towards an object usually considered lowbrow (and vice versa).

    Comment: A short and illuminating blog post on the distinction between low art/high art, as well as lowbrow/highbrow, which could serve as a helpful introduction or background to the general debate, but also as background on the mechanics of appropriation, as King shows that this distinction doesn't merely rests on a historical or social categorization of objects, but also on our own modes of appreciation: one object could be considered lowbrow by an audience, yet be appreciated (or appropriated) by another audience as highbrow (and vice versa).

    On DRL Full text
    Eaton, A.W.. A Lady in the Street But a Freak in the Bed: On the Distinction Between Erotic Art And Pornography
    2018 2018, British Journal of Aesthetics, 58 (4): 469-488.
    Expand entry
    Abstract: How, if at all, are we to distinguish between the works that we call ‘art’ and those that we call ‘pornography’? This question gets a grip because from classical Greek vases and the frescoes of Pompeii to Renaissance mythological painting and sculpture to Modernist prints, the European artistic tradition is chock-full of art that looks a lot like pornography. In this paper I propose a way of thinking about the distinction that is grounded in art historical considerations regarding the function of erotic images in 16 th -century Italy. This exploration suggests that the root of the erotic art/pornography distinction was—at least in this context—class: in particular, the need for a special category of unsanctioned illicit images arose at the very time when print culture was beginning to threaten elite privilege. What made an erotic representation exceed the boundaries of acceptability, I suggest, was not its extreme libidinosity but, rather, its widespread availability and, thereby, its threat to one of the mechanisms of sustaining class privilege.

    Comment: Eaton argues that what really matters in the distinction between pornography and erotic art, has little to do with artistic or aesthetic features, value, or function. Instead, the distinction follows social power structures along the class line: the priviledged reserve art status (and positive value) to works available only in an exclusive ‘private iconic circuit’ but are otherwise no different from those available in the ‘public iconic circuit’ and labelled pornography (and evaluated negatively). Eaton likens the distinction to that between two kinds of prostitute: a ‘courtesan’ and a ‘whore’, suggesting that in both cases the distinctions originate in class divisions and serve to reinforce them. Eaton’s text can serve as a great case study in the debate surrounding the distinction between low and high art, as well as a sceptical argument against the classificatory project altogether: could all our attempts to distinguish art from non-art be just expressions of discrimination along various lines of priviledge?

    Study Questions

    1. What artistic media do you enjoy?
    2. Do you think that these media can be classified as high/highbrow art or low/lowbrow art?
    3. If so, why? And, if not, why not?
    4. Thinking of Eaton’s paper, is the distinction between pornography and erotic art based in what is, respectively, less aesthetically worthwhile and more aesthetically worthwhile, or is it based in status, gender, race, or class prejudices?
    5. What do you think that your own conceptions (if you have them) of high/highbrow art or low/lowbrow art tracks: what is most beautiful to you, what is most appreciated by your friends or family, what is most appreciated by a social elite…?
    1. What artistic media do you enjoy?
    2. Do you think that these media can be classified as high/highbrow art or low/lowbrow art?
    3. If so, why? And, if not, why not?
    4. Thinking of Eaton’s paper, is the distinction between pornography and erotic art based in what is, respectively, less aesthetically worthwhile and more aesthetically worthwhile, or is it based in status, gender, race, or class prejudices?
    5. What do you think that your own conceptions (if you have them) of high/highbrow art or low/lowbrow art tracks: what is most beautiful to you, what is most appreciated by your friends or family, what is most appreciated by a social elite…?
    Week 3. Distinguishing Artistic Consumers
    On DRL Full text Read free
    Bourdieu, Pierre. Distinction: A Social Critique of the Judgement of Taste
    2015 1979, Richard Nice (trans.), Routledge.
    Chapter 5: 'The Sense of Distinction,' pp. 257–93
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    Abstract: No judgement of taste is innocent - we are all snobs. Pierre Bourdieu’s Distinction brilliantly illuminates the social pretentions of the middle classes in the modern world, focusing on the tastes and preferences of the French bourgeoisie. First published in 1979, the book is at once a vast ethnography of contemporary France and a dissection of the bourgeois mind. In the course of everyday life we constantly choose between what we find aesthetically pleasing, and what we consider tacky, merely trendy, or ugly. Taste is not pure. Bourdieu demonstrates that our different aesthetic choices are all distinctions - that is, choices made in opposition to those made by other classes. This fascinating work argues that the social world functions simultaneously as a system of power relations and as a symbolic system in which minute distinctions of taste become the basis for social judgement.

    Comment: Bourdieu's discussion of taste and its relation to different social strata - especially, class - is one of the most prominent in all of sociology. Grounded in a sociological survey from France in the 1960's, readers will find that those surveyed and with the same social status and class seemed to align in terms of their aesthetic preferences - that is, they appeared to have the same tastes. It will be interesting for readers to see some of these findings, but it will also be important for them to consider these findings within their own social contexts. Another important contribution from this selection is in what sense culture can act as a form of capital within different social and class strata, and how different tastes can come to be seen as dominant over others, based on their corresponding status and class affiliations.

    On DRL Full text
    hooks, bell. Art on My Mind: Visual Politics
    1995 1995, The New Press.
    Beauty Laid Bare: Aesthetics in the Ordinary,' pp. 119-24
    Expand entry
    Abstract: In Art on My Mind, bell hooks, a leading cultural critic, responds to the ongoing dialogues about producing, exhibiting, and criticizing art and aesthetics in an art world increasingly concerned with identity politics. Always concerned with the liberatory black struggle, hooks positions her writings on visual politics within the ever-present question of how art can be an empowering and revolutionary force within the black community.

    Comment: How we "consume" and why we "consume" certain aesthetic objects, as well as value them, is under critical scrutiny in this selection from hooks. She is particularly worried about conceptions and the consumption of what is beautiful when both are heavily influenced by negative social environments, such as pre-established standards based on classist, sexist, or racist power structures. She is also concerned with pointing out that, when we abide by certain power structures in what we consider beautiful objects and worthy of consumption, we often miss out on a great deal of beautiful things which are right before our eyes in everyday circumstances. In light of her discussion, we would do well to think about what might be influencing our conceptions of what is beautiful and how and why we consume beauty as we do.

    Study Questions

    1. Thinking of Bourdieu’s selection, to what extent do you think that “tastes” are based in social status or class?
    2. Do you think that you fit into anyone of the “tastes” that his survey has identified?
    3. To what extent, if at all, do you think your taste is the product of negative social environments?
    4. Can beauty be found anywhere? 5) If so, why? And, if not, why not?
    1. Thinking of Bourdieu’s selection, to what extent do you think that “tastes” are based in social status or class?
    2. Do you think that you fit into anyone of the “tastes” that his survey has identified?
    3. To what extent, if at all, do you think your taste is the product of negative social environments?
    4. Can beauty be found anywhere? 5) If so, why? And, if not, why not?
    Week 4. Types of Consumption
    On DRL Full text
    hooks, bell. Art on My Mind: Visual Politics
    1995 1995, The New Press.
    Altars of Sacrifice: Re-membering Basquiat,' pp. 35-48.
    Expand entry
    Abstract: In Art on My Mind, bell hooks, a leading cultural critic, responds to the ongoing dialogues about producing, exhibiting, and criticizing art and aesthetics in an art world increasingly concerned with identity politics. Always concerned with the liberatory black struggle, hooks positions her writings on visual politics within the ever-present question of how art can be an empowering and revolutionary force within the black community.

    Comment: Social circumstances often change how we interact with or consume different aesthetic objects. In this selection, hooks worries about types of consumption which are emotionally superficial and Eurocentric. Thinking of Basquiat in particular and black artists in general, she roots her aesthetic appreciation of them - her consumption, so to speak - in her emotional interaction with them through their artistic expressions. But, equally, she also roots it in an understanding of the social circumstances surrounding the production of their art - class, race, gender, etc. So, she is not only advocating and displaying a particular conception of aesthetic value, but also trying to show how her more expansive conception of such value ultimately allows for a greater appreciation of the works of Basquiat and other black artists who have had to traverse Eurocentric and white artworlds and who have tried to challenge such artworlds by making their own works unavailable for such consumption. Both her conceptions of aesthetic value and of worthwhile consumption are important for understanding how some forms of consumption are in competition with each other and why some of them are better and worse, depending on the artist and their social circumstances.

    On DRL Full text
    Veblen, Thorstein. The Theory of the Leisure Class: An Economic Study of Institutions
    2009 1899, Oxford University Press.
    Chapter 4: 'Conspicuous Consumption,' pp. 49–69
    Expand entry
    Abstract: In his scathing The Theory of the Leisure Class, Thorstein Veblen produced a landmark study of affluent American society that exposes, with brilliant ruthlessness, the habits of production and waste that link invidious business tactics and barbaric social behavior. Veblen's analysis of the evolutionary process sees greed as the overriding motive in the modern economy, and with an impartial gaze he examines the human cost paid when social institutions exploit the consumption of unessential goods for the sake of personal profit. Fashion, beauty, animals, sports, the home, the clergy, scholars--all are assessed for their true usefulness and found wanting. Indeed, Veblen's critique covers all aspects of modern life from dress, class, the position of women, home decoration, industry, business, and sport, to religion, scholarship, and education. The targets of Veblen's coruscating satire are as evident today as they were a century ago, and his book still has the power to shock and enlighten.

    Comment: Veblen's discussion of conspicuous consumption put this concept on the sociological map. Whether it is ostentatious charity, luxury spending, or what have you for the sake of enhancing one's social prestige or highlighting one's position in society, Veblen's conception will likely apply. And, nowhere is this more true than in luxury spending on aesthetic objects and the dominance that wealthy consumers still hold within aesthetic domains, both in terms of production and consumption. As such, this reading and the conception of such consumption that it offers will be essential for understanding various behaviors - for example, how consumers stratify and distinguish themselves and others - as well as why this form of consumption is pernicious in reinforcing status prejudices and inequalities asssociated with class, race, gender, sexuality, and so on.

    On DRL Full text
    Elan, Priya. Beyoncé and Jay-Z’s Tiffany Advert Criticized by Friends of Basquiat
    2021 2021, The Guardian, 7th September 2021.
    Expand entry
    Abstract: Close friends of artist Jean-Michel Basquiat have spoken out against the advert from jewellers Tiffany which features Beyoncé and Jay-Z posing in front of one of his paintings saying it was “not really what he was about”. Basquiat’s 1982 work Equals Pi sits behind the couple in the campaign as Beyoncé wears a 128.54-carat yellow diamond, the first black woman to have done so.

    Comment: This news item discusses the controversy surrounding a 2021 advert for the high-end jewelry brand Tiffany, featuring Beyoncé and Jay-Z, and, in the background, a rarely seen painting by Basquiat owned by Tiffany. This controversy serves to illustrate both the disappointment that hooks and others feel in how Basquiat's work has been consumed in a emotionally superficial and Eurocentric manner, as well as how his work has come to be a luxury object to be conspicuously consumed primarily by the elite and used for the sake of propagating such consumption of other luxury items to the elite (in this particular instance, a 128.54-carat yellow diamond previously worn by Audrey Hepburn and Lady Gaga). The aesthetic appreciation of the painting, when used as a prop for elite interests, is under scrutiny - and, equally, whether Basquiat's intentions and what he is trying to express through his work are respected in such use and whether should be. Moreover, many of Basquiat's works are privately owned and are not displayed to the public, only to elites. So, using this ad as a case study, we should note that aspects of specific class and status affiliations and interests can affect how appropriately or inappropriately an aesthetic object is consumed, if at all.

    Study Questions

    1. What works of art do you enjoy the most?
    2. To what extent, if at all, is emotion central to why you enjoy them so much?
    3. Is it inauthentic to prize a work of art, without feeling any emotion towards it?
    4. To what extent, if at all, is conspicuous consumption inauthentic or morally wrong?
    5. How would you describe the sort of relationship that Beyoncé and Jay-Z have towards Basquiat’s painting? What about Tiffany and Co.? What about you?
    1. What works of art do you enjoy the most?
    2. To what extent, if at all, is emotion central to why you enjoy them so much?
    3. Is it inauthentic to prize a work of art, without feeling any emotion towards it?
    4. To what extent, if at all, is conspicuous consumption inauthentic or morally wrong?
    5. How would you describe the sort of relationship that Beyoncé and Jay-Z have towards Basquiat’s painting? What about Tiffany and Co.? What about you?
    Week 5. Artistic Producers
    On DRL Full text
    Starr, Ellen Gates. Art and Labour
    2010 1859 1880 1900 1920 1940, In The Craft Reader, Glenn Adamson (ed.). Berg Publishers.
    Chapter 21 pp. 156-160
    Expand entry
    Abstract: From the canonical texts of the Arts and Crafts Movement to the radical thinking of today's “DIY” movement, from theoretical writings on the position of craft in distinction to Art and Design to how-to texts from renowned practitioners, from feminist histories of textiles to descriptions of the innovation born of necessity in Soviet factories and African auto-repair shops, The Craft Reader presents the first comprehensive anthology of writings on modern craft. Covering the period from the Industrial Revolution to today, the Reader draws on craft practice and theory from America, Europe, Asia and Africa. The world of craft is considered in its full breadth -- from pottery and weaving, to couture and chocolate-making, to contemporary art, architecture and curation. The writings are themed into sections and all extracts are individually introduced, placing each in its historical, cultural and artistic context. Bringing together an astonishing range of both classic and contemporary texts, The Craft Reader will be invaluable to any student or practitioner of Craft and also to readers in Art and Design.

    Comment: Starr highlights in this selection that art and the entirety of humanity go hand-in-hand. Firstly, she notes that art (at least, the best art) has always been, in great part, an expression of humanity's "common life" and not just an expression of its elite's interests. But, secondly and more importantly, she also argues that humans, regardless of their social status or class, cannot live without beauty in their lives. Striving for art has always been essential to joy in humanity's productive capacities, and those products have always been essential to the retention of humanity's hope in itself through our consumption of it. This selection, in conjunction with Du Bois's, makes salient that, although things are often produced by many of us without art in mind and art is often consumed by relatively few of us, such a state of affairs is ultimately not amenable to producing good societies and happy peoples. Art, as she claims, can and must be by all for all, regardless of social status or class.

    On DRL Read free
    Du Bois, W.E.B.. Criteria of Negro Art
    1926, The Crisis, 32: 290-297.
    Expand entry
    Abstract: Published in The Crisis of October 1926, DuBois initially spoke these words at a celebration for the recipient of the Twelfth Spingarn Medal, Carter Godwin Woodson. The celebration was part of the NAACP's annual conference and was held in June 1926.

    Comment: In this selection, Du Bois discusses the nature of aesthetic value, how black artists have been historically excluded from creating it for false and racist reasons, and what role black artists actually have to play in creating beauty. Firstly, he establishes an expansive conception of aesthetic value. Secondly, he sets out various examples of how black artists have been historically excluded from producing art in general and art which portrays "blackness" more specifically. And lastly, he sets out a vision for the arts which not only includes black artists, but also recognizes the aesthetic and political value of their work for creating fair and equal societies where beauty is ever present and sought. It will help readers to understand the costs and wrongs that come with exclusionary practices in the production of aesthetic objects.

    Study Questions

    1. To what extent is the production of art inclusive or exclusive?
    2. To what extent, if at all, should it be either inclusive or exclusive?
    3. To whom and why, if at all, should the production of art be excluded?
    4. Why, if at all, should it be maximally inclusive?
    5. To what extent, if at all, did your answer’s track different forms of social stratification?
    1. To what extent is the production of art inclusive or exclusive?
    2. To what extent, if at all, should it be either inclusive or exclusive?
    3. To whom and why, if at all, should the production of art be excluded?
    4. Why, if at all, should it be maximally inclusive?
    5. To what extent, if at all, did your answer’s track different forms of social stratification?
    Week 6. Curating Art: For All or Some?
    On DRL Full text
    Fleming, David. Positioning the Museum for Social Inclusion
    2002 2002, In Museums, Society, Inequality, Richard Sandell (ed.). Routledge.
    Expand entry
    Abstract: Museums, Society, Inequality explores the wide-ranging social roles and responsibilities of the museum. It brings together international perspectives to stimulate critical debate, inform the work of practitioners and policy makers, and to advance recognition of the purpose, responsibilities and value to society of museums. Museums, Society, Inequality examines the issues and offers different understandings of the social agency of the museum, presents ways in which museums have sought to engage with social concerns and instigate social change, and imagines how museums might become more useful to society in future. This book is essential for all museum academics, practitioners and students.

    Comment: When thinking about how class and status influences our aesthetic practices and preferences, it is also important to consider how they also influence the way we display our aesthetic products and culture, and the way we offer access to such displays. David Fleming is one of the foremost UK advocates for accessible museums and he firmly believes that museums can and should be powerful agents of social change. In this particular chapter he clearly introduces what he believes to be the four main reasons why museums in the UK have been socially exclusive, especially regarding class: 1) who runs museums, 2) what they contain, 3) how they have been run, and 4) for whom they have been run. As Fleming shows, privileged classes have been favoured across all these aspects, at the detriment of all others. He refers to this phenomenon as the Great Museum Conspiracy. But Fleming is optimistic and offers practical solutions for bulding a socially inclusive museum based on his own experience at the Tyne and Wear Museums. As such, this chapter can be used both as theoretical background and a case study to consider the social conditions that contribute to the social exclusion of certain classes from their own culture, as well as the economic and material conditions that serve this inequality - an inequality both in terms of access to and representation in aesthetic practices, but also an inequality in terms of the value conferred upon the culture and artefacts of the working classes.

    On DRL Read free
    People's History Museum. Ten Treasures from the People’s History Museum’s Collection
    2020 2020, Available at: https://artsandculture.google.com/story/cAUxiSqS7Y8lZg.
    Expand entry
    Abstract: In February 2020, to celebrate ten years in the museum’s current home in Manchester, the team at People's History Museum picked out ten pieces that they believe capture the ethos, spirit and importance of their nationally significant collection.

    Comment: This link will take you to a free virtual exhibition offered by the People's History Museum in Manchester, which features ten of the most significant pieces in their collection. Together they illustrate what it is to collect, preserve, contextualise, and display the cultural artefacts of the working classes in the UK, all in a accessible and inclusive manner. It also illustrates particularly well how class issues intersect with LGBTQ+, gender, and race issues, precisely because this intersectionality can be materially experienced in these objects.

    Study Questions

    1. Do you think Fleming is right in his assessment of the Great Museum Conspiracy?
    2. Can you think of other particular examples (perhaps outside the UK) that illustrate this Conspiracy?
    3. When viewing the People’s Histroy Museum exhibit, can you identify the ways in which this Conspiracy is countered? Does it go far enough?
    4. What kind of value do you think the artefacts presented in this exhibit have? And what kind of value is conferred onto them by the act of displaying them as such?
    5. If you were a museum curator thinking about implementing socially inclusivie policies, how would you go about it?
    1. Do you think Fleming is right in his assessment of the Great Museum Conspiracy?
    2. Can you think of other particular examples (perhaps outside the UK) that illustrate this Conspiracy?
    3. When viewing the People’s Histroy Museum exhibit, can you identify the ways in which this Conspiracy is countered? Does it go far enough?
    4. What kind of value do you think the artefacts presented in this exhibit have? And what kind of value is conferred onto them by the act of displaying them as such?
    5. If you were a museum curator thinking about implementing socially inclusivie policies, how would you go about it?
    Week 7. Appropriation: Fashion as a Case Study
    On DRL Full text
    Crane, Diana. Diffusion Models and Fashion: A Reassessment
    1999 1999, The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, 566: 13-24..
    Expand entry
    Abstract: Large-scale diffusion processes such as those affecting fashionable clothing are difficult to study systematically. This article assesses the relevance of top-down as compared to bottom-up models of diffusion for fashion. Changes in the relationships between fashion organizations and their publics have affected what is diffused, how it is diffused, and to whom. Originally, fashion design was centered in Paris; designers created clothes for local clients, but styles were diffused to many other countries. This highly centralized system has been replaced by a system in which fashion designers in several countries create designs for small publics in global markets, but their organizations make their profits from luxury products other than clothing. Trends are set by fashion forecasters, fashion editors, and department store buyers. Industrial manufacturers are consumer driven, and market trends originate in many types of social groups, including adolescent urban subcultures. Consequently, fashion emanates from many sources and diffuses in various ways to different publics.

    Comment: Fashion has always been a subject of great interest for sociologists, but only recently for philosophers. In this selection, Crane offers an overview of how fashions/styles/trends have traditionally been thought to spread among and affect the relations between different social groups, but also notes several shortcomings of the existing models. Overall, she ends up concluding that fashion has a number of sources and diffuses in various ways. But, for our purposes, what is particularly important about this selection is in how she casts fashion's diffusion as guided by differential perceptions of class and status and who wants to consume what sorts of fashion, based on those perceptions. Existing models, despite their shortcomings, present a helpful way of understanding various phenomena, including: appropriation, targeted advertizing, class and status signalling, and so on.

    On DRL Read free
    Cooper, Leonie. Joe Corré, Son of Malcolm McLaren and Vivienne Westwood, On Why He’s Burning His £5 Million Punk Collection
    2016 2016, NME, 18th March 2016.
    Expand entry
    Abstract: This week [18th March 2016], Joe Corré, son of punk provocateurs Malcolm McLaren and Vivienne Westwood proved that rebellion runs in the family. In response to the ongoing Punk London year of events, gigs, films, talks, exhibits, celebrating 40 years of punk – which Joe claims has been endorsed by the Queen – has announced his plans to burn his £5 million collection of punk memorabilia this November 26, on the 40th anniversary of the release of the Sex Pistols’ ‘Anarchy In The UK’. NME visited Joe at his London HQ to find out more.

    Comment: This news item is an interview with Joe Corré, son of British fashion designer Vivienne Westwood and Malcolm McLaren, former manager of the Sex Pistols. In response to the 2016 events celebrating '40 years of Punk' in London, Corré announced he would burn his collection of punk artefacts, estimated to be worth £5 million (he did end up burning it on a barge on the Thames). In this interview, Corré discusses how the punk aesthetic has been appropriated by the very people and institutions that the punk movement was against - the establishment. For Corré, his collection is only worth £5 million because of the mainstream appropriation that punk has undergone - for him these items are worthless, they barely even have sentimental value. But equally, Corré, a very wealthy man himself (he co-founded the lingerie brand Agent Provocateur and sold it to private equity for £60 million), has come under fire for his decision to burn the items rather than give them to charity. As such, this piece is an interesting case study that illustrates the mechanics of class appropriation of fashion as discussed by Crane. But it can also be discussed in reference to the People's History Museum virtual exhibition from week 6, as perhaps Corré's judgement that these items are not worthy of preservation and display is itself clouded by class privilege.

    On DRL Full text Read free
    Nguyen, C. Thi, Strohl, Matthew. Cultural Appropriation and the Intimacy of Groups
    2019 2019, Philosophical Studies, 176: 981–1002.
    Expand entry
    Abstract: What could ground normative restrictions concerning cultural appropriation which are not grounded by independent considerations such as property rights or harm? We propose that such restrictions can be grounded by considerations of intimacy. Consider the familiar phenomenon of interpersonal intimacy. Certain aspects of personal life and interpersonal relationships are afforded various protections in virtue of being intimate. We argue that an analogous phenomenon exists at the level of large groups. In many cases, members of a group engage in shared practices that contribute to a sense of common identity, such as wearing certain hair or clothing styles or performing a certain style of music. Participation in such practices can generate relations of group intimacy, which can ground certain prerogatives in much the same way that interpersonal intimacy can. One such prerogative is making what we call an appropriation claim. An appropriation claim is a request from a group member that non-members refrain from appropriating a given element of the group’s culture. Ignoring appropriation claims can constitute a breach of intimacy. But, we argue, just as for the prerogatives of interpersonal intimacy, in many cases there is no prior fact of the matter about whether the appropriation of a given cultural practice constitutes a breach of intimacy. It depends on what the group decides together.

    Comment: This article presents a thorough discussion of the competing interests surrounding cultural appropriation and one promising explanation of why it amounts to a harm or wrong based on the notion of intimacy - in particular, breaches of group intimacy. Although this explanation is just one of many that might be given, the hope is that readers will find tools for thinking about the previous items from this week's selections and for developing their own views on cultural appropriation.

    Study Questions

    1. Thinking of different fashion brands, how would you describe their diffusion and use?
    2. Thinking of the diffusion models presented by Crane and Corré’s impressions of “Punk,” as it was and now is, what sort of model seems to describe what Punk has undergone?
    3. Do you think Corré should have done something else with his collection of Punk artefacts?
    4. Is Corré’s Punk a good example of cultural appropriation – especially, along class lines?
    5. What other examples can you think of?
    6. To what extent, if at all, do you think intimacy is at the core of why we find cultural appropriation wrong? 7) What else might be underlying these impressions?
    1. Thinking of different fashion brands, how would you describe their diffusion and use?
    2. Thinking of the diffusion models presented by Crane and Corré’s impressions of “Punk,” as it was and now is, what sort of model seems to describe what Punk has undergone?
    3. Do you think Corré should have done something else with his collection of Punk artefacts?
    4. Is Corré’s Punk a good example of cultural appropriation – especially, along class lines?
    5. What other examples can you think of?
    6. To what extent, if at all, do you think intimacy is at the core of why we find cultural appropriation wrong? 7) What else might be underlying these impressions?

PDF7Level

Native North American Ethics

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by Sonja Dobroski and Quentin Pharr

Introduction

Native North American Philosophy has so much to offer us, both as philosophers and human beings. And yet, within both academic philosophy and society at large, it has often been caricatured, forced into ways of thinking which do not do it justice, dismissed, or simply ignored. But, if there is one thing that even a minimal acquaintance with Native North American philosophy has to offer, it is a picture of resilience, wisdom, and hope, despite some of the gravest challenges that any set of cultures has ever faced. In general, Native North American communities are diverse and so are their intellectual and philosophical traditions. But, if this introductory set of readings does anything right, it will be in showing that there is a great deal to learn from Native North American ethical thought when it comes to such things as: how to care for one’s self, how to care for one’s community, how to care for future generations, how to care for one’s sovereignty, how to care for one’s land, how to care for non-human life, and more.

Content wise, due to the multitude of philosophically rich texts by Indigenous authors, we have only focused on authors from communities in Native North America. But, we acknowledge that Native Meso and Latin-American thinkers and their philosophies should also have their own reading lists in this series. We have also tried our best to find readings from authors from communities across North America and not just from any one particular locale – you will find this noted by each author’s name. Even still, we have left a number of gaps – but, hopefully, future work will fill them in.

How to use this Blueprint?

In this blueprint, your weekly schedule should follow the topics rather than the readings. There are only seven weekly topics, but each of them is rich in content. So, readers should feel free to either select several readings to focus on collectively for each week or to take on different readings individually so that they can share with each other in weekly discussion. And, of course, they should also feel free to read everything collectively each week if they have the time and the energy.


Contents

    Week 1. Introducing Native North American Philosophy

    Each of the texts in this selection offer conceptions of Native American philosophy and how it compares with that of Western academic philosophy: how they receive each other, what historical circumstances underlie the relations between them, how they are distinct from one another, how they are similar to each other, and so on. They also introduce some of the overarching themes that the other sections of this blueprint will cover in more depth, including: historical background, issues of colonialism, the difficulty and importance of finding and including new or different ways of thinking, the importance of respect and responsibility to others (as well as oneself), and so on. Acquaintaince with these readings will constitute sufficient background for subsequent readings.

    On DRL Full text
    Cordova, Viola (Jicarilla Apache/Hispanic). How It Is: The Native American Philosophy of V. F. Cordova
    2007 2007, Kathleen Dean Moore, Kurt Peters, Ted Jojola & Amber Lacy (eds.), University of Arizona Press..
    Author's Introduction, "Why Native American Philosophy?", pp.1-4.
    Expand entry
    Abstract: Viola Cordova was the first Native American woman to receive a PhD in philosophy. Even as she became an expert on canonical works of traditional Western philosophy, she devoted herself to defining a Native American philosophy. Although she passed away before she could complete her life’s work, some of her colleagues have organized her pioneering contributions into this provocative book. In three parts, Cordova sets out a complete Native American philosophy. First she explains her own understanding of the nature of reality itself—the origins of the world, the relation of matter and spirit, the nature of time, and the roles of culture and language in understanding all of these. She then turns to our role as residents of the Earth, arguing that we become human as we deepen our relation to our people and to our places, and as we understand the responsibilities that grow from those relationships. In the final section, she calls for a new reverence in a world where there is no distinction between the sacred and the mundane. Cordova clearly contrasts Native American beliefs with the traditions of the Enlightenment and Christianized Europeans. By doing so, she leads her readers into a deeper understanding of both traditions and encourages us to question any view that claims a singular truth. From these essays—which are lucid, insightful, frequently funny, and occasionally angry—we receive a powerful new vision of how we can live with respect, reciprocity, and joy.
    On DRL Full text
    Deloria Jr., Vine (Standing Rock Sioux). Why We Respect Our Elders Burial Grounds
    2004 2004, In: American Indian Thought: Philosophical Essays. Anne Waters (ed.), Blackwell (Oxford)..
    Chapter 1, pp. 3-11. 'Philosophy and Tribal Peoples'
    Expand entry
    Abstract: This book brings together a diverse group of American Indian thinkers to discuss traditional and contemporary philosophies and philosophical issues. The essays presented here address philosophical questions pertaining to knowledge, time, place, history, science, law, religion, nationhood, ethics, and art, as understood from a variety of Native American standpoints. Unique in its approach, this volume represents several different tribes and nations and amplifies the voice of contemporary American Indian culture struggling for respect and autonomy. Taken together, the essays collected here exemplify the way in which American Indian perspectives enrich contemporary philosophy.
    On DRL Full text
    Arola, Adam (Ojibwe Anishinaabe). Native American Philosophy
    2011 2011, in The Oxford Handbook of World Philosophy, William Edelglass and Jay L. Garfield (eds.), OUP..
    Chapter 40, pp. 563-73.
    Expand entry
    Abstract: This article introduces the central thinkers of contemporary American Indian philosophy by discussing concerns including the nature of experience, meaning, truth, the status of the individual and community, and finally issues concerning sovereignty. The impossibility of carving up the intellectual traditions of contemporary Native scholars in North America into neat and tidy disciplines must be kept in mind. The first hallmark of American Indian philosophy is the commitment to the belief that all things are related—and this belief is not simply an ontological claim, but rather an intellectual and ethical maxim.

    Study Questions

    1. How much do you (the readers) know about Native American philosophy?
    2. How has Native American philosophy been shaped by the histories and traditions of the communities who have practiced it?
    3. Why has Native American philosophy often been called “primitive,” by the standards of Western academic philosophy?
    4. Why is Native American philosophy still largely excluded from Western academic philosophy?
    5. Can and should Native American philosophy be practiced or studied by anyone and everyone?
    6. How have Native American and non-native concepts interacted with each other, historically (or presently)?
    1. How much do you (the readers) know about Native American philosophy?
    2. How has Native American philosophy been shaped by the histories and traditions of the communities who have practiced it?
    3. Why has Native American philosophy often been called “primitive,” by the standards of Western academic philosophy?
    4. Why is Native American philosophy still largely excluded from Western academic philosophy?
    5. Can and should Native American philosophy be practiced or studied by anyone and everyone?
    6. How have Native American and non-native concepts interacted with each other, historically (or presently)?
    Week 2. Becoming Human: Community, Family, and Individuality

    How individuals become a part of their communities, as well as become self-sufficient and autonomous humans, is a frequent and indispensable topic in Native North American philosophy. Two components typically comprise it: a metaphysical one (that is, an interpretation of how reality is or works), and an ethical one. But, although we can think of these components separately, they are usually treated as indistinct or, at the very least, as intimately linked with one another within Native American philosophy. And so, this section’s readings will not only introduce readers to how metaphysics and ethics are often one in Native North American thinking, but will also be essential for readers in acquainting them with how different Indigenous communities think about the metaphysics of the human and non-human world, the metaphysical relationship that individuals bear to their communities, kin, and environment, how those relationships embed various responsibilities for all parties involved, and how personhood can be cultivated ethically in light of those things.

    On DRL Full text
    Cordova, Viola (Jicarilla Apache/Hispanic). How It Is: The Native American Philosophy of V. F. Cordova
    2007 2007, Kathleen Dean Moore, Kurt Peters, Ted Jojola & Amber Lacy (eds.), University of Arizona Press..
    Chapter 4, "What is it to be Human?", pp. 133-70.
    Expand entry
    Abstract: Viola Cordova was the first Native American woman to receive a PhD in philosophy. Even as she became an expert on canonical works of traditional Western philosophy, she devoted herself to defining a Native American philosophy. Although she passed away before she could complete her life’s work, some of her colleagues have organized her pioneering contributions into this provocative book. In three parts, Cordova sets out a complete Native American philosophy. First she explains her own understanding of the nature of reality itself—the origins of the world, the relation of matter and spirit, the nature of time, and the roles of culture and language in understanding all of these. She then turns to our role as residents of the Earth, arguing that we become human as we deepen our relation to our people and to our places, and as we understand the responsibilities that grow from those relationships. In the final section, she calls for a new reverence in a world where there is no distinction between the sacred and the mundane. Cordova clearly contrasts Native American beliefs with the traditions of the Enlightenment and Christianized Europeans. By doing so, she leads her readers into a deeper understanding of both traditions and encourages us to question any view that claims a singular truth. From these essays—which are lucid, insightful, frequently funny, and occasionally angry—we receive a powerful new vision of how we can live with respect, reciprocity, and joy
    On DRL Full text
    Cordova, Viola (Jicarilla Apache/Hispanic). Ethics: The We and the I
    2004 2004, In: American Indian Thought: Philosophical Essays. Anne Waters (ed.), Blackwell (Oxford)..
    Chapter 14, pp. 173-81.
    Expand entry
    Abstract: This book brings together a diverse group of American Indian thinkers to discuss traditional and contemporary philosophies and philosophical issues. The essays presented here address philosophical questions pertaining to knowledge, time, place, history, science, law, religion, nationhood, ethics, and art, as understood from a variety of Native American standpoints. Unique in its approach, this volume represents several different tribes and nations and amplifies the voice of contemporary American Indian culture struggling for respect and autonomy. Taken together, the essays collected here exemplify the way in which American Indian perspectives enrich contemporary philosophy.
    On DRL Full text
    Akkitiq, Atuat, Akpaliapak Karetak, Rhoda (Nunavut Inuit). Inunnguiniq (Making a Human Being)
    2017 2017, In: Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit: What Inuit Have Always Known to be True. Joe Karetak, Frank Tester, Shirley Tagalik (eds.), Fernwood Publishing..
    Chapter 8, pp. 112-46.
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    Abstract: The Inuit have experienced colonization and the resulting disregard for the societal systems, beliefs and support structures foundational to Inuit culture for generations. While much research has articulated the impacts of colonization and recognized that Indigenous cultures and worldviews are central to the well-being of Indigenous peoples and communities, little work has been done to preserve Inuit culture. Unfortunately, most people have a very limited understanding of Inuit culture, and often apply only a few trappings of culture -- past practices, artifacts and catchwords --to projects to justify cultural relevance. Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit -- meaning all the extensive knowledge and experience passed from generation to generation -- is a collection of contributions by well- known and respected Inuit Elders. The book functions as a way of preserving important knowledge and tradition, contextualizing that knowledge within Canada's colonial legacy and providing an Inuit perspective on how we relate to each other, to other living beings and the environment.

    Study Questions

    1. What are some of the ways in which you (the readers) have conceived of your identities and have been shaped by your communities?
    2. What are some of the ways in which identity has been conceived by Native North American communities?
    3. What are some the ways in which communities help to shape the identities of their members?
    4. Is individuality completely ignored or shunned within Native North American communities?
    5. What sorts of things bind the members of these communities together?
    6. What sorts of relationships might individuals occupy within their communities?
    7. And, what is the extent of the relationships that individuals can bear towards anything around them?
    1. What are some of the ways in which you (the readers) have conceived of your identities and have been shaped by your communities?
    2. What are some of the ways in which identity has been conceived by Native North American communities?
    3. What are some the ways in which communities help to shape the identities of their members?
    4. Is individuality completely ignored or shunned within Native North American communities?
    5. What sorts of things bind the members of these communities together?
    6. What sorts of relationships might individuals occupy within their communities?
    7. And, what is the extent of the relationships that individuals can bear towards anything around them?
    Week 3. Sovereignty and Self-Determination

    Sovereignty and self-determination are the heart of Native North American ethical concern, seeing as both have been and are stil under constant siege from industry, neighboring governments, and social mentalities which have both colonial ethnocentrism and imperialism still embedded within them. As such, this section’s readings are dedicated to informing readers of how various Native North American communities conceive of their rights to exist in peace, live freely and autonomously on their lands, and share in the mutual respect that all peoples should be afforded, as well as what battles have been and are still being fought, both practically and intellectually, given the significant colonial violence and abuse that Native North American communities continue to navigate and challenge.

    On DRL Full text
    Mankiller, Wilma, et al. (Cherokee). Everyday is a Good Day: Reflections by Contemporary Indigenous Women
    2004 2004, Fulcrum Publishing..
    Chapter 4, "Governance: The People and the Land", pp. 75-94 .
    Expand entry
    Abstract: Nineteen prominent Native artists, educators, and activisits share their candid and often profound thoughts on what it means to be a Native American woman in the early 21st century. Their stories are rare and often intimate glimpses of women who have made a conscious decision to live every day to its fullest and stand for something larger than themselves.
    On DRL Full text Read free
    Cobb-Greetham, Amanda (Chickasaw). Understanding Tribal Sovereignty: Definitions, Conceptualizations, and Interpretations
    2005 2005, American Studies, 46(3), 115–132..
    Expand entry
    Abstract: Forty years have passed since the Midcontinent American Studies Journal published its landmark special issue, "The Indian Today."  Since that publication, the landscape of Indian country has changed dramatically. This change has come primarily from an amazing cultural resurgence among Native Peoples in the United States — a resurgence that has manifested itself in everything from the Red Power movement to the birth of American Indian studies in the academy; to the renaissance of contemporary Native art, literature, and film; to the creation of tribal colleges, museums, and cultural centers; to the unprecedented rise in economic development; to notable gains in power in political and legal arenas.
    On DRL Full text
    Alfred, Gerald Taiaiake (Mohawk/Kanien’kehá:ka). Wasáse: Indigenous Pathways of Action and Freedom
    2005 2005, University of Toronto Press..
    Chapter 1, "Rebellion of Truth".
    Expand entry
    Abstract: The word Wasáse is the Kanienkeha (Mohawk) word for the ancient war dance ceremony of unity, strength, and commitment to action. The author notes, "This book traces the journey of those Indigenous people who have found a way to transcend the colonial identities which are the legacy of our history and live as Onkwehonwe, original people. It is dialogue and reflection on the process of transcending colonialism in a personal and collective sense: making meaningful change in our lives and transforming society by recreating our personalities, regenerating our cultures, and surging against forces that keep us bound to our colonial past."
    On DRL Full text
    Coulthard, Glen (Yellowknives Dene/T'atsaot'ine). Red Skin, White Masks: Rejecting the Colonial Politics of Recognition
    2014 2014, University of Minnesota Press..
    Introduction, pp. 22-80; Chapter 5, “The Plunge into the Chasm of the Past: Fanon, Self-Recognition, and Decolonization", pp. 336-81.
    Expand entry
    Abstract: Over the past forty years, recognition has become the dominant mode of negotiation and decolonization between the nation-state and Indigenous nations in North America. The term “recognition” shapes debates over Indigenous cultural distinctiveness, Indigenous rights to land and self-government, and Indigenous peoples’ right to benefit from the development of their lands and resources. In a work of critically engaged political theory, Glen Sean Coulthard challenges recognition as a method of organizing difference and identity in liberal politics, questioning the assumption that contemporary difference and past histories of destructive colonialism between the state and Indigenous peoples can be reconciled through a process of acknowledgment. Beyond this, Coulthard examines an alternative politics—one that seeks to revalue, reconstruct, and redeploy Indigenous cultural practices based on self-recognition rather than on seeking appreciation from the very agents of colonialism. Coulthard demonstrates how a “place-based” modification of Karl Marx’s theory of “primitive accumulation” throws light on Indigenous–state relations in settler-colonial contexts and how Frantz Fanon’s critique of colonial recognition shows that this relationship reproduces itself over time. This framework strengthens his exploration of the ways that the politics of recognition has come to serve the interests of settler-colonial power. In addressing the core tenets of Indigenous resistance movements, like Red Power and Idle No More, Coulthard offers fresh insights into the politics of active decolonization.

    Study Questions

    1. In general, what are some of the ways in which sovereignty and self-determination have been conceived?
    2. In general, what are some of the ways in which those sorts of sovereignty and self-determination can be undermined?
    3. What are some of the ways in which Native North Americans have conceived of their sovereignty and self-determination?
    4. What sorts of conceptions of identity or community have underpinned their thinking about sovereignty and self-determination?
    5. How has the sovereignty and self-determination of Native North Americans been undermined?
    1. In general, what are some of the ways in which sovereignty and self-determination have been conceived?
    2. In general, what are some of the ways in which those sorts of sovereignty and self-determination can be undermined?
    3. What are some of the ways in which Native North Americans have conceived of their sovereignty and self-determination?
    4. What sorts of conceptions of identity or community have underpinned their thinking about sovereignty and self-determination?
    5. How has the sovereignty and self-determination of Native North Americans been undermined?
    Week 4. Love, Sexuality, Sex, and Gender

    Native North American people and communities are immensely diverse in their conceptions of love, sexuality, sex, and gender. The readings in this section, several conceptions are presented to readers from both the past and the present, and discussions are prompted as to how they have played out for individuals and communities over time.

    On DRL Full text Read free
    Beauchemin, Michel, Levy, Lori, Vogel, Gretchen. Two Spirit People
    1991 1991, Frameline. 20 min. USA..
    Expand entry
    Abstract: An overview of historical and contemporary Native American concepts of gender, sexuality and sexual orientation. This documentary explores the berdache tradition in Native American culture, in which individuals who embody feminine and masculine qualities act as a conduit between the physical and spiritual world, and because of this are placed in positions of power within the community.
    On DRL Full text
    Mankiller, Wilma, et al. (Cherokee). Everyday is a Good Day: Reflections by Contemporary Indigenous Women
    2004 2004, Fulcrum Publishing..
    Chapter 6, "Love And Acceptance", pp. 125-42.
    Expand entry
    Abstract: Nineteen prominent Native artists, educators, and activisits share their candid and often profound thoughts on what it means to be a Native American woman in the early 21st century. Their stories are rare and often intimate glimpses of women who have made a conscious decision to live every day to its fullest and stand for something larger than themselves.
    On DRL Full text
    Maracle, Lee (Stö:lo). I Am Woman: A Native Perspective on Sociology and Feminism
    2002 2002, Press Gang Publishers, Canada..
    Preface, pp. VI-XII; Chapter 2, "I am Woman", pp. 14-19.
    Expand entry
    Abstract: I Am Woman represents my personal struggle with womanhood, culture, traditional spiritual beliefs and political sovereignty, written during a time when that struggle was not over. My original intention was to empower Native women to take to heart their own personal struggle for Native feminist being. The changes made in this second edition of the text do not alter my original intention. It remains my attempt to present a Native woman's sociological perspective on the impacts of colonialism on us, as women, and on my self personally.
    On DRL Full text
    Byrd, Jodi (Chickasaw). What’s Normative Got to Do with It?: Toward Indigenous Queer Relationality
    2020 2020, Social Text, 38 (4 (145)): 105–123..
    Expand entry
    Abstract: This article considers the queer problem of Indigenous studies that exists in the disjunctures and disconnections that emerge when queer studies, Indigenous studies, and Indigenous feminisms are brought into conversation. Reflecting on what the material and grounded body of indigeneity could mean in the context of settler colonialism, where Indigenous women and queers are disappeared into nowhere, and in light of Indigenous insistence on land as normative, where Indigenous bodies reemerge as first and foremost political orders, this article offers queer Indigenous relationality as an additive to Indigenous feminisms. What if, this article asks, queer indigeneity were centered as an analytic method that refuses normativity even as it imagines, through relationality, a possibility for the materiality of decolonization?
    On DRL Full text Read free
    TallBear, Kim (Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate). Making Love and Relations Beyond Settler Sexuality
    2016 2016, Lecture. The Ecologies of Social Difference Research Network. University of British Columbia..
    Expand entry
    Abstract: Lecture as part of the Social Justice Institute Noted Scholars Lecture Series, co-presented by the Ecologies of Social Difference Research Network at the University of British Columbia.

    Study Questions

    1. What sorts of conceptions of love, sexuality, sex, and gender do you (the readers) have?
    2. What sorts of conceptions of the same do Native North Americans have?
    3. How do these conceptions compare and contrast?
    4. In what sorts of ways has colonialism affected Native North Americans’ relationships with other members of their communities and themselves?
    5. What sorts of worries have Native North Americans raised about the differences in various conceptions of love, sexuality, sex, and gender?
    1. What sorts of conceptions of love, sexuality, sex, and gender do you (the readers) have?
    2. What sorts of conceptions of the same do Native North Americans have?
    3. How do these conceptions compare and contrast?
    4. In what sorts of ways has colonialism affected Native North Americans’ relationships with other members of their communities and themselves?
    5. What sorts of worries have Native North Americans raised about the differences in various conceptions of love, sexuality, sex, and gender?
    Week 5. Justice

    Justice, as with everything else in this blueprint, comes in many shapes and sizes among Native North American communities. Victims, perpetrators, and communities are all considered – but, how they are treated is often different from one community to the next, depending on their historical experiences. And, even further, they are also often treated differently from how Anglo-European conceptions of justice have tended to treated them. The readings in this section provide insights into how justice and law have been conceived and enacted within different communities, as well as how communities have sought justice from those outside of their communities.

    On DRL Full text
    Various Contributors (Nunavut Inuit). Uqalurait: An Oral History of Nunavut
    2008 2008, John R. Bennett and Susan Rowley (eds.). McGill-Queen's University Press..
    Chapter 8 "Justice", pp. 99-105.
    Expand entry
    Abstract: Uqalurait presents a comprehensive account of Inuit life on land and sea ice in the area now called Nunavut, before extensive contact with southerners. Drawing on a broad range of oral history sources - from nineteenth-century exploration accounts to contemporary community-based projects - the book uses quotes from over three hundred Inuit elders to provide an 'inside' view of family life, social relations, hunting, the land, shamanism, health, and material culture. For the first time, the reader encounters Inuit culture and traditional knowledge through the voices of people who lived the life being described. Based on a larger research project developed under the guidance of six Inuit from across Nunavut, Uqalurait consists of thousands of quotations organised thematically into cohesive chapters. The book describes the seasonal rounds of four different groups, capturing the fact that while Inuit across Nunavut had much in common, there was also much to distinguish them from each other, living as they did in many small groups of people, each with its own territory and identity. Given the recent creation of Nunavut and the current focus of attention on the Arctic due to climate change, Uqalurait is a timely source of insight from a people whose values of sharing and respect for the environment have helped them to live contentedly for centuries at the northern limit of the inhabitable world.
    On DRL Full text
    Waziyatawin (Wahpetunwan Dakota). What Does Justice Look Like?: The Struggle for Liberation in Dakota Homeland
    2008 2008, Living Justice Press..
    Introduction, pp. 3-15; Chapter 3 “Taking Down the Fort,” pp. 17-70; Chapter 5 “Developing Peaceful Co-existence,” pp. 97-118.
    Expand entry
    Abstract: During the past 150 years, the majority of Minnesotans have not acknowledged the immense and ongoing harms suffered by the Dakota People ever since their homelands were invaded over 200 years ago. Many Dakota people say that the wounds incurred have never healed, and it is clear that the injustices: genocide, ethnic cleansing, mass executions, death marches, broken treaties, and land theft; have not been made right. The Dakota People paid and continue to pay the ultimate price for Minnesota's statehood.This book explores how we can embark on a path of transformation on the way to respectful coexistence with those whose ancestral homeland this is. Doing justice is central to this process. Without justice, many Dakota say, healing and transformation on both sides cannot occur, and good, authentic relations cannot develop between our Peoples. Written by Wahpetunwan Dakota scholar and activist Waziyatawin of Pezihutazizi Otunwe, What Does Justice Look Like? offers an opportunity now and for future generations to learn the long-untold history and what it has meant for the Dakota People. On that basis, the book offers the further opportunity to explore what we can do between us as Peoples to reverse the patterns of genocide and oppression, and instead to do justice with a depth of good faith, commitment, and action that would be genuinely new for Native and non-Native relations.
    On DRL Full text Read free
    Dickie, Bonnie. Hollow Water
    2000 2000, NFB. 48 min. Canada..
    Expand entry
    Abstract: This documentary profiles the tiny Ojibway community of Hollow Water on the shores of Lake Winnipeg as they deal with an epidemic of sexual abuse in their midst. The offenders have left a legacy of denial and pain, addiction and suicide. The Manitoba justice system was unsuccessful in ending the cycle of abuse, so the community of Hollow Water took matters into their own hands. The offenders were brought home to face justice in a community healing and sentencing circle. Based on traditional practices, this unique model of justice reunites families and heals both victims and offenders. The film is a powerful tribute to one community's ability to heal and create change.
    On DRL Full text Read free
    Yazzie, Robert (Navajo). “Life Comes from it”: Navajo Justice Concepts
    1994 1994, New Mexico Law Review, (24)2, 175-90..
    Expand entry
    Abstract: This paper offers a comparison between Navajo conceptions of law and justice based on the community's experiences to those of Anglo-european law and justice.

    Study Questions

    1. What is the difference between restorative and retributive justice?
    2. What are some of the conceptions of justice that Native North American communities have offered, and how are they infromed by the communties’ past?
    3. What are some of the ways in which one or another Native North American community displays one or the other sort of justice in question (1)?
    4. What are some of the ways in which Native North American communities differ from Anglo-European communities when it comes to enacting justice?
    5. What sorts of injustices have different Native North American communities suffered?
    6. What are some of the ways that Native North Americans have suggested that those injustices be rectified?
    1. What is the difference between restorative and retributive justice?
    2. What are some of the conceptions of justice that Native North American communities have offered, and how are they infromed by the communties’ past?
    3. What are some of the ways in which one or another Native North American community displays one or the other sort of justice in question (1)?
    4. What are some of the ways in which Native North American communities differ from Anglo-European communities when it comes to enacting justice?
    5. What sorts of injustices have different Native North American communities suffered?
    6. What are some of the ways that Native North Americans have suggested that those injustices be rectified?
    Week 6. Environmental Stewardship and Animal Ties

    Native North American ethical concern often surrounds inter-relations to both the land and the lives of the non-human animals. Personal health, community health, community sustainability and survival, cultural wellbeing, religious experience – all our intertwined with the wellbeing of the environment. In this section’s readings, various perspectives are offered on just how deep the inter-relationships between people and the environment go, as well as how these relationships have been negatively affected by one or another form of oppression and what attempts are being made to counteract those effects.

    On DRL Full text
    Various Contributors (Nunavut Inuit). Uqalurait: An Oral History of Nunavut
    2008 2008, John R. Bennett and Susan Rowley (eds.). McGill-Queen's University Press..
    Chapter 3 "Animals", pp. 43-9.
    Expand entry
    Abstract: Uqalurait presents a comprehensive account of Inuit life on land and sea ice in the area now called Nunavut, before extensive contact with southerners. Drawing on a broad range of oral history sources - from nineteenth-century exploration accounts to contemporary community-based projects - the book uses quotes from over three hundred Inuit elders to provide an 'inside' view of family life, social relations, hunting, the land, shamanism, health, and material culture. For the first time, the reader encounters Inuit culture and traditional knowledge through the voices of people who lived the life being described. Based on a larger research project developed under the guidance of six Inuit from across Nunavut, Uqalurait consists of thousands of quotations organised thematically into cohesive chapters. The book describes the seasonal rounds of four different groups, capturing the fact that while Inuit across Nunavut had much in common, there was also much to distinguish them from each other, living as they did in many small groups of people, each with its own territory and identity. Given the recent creation of Nunavut and the current focus of attention on the Arctic due to climate change, Uqalurait is a timely source of insight from a people whose values of sharing and respect for the environment have helped them to live contentedly for centuries at the northern limit of the inhabitable world.
    On DRL Full text Read free
    Todd, Zoe (Métis/otipemisiw). Fish pluralities: Human-animal Relations and Sites of Engagement in Paulatuuq
    2014 2014, Arctic Canada. Études/Inuit/Studies, 38(1-2), 217–238..
    Expand entry
    Abstract: This article explores human-fish relations as an under-theorized “active site of engagement” in northern Canada. It examines two case studies that demonstrate how the Inuvialuit of Paulatuuq employ “fish pluralities” (multiple ways of knowing and defining fish) to negotiate the complex and dynamic pressures faced by humans, animals, and the environment in contemporary Arctic Canada. I argue that it is instructive for all Canadians to understand the central role of humans and animals, together, as active agents in political and colonial processes in northern Canada. By examining human-fish relationships, as they have unfolded in Paulatuuq over the last 50 years, we may develop a more nuanced understanding of the dynamic strategies that northern Indigenous people, including the Paulatuuqmiut (people from Paulatuuq), use to navigate shifting environmental, political, legal, social, cultural, and economic realities in Canada’s North. This article thus places fish and people, together, as central actors in the political landscape of northern Canada. I also hypothesize a relational framework for Indigenous-State reconciliation discourses in Canada today. This framework expands southern political and philosophical horizons beyond the human and toward a broader societal acknowledgement of complex and dynamic relationships between people, fish, and the land in Paulatuuq.
    On DRL Full text
    Burkhart, Brian (Cherokee). Indigenizing Philosophy through the Land: A Trickster Methodology of Decolonising Environmental Ethics and Indigenous Futures
    2019 2019, Michigan State University Press..
    Preface, pp. vii-x; Chapter 1, “Philosophical Colonizing of People and Land”, pp. 3-58; Chapter 3, “Refragmenting Philosophy through the Land: What Black Elk and Iktomi Can Teach Us about Locality”, pp. 93-164.
    Expand entry
    Abstract: Land is key to the operations of coloniality, but the power of the land is also the key anticolonial force that grounds Indigenous liberation. This work is an attempt to articulate the nature of land as a material, conceptual, and ontological foundation for Indigenous ways of knowing, being, and valuing. As a foundation of valuing, land forms the framework for a conceptualization of Indigenous environmental ethics as an anticolonial force for sovereign Indigenous futures. This text is an important contribution in the efforts to Indigenize Western philosophy, particularly in the context of settler colonialism in the United States. It breaks significant ground in articulating Indigenous ways of knowing and valuing to Western philosophy—not as artifact that Western philosophy can incorporate into its canon, but rather as a force of anticolonial Indigenous liberation. Ultimately, Indigenizing Philosophy through the Land shines light on a possible road for epistemically, ontologically, and morally sovereign Indigenous futures.
    On DRL Full text
    Kimmerer, Robin Wall (Potawatomi). Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teaching of Plants
    2015 2015, Milkweed Editions..
    Preface, pp. ix-x; Chapter 1, "Planting Sweetgrass", pp. 3-62.
    Expand entry
    Abstract: As a botanist, Robin Wall Kimmerer has been trained to ask questions of nature with the tools of science. As a member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation, she embraces the notion that plants and animals are our oldest teachers. In Braiding Sweetgrass, Kimmerer brings these lenses of knowledge together to show that the awakening of a wider ecological consciousness requires the acknowledgment and celebration of our reciprocal relationship with the rest of the living world. For only when we can hear the languages of other beings are we capable of understanding the generosity of the earth, and learning to give our own gifts in return.
    On DRL Full text
    Powys Whyte, Kyle, Cuomo, Chris (Potawatomi). Ethics of Caring in Environmental Ethics: Indigenous and Feminist Philosophies
    2016 2016, In The Oxford Handbok of Environmental Ethics, Stephen Gardiner and Allen Thompson (eds.), OUP.
    Chapter 20, pp. 234-47.
    Expand entry
    Abstract: Indigenous ethics and feminist care ethics offer a range of related ideas and tools for environmental ethics. These ethics delve into deep connections and moral commitments between nonhumans and humans to guide ethical forms of environmental decision making and environmental science. Indigenous and feminist movements such as the Mother Earth Water Walk and the Green Belt Movement are ongoing examples of the effectiveness of on-the-ground environmental care ethics. Indigenous ethics highlight attentive caring for the intertwined needs of humans and nonhumans within interdependent communities. Feminist environmental care ethics emphasize the importance of empowering communities to care for themselves and the social and ecological communities in which their lives and interests are interwoven. The gendered, feminist, historical, and anticolonial dimensions of care ethics, indigenous ethics, and other related approaches provide rich ground for rethinking and reclaiming the nature and depth of diverse relationships as the fabric of social and ecological being.
    On DRL Full text Read free
    Various Contributors (Indigenous Communities across California). Indigenous Land Stewardship: Tending Nature
    2021 2021, KCET. 57min. USA..
    Expand entry
    Abstract: This "Tending Nature" special features multiple perspectives and voices from Indigenous communities across California who are striving to keep the practices of their heritage alive. From coming-of-age rituals, seasonal food harvests, basket weaving and jewelry making, the documentary shares how traditional practices can be protected and maintained as a way of life for future generations.

    Study Questions

    1. What are some of the ways in which Native North Americans have conceived of their (inter)relations to the environment and non-human animal life?
    2. In what ways are those conceptions informing (or are informed by) broader aspects of one or another community?
    3. How do these conceptions differ from various Anglo-European conceptions of the environment and non-human animal life?
    4. What are some of the environmental problems that Native North American communities face?
    5. To what extent are those problems similar or different to other non-Native North American communities?
    6. How have Native North American communities sought to redress those problems – and to what extent are they similar or different to non-Native communities?
    1. What are some of the ways in which Native North Americans have conceived of their (inter)relations to the environment and non-human animal life?
    2. In what ways are those conceptions informing (or are informed by) broader aspects of one or another community?
    3. How do these conceptions differ from various Anglo-European conceptions of the environment and non-human animal life?
    4. What are some of the environmental problems that Native North American communities face?
    5. To what extent are those problems similar or different to other non-Native North American communities?
    6. How have Native North American communities sought to redress those problems – and to what extent are they similar or different to non-Native communities?
    Week 7. Cultural Hope, Revitalization, and Preservation

    As we expressed in our introduction, Native North American communities have faced grave challenges resulting from settler colonial violence. Despite these challenges, Native North American communities have persisted and found ways to strengthen their communities. In this section’s readings, the focus is on how such cultural hope has manifested – how Native North American thinkers present ways that they can and should preserve, defend, or revitalize their cultures, as well as how communities have attempted to do so. 

    On DRL Full text
    Mankiller, Wilma, et al. (Cherokee). Everyday is a Good Day: Reflections by Contemporary Indigenous Women
    2004 2004, Fulcrum Publishing..
    Chapter 7, "The Way Home", pp. 143-69.
    Expand entry
    Abstract: Nineteen prominent Native artists, educators, and activisits share their candid and often profound thoughts on what it means to be a Native American woman in the early 21st century. Their stories are rare and often intimate glimpses of women who have made a conscious decision to live every day to its fullest and stand for something larger than themselves.
    On DRL Full text Read free
    Vaughan-Lee, Emmanuel. Marie’s Dictionary
    2014 2014, Self-Produced. 10min. USA..
    Expand entry
    Abstract: This short documentary tells the story of Marie Wilcox, the last fluent speaker of the Wukchumni language, and the dictionary she created to keep her language alive. For Ms. Wilcox, the Wukchumni language has become her life. She has spent more than twenty years working on the dictionary and continues to refine and update the text. Through her hard work and dedication, she has created a document that will support the revitalization of the Wukchumni language for decades to come. Along with her daughter, Jennifer Malone, she travels to conferences throughout California and meets other tribes who struggle with language loss. Ms. Wilcox’s tribe, the Wukchumni, is not recognized by the federal government. It is part of the broader Yokuts tribal group native to Central California. Before European contact, as many as 50,000 Yokuts lived in the region, but those numbers have steadily diminished. Today, it is estimated that fewer than 200 Wukchumni remain.
    On DRL Full text
    Mihesuah, Devon (Choctaw). Repatriation Reader: Who Owns American Indian Remains?
    2000 2000, Devon Mihesuah (ed.), University of Nebraska Press..
    Chapter 5, "American Indians, Anthropologists, Pothunters, and Repatriation Ethical, Religious, and Political Differences," pp. 95-105.
    Expand entry
    Abstract: In the past decade the repatriation of Native American skeletal remains and funerary objects has become a lightning rod for radically opposing views about cultural patrimony and the relationship between Native communities and archaeologists. In this unprecedented volume, Native Americans and non-Native Americans within and beyond the academic community offer their views on repatriation and the ethical, political, legal, cultural, scholarly, and economic dimensions of this hotly debated issue. While historians and archaeologists debate continuing non-Native interests and obligations, Native American scholars speak to the key cultural issues embedded in their ancestral pasts. A variety of sometimes explosive case studies are considered, ranging from Kennewick Man to the repatriation of Zuni Ahayu:da. Also featured is a detailed discussion of the background, meaning, and applicability of the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, as well as the text of the act itself.

    Comment: Offers various opinions on the ethical, legal, and cultural issues regarding the rights and interests of Native Americans, including discussion on the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act.

    Study Questions

    1. In what ways have Native North Americans tried to defend or revitalize their cultures?
    2. Why is it so important to them that they do so?
    3. What sorts of challenges have Native North Americans faced in trying to defend or revitalize their cultures?
    4. To what extent do the actions of non-native individuals or communities indicate a lack of respect for Native North American cultures?
    5. How do you (the reader) think we can change to foster greater respect for Native North American communities?
    1. In what ways have Native North Americans tried to defend or revitalize their cultures?
    2. Why is it so important to them that they do so?
    3. What sorts of challenges have Native North Americans faced in trying to defend or revitalize their cultures?
    4. To what extent do the actions of non-native individuals or communities indicate a lack of respect for Native North American cultures?
    5. How do you (the reader) think we can change to foster greater respect for Native North American communities?

PDF7Level

Reclaiming the System: New Visions for a Future of Work

Expand entry

by Deryn Mair Thomas
Funded by: The Future of Work and Income Research Network

Introduction

The future of work is gaining traction as a central topic of discussion, both within academic philosophy and broader public discourse. Much of that discussion, however, has primarily been focused on questions regarding the role of AI and automation, the possibilities of mass unemployment, and, in the wake of the COVID pandemic, the future of the workplace. These questions, while important, address a narrow range of problems and offer a limited vision of what the future of work could look like. Therefore, this blueprint offers an overview of a wider range of philosophical perspectives which have considered alternatives to our current systems of work and employment. It touches upon a range of underrepresented topics in philosophical work literature: perspectives offered by members of underrepresented groups, underexplored problems presented by existing systems, and creative solutions which challenge many of the basic foundations of our current cultural relationship to work. Many of the authors address the ways in which structural injustice is embedded in current systems; all share a common interest in a future of work which is more empathetic, more human. [The title of this blueprint is borrowed from Lisa Herzog’s book, “Reclaiming the System: Moral Responsibility, Divided Labour, and the Role of Organizations in Society” (2018).]


Contents

    Week 1. The Problems with Work
    On DRL Full text Read free
    Weeks, Kathi. The Problem with Work: Feminism, Marxism, Antiwork Politics, and Postwork Imaginaries
    2011 2011, Duke University Press.
    Introduction: pp. 1-13 (end before Work and Labor), and pp. 16-23 (Work and Class, Freedom and Equality).
    Expand entry
    Abstract: In The Problem with Work, Kathi Weeks boldly challenges the presupposition that work, or waged labor, is inherently a social and political good. While progressive political movements, including the Marxist and feminist movements, have fought for equal pay, better work conditions, and the recognition of unpaid work as a valued form of labor, even they have tended to accept work as a naturalized or inevitable activity. Weeks argues that in taking work as a given, we have “depoliticized” it, or removed it from the realm of political critique. Employment is now largely privatized, and work-based activism in the United States has atrophied. We have accepted waged work as the primary mechanism for income distribution, as an ethical obligation, and as a means of defining ourselves and others as social and political subjects. Taking up Marxist and feminist critiques, Weeks proposes a postwork society that would allow people to be productive and creative rather than relentlessly bound to the employment relation. Work, she contends, is a legitimate, even crucial, subject for political theory.

    Comment: This text serves as an excellent introduction and comprehensive overview of contemporary philosophical critiques of work, as one of the central texts in the literature on anti-capitalist and post-capitalist critiques of work. Although a sociologist by profession, many of the author's questions and arguments are, at their core, philosophical. Therefore, she serves as a good starting point for any broad examination of existing systems and structures of work, and for encouraging creative discussion about alternate visions.

    Discussion Questions

    Introduction, pp 1-13

    1. To begin, discuss your own critical reflections about the concept and experience of work.
      • Can we think of work as a cohesive, overarching system? Why/Why not?
      • If yes, does the current system have problems? What might some of those problems be?
      • Who has a responsibility to resolve them?
    2. Why does Weeks think it is so difficult to reflect critically about work as a social system, as opposed to the more narrow project of addressing particular problems within the system? Why might it be important to critique work as a social system?
    3. Weeks discusses some of the problems that arise when we think about work as a private, rather than public sphere of activity. In what ways can work be private, public, or both? What problems does the privatization of work present?
    4. Weeks writes, “The social role of waged work has been so naturalised as to seem necessary and inevitable, something to be tinkered with but never escaped.” She is drawing attention to the degree to which wage work, and the norms associated with it, are taken for granted and assumed to be part of the natural order of things. Why might this be a problem?

    Introduction, pp 16-23

    1. How does work shape society, according to Weeks? How does the work system embed certain ways of thinking about morality?
    2. How does the work system interact with gender?
    3. How does the work system interact with, and influence, class and social status?
    4. Do you think work legitimize a particular type of exploitation, by arranging people in hierarchical relations with an imbalance of power? Is this an inevitable feature of work, or can it be resolved (e.g. through democritization)?

    Introduction, pp 1-13

    1. To begin, discuss your own critical reflections about the concept and experience of work.
      • Can we think of work as a cohesive, overarching system? Why/Why not?
      • If yes, does the current system have problems? What might some of those problems be?
      • Who has a responsibility to resolve them?
    2. Why does Weeks think it is so difficult to reflect critically about work as a social system, as opposed to the more narrow project of addressing particular problems within the system? Why might it be important to critique work as a social system?
    3. Weeks discusses some of the problems that arise when we think about work as a private, rather than public sphere of activity. In what ways can work be private, public, or both? What problems does the privatization of work present?
    4. Weeks writes, “The social role of waged work has been so naturalised as to seem necessary and inevitable, something to be tinkered with but never escaped.” She is drawing attention to the degree to which wage work, and the norms associated with it, are taken for granted and assumed to be part of the natural order of things. Why might this be a problem?

    Introduction, pp 16-23

    1. How does work shape society, according to Weeks? How does the work system embed certain ways of thinking about morality?
    2. How does the work system interact with gender?
    3. How does the work system interact with, and influence, class and social status?
    4. Do you think work legitimize a particular type of exploitation, by arranging people in hierarchical relations with an imbalance of power? Is this an inevitable feature of work, or can it be resolved (e.g. through democritization)?
    Week 2. Organisational Structures
    On DRL Full text Read free
    Herzog, Lisa. Reclaiming the System: Moral Responsibility, Divided Labour, and the Role of Organizations in Society
    2018 2018, Oxford University Press.
    Introduction, 1.1 Individuals in Organizations: Normative Theory's Blind Spot (pp. 1-7), and 1.3 Reclaiming the System (pp. 12-17).
    Expand entry
    Abstract: The world of wage labour seems to have become a soulless machine, an engine of social and environmental destruction. Employees seem to be nothing but ‘cogs’ in this system—but is this true? Located at the intersection of political theory, moral philosophy, and business ethics, this book questions the picture of the world of work as a ‘system’. Hierarchical organizations, both in the public and in the private sphere, have specific features of their own. This does not mean, however, that they cannot leave room for moral responsibility, and maybe even human flourishing. Drawing on detailed empirical case studies, Lisa Herzog analyses the nature of organizations from a normative perspective: their rule-bound character, the ways in which they deal with divided knowledge, and organizational cultures and their relation to morality. She asks how individual agency and organizational structures would have to mesh to avoid common moral pitfalls. She develops the notion of ‘transformational agency’, which refers to a critical, creative way of engaging with one’s organizational role while remaining committed to basic moral norms. The last part zooms out to the political and institutional changes that would be required to re-embed organizations into a just society. Whether we submit to ‘the system’ or try to reclaim it, Herzog argues, is a question of eminent political importance in our globalized world.

    Comment: This text, an introduction to a longer work on organisational ethics, proposes and discusses novel arguments about the nature of organisations, and organisational spaces, as moral entities. By challenging long held common sense assumptions that corporate organisations are 'amoral' or outside the scope of human morality, Herzog offers an alternate view. It is therefore useful as a way to examine and discuss alternate visions of organisational structure and the role that human beings play as moral agents within those structures.

    Discussion Questions

    Introduction 1.1

    1. Why, according to Herzog, is it important to resasses the moral nature of organisations and organisational structure? Do you find her initial arguments to be convincing?
    2. Herzog writes that, within organisations, “individuals face specific moral challenges, which are different from the moral challenges they encounter in other spheres of life.” What are some examples of these challenges, either from the text or from your own experiences? Why are these moral problems different from the ones we encounter in other spheres of life?
    3. Do you think organisational morality can be ‘reclaimed’, as Herzog does? Why/Why not?
    4. It is relatively commonplace these days to encounter the idea that corporations are evil and that all large organisations are “irresponible monsters” incapable of moral action. But Herzog insists that organisations can be forces for good. What are some examples of this? Why might organisational morality be worth reclaiming?

    Introduction 1.3

    1. What factors contribute to the sense that organisational structures are amoral, or outside the scope of normal human moral demands? How has traditional normative theorising failed to account for organisations, and the particular moral problems they face?
    2. What assumptions do we make about organisational structure, and why (e.g. organisations as ‘systemic’, or like machines)? How does this affect our perspective of their moral responsibility?
    3. What assumptions do we make about individual agents, and why (e.g. that they behave opportunistically)? How does this affect our perspective of organisational moral responsibility?
    4. What are some ways, either concrete or abstract, that we might reorient organisational life?

    Introduction 1.1

    1. Why, according to Herzog, is it important to resasses the moral nature of organisations and organisational structure? Do you find her initial arguments to be convincing?
    2. Herzog writes that, within organisations, “individuals face specific moral challenges, which are different from the moral challenges they encounter in other spheres of life.” What are some examples of these challenges, either from the text or from your own experiences? Why are these moral problems different from the ones we encounter in other spheres of life?
    3. Do you think organisational morality can be ‘reclaimed’, as Herzog does? Why/Why not?
    4. It is relatively commonplace these days to encounter the idea that corporations are evil and that all large organisations are “irresponible monsters” incapable of moral action. But Herzog insists that organisations can be forces for good. What are some examples of this? Why might organisational morality be worth reclaiming?

    Introduction 1.3

    1. What factors contribute to the sense that organisational structures are amoral, or outside the scope of normal human moral demands? How has traditional normative theorising failed to account for organisations, and the particular moral problems they face?
    2. What assumptions do we make about organisational structure, and why (e.g. organisations as ‘systemic’, or like machines)? How does this affect our perspective of their moral responsibility?
    3. What assumptions do we make about individual agents, and why (e.g. that they behave opportunistically)? How does this affect our perspective of organisational moral responsibility?
    4. What are some ways, either concrete or abstract, that we might reorient organisational life?
    Week 3. Meaning and Purpose
    On DRL Full text Read free
    Veltman, Andrea. Meaningful Work
    2016 2016, Oxford University Press.
    Chapter 4, What Makes Work Meaningful?, pp. 105-112, 135-141.
    Expand entry
    Abstract: This book examines the importance of work in human well-being, addressing several related philosophical questions about work and arguing on the whole that meaningful work is central in human flourishing. Work impacts flourishing not only in developing and exercising human capabilities but also in instilling and reflecting virtues such as honor, pride, dignity, self-discipline, and self-respect. Work also attaches to a sense of purposefulness and personal identity, and meaningful work can promote both personal autonomy and a sense of personal satisfaction that issues from making oneself useful. Further still, work bears a formative influence on character and intelligence and provides a primary avenue for exercising complex skills and garnering esteem and recognition from others. The author defends a pluralistic account of meaningful work, identifying four primary dimension of meaningful work: (1) developing or exercising the worker’s capabilities, especially insofar as this expression meets with recognition and esteem; (2) supporting virtues; (3) providing a purpose, and especially producing something of enduring value; and (4) integrating elements of a worker’s life. In light of the impact that work has on flourishing, the author argues that well-ordered societies provide opportunities for meaningful work and that the philosophical view of value pluralism, which casts work as having no special significance in an individual’s life, is false. The book also addresses oppressive work that undermines human flourishing, examining potential solutions to minimize the impact of bad work on those who perform it.

    Comment: Veltman's text can be used first, to introduce students to the concept of meaningful work and philosophical analysis of its core characteristics; and second, to facilitate discussion on the importance of meaningful work in society, such as discussion about what types of activities counts as meaningful work, whether all people should have access to it, or what role the state plays in providing it, etc.

    Discussion Questions

    1. What are the features of meaningful work, according to Veltman? Does Veltman think meaningfulness – and consequently, meaningful work – is a subjective characteristic?
    2. Why does Veltman think it is useful to have objective measures of meaningfulness?
    3. Is all work meaningful? Why / why not?
      • Is work that is not meaningful the same as work that is meaningless?
      • According to Veltman, what characteristics makes work bad? How do you think we should respond to the existence of such work?
    4. How do you think we should understand the importance of meaningful work? Is it a basic need, something all people should have a right to, or is it simply a matter of personal preference?
    1. What are the features of meaningful work, according to Veltman? Does Veltman think meaningfulness – and consequently, meaningful work – is a subjective characteristic?
    2. Why does Veltman think it is useful to have objective measures of meaningfulness?
    3. Is all work meaningful? Why / why not?
      • Is work that is not meaningful the same as work that is meaningless?
      • According to Veltman, what characteristics makes work bad? How do you think we should respond to the existence of such work?
    4. How do you think we should understand the importance of meaningful work? Is it a basic need, something all people should have a right to, or is it simply a matter of personal preference?
    On DRL Full text Read free
    Terkel, Studs. Working: People Talk About What They Do All Day And How They Feel About What They Do
    1974 1974, Pantheon Publishers.
    Introduction, pp. xi-xxvi.
    Expand entry
    Abstract: Perhaps Studs Terkel's best-known book, Working is a compelling look at jobs and the people who do them. Consisting of over one hundred interviews with everyone from a gravedigger to a studio head, from a policeman to a piano tuner, this book provides an enduring portrait of people's feelings about their working lives.

    Comment: Terkel's interviews are useful for a few reasons. They offer a firsthand account of how individuals relate to their particular types of work, and of the sorts of features that people tend to value in their work. Since many of these features align with Veltman's features of meaningfulness, i.e. mastery, a sense of purpose, socialisation, etc., the interviews serve as complementary material. They can help offer examples or cases to supplement discussion about Veltman's analysis.

    Discussion Questions

    1. What are some of the general conclusions that Terkel draws from his interviews? What values or experiences does he notice are common across different kinds of work?
    2. Do these align with Veltman’s objective measures of meaningful work?
    3. Do you think it is important for one’s work to be meaningful? Why / Why not? What role has meaningful work played in your own life?
    1. What are some of the general conclusions that Terkel draws from his interviews? What values or experiences does he notice are common across different kinds of work?
    2. Do these align with Veltman’s objective measures of meaningful work?
    3. Do you think it is important for one’s work to be meaningful? Why / Why not? What role has meaningful work played in your own life?
    On DRL Full text Read free
    Marhoefer, Paul. Over the Road [Podcast]
    2020 2020, Radiotopia & Overdrive Magazine.
    Optional Material: Season 1 Episode 2 (Transcript or Audio).
    Expand entry
    Abstract: A tale of two truckers in Grand Island, Nebraska: former real-estate agent Kenyette Godhigh-Bell, and third-generation owner-operator Jared Sidlo. One is testing the waters of a new career, while the other weighs the personal costs of a job he can’t (and won’t) quit.

    Comment: The podcast provides more anecdotal material through interviews, but from a more present-day context than Terkel's interviews, and therefore also serve a similar, supplemental role.

    Discussion Questions

    1. The interviewees discuss the experiences of their work as truck drivers. Are there any common experiences or features that emerge in the interviews? Are any of these experiences universal or shared across other professions? Discuss how your own experience of work relates to these interviews.
    2. Do you see evidence of Veltman’s objective measures of meaningfulness in the interviews? Give examples and discuss.
    1. The interviewees discuss the experiences of their work as truck drivers. Are there any common experiences or features that emerge in the interviews? Are any of these experiences universal or shared across other professions? Discuss how your own experience of work relates to these interviews.
    2. Do you see evidence of Veltman’s objective measures of meaningfulness in the interviews? Give examples and discuss.
    Week 4. Economic Structures and Income
    On DRL Full text Read free
    Penner, J. E.. Aristotle, Arendt, and the Gentleman: How the Conception of Remuneration Figures in our Understanding of a Right to Work and Be Paid
    2015 -384 -350 -322, In Virginia Mantavalou (ed.), The Right to Work: Legal and Philosophical Perspectives. Bloomsbury.
    Chapter 5 in The Right to Work: Legal and Philosophical Perspectives, pp. 87-97.
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    Abstract: This chapter is part of a larger work concerning what I call 'property fetishism', which is, briefly and roughly, a particular phenomenon or outlook in moral and political philosophy under which the "social thesis" is denied, or obscured, or diminished. The "social thesis" is the thesis that the "default" characterisation of human existence for the purposes of exploring interpersonal (including political)morality is not that of a hermit in some state of nature who shares no interests with others, but one in which interpersonal relations of real significance are native or natural to human existence. As such, those normative means, like the power to consent or to make agreements so as to be able to act cooperatively with others, are not some cultural achievement which we could plausibly be without, but are part and parcel of our natural endowments, in the same way as our basic responsiveness to reasons makes us (in part) the kind of creature that we are. Property fetishism works to deny, obscure, or diminish the significance of this human sociability principally by characterising acting in the social and political sphere as the interaction of "self-owners", as individuals principally constituted by the way in which they interact as possessors of property. As a rough picture that will do for the nonce; we shall return to the idea below.

    Comment: This article offers an interesting and accessible argument for a novel conception of remuneration. In doing so, Penner challenges one of the most foundational premises of a modern system of work - the idea that work and employment are synonymous - in a unique and original way. Therefore, this article can be used to prompt students to think about alternate models of remuneration, and to consider whether those models might offer a more humane system of paid work.

    Discussion Questions

    1. What is the author’s main aim in this article?
    2. What is the distinction between labour, work, and action that Arendt makes? Why might this conceptual distinction be useful?
    3. The author argues that remuneration was once conceptualised differently, through the practice of patronage. How did remuneration function in the case of the professional gentleman, according to Penner?
      • In what ways is this conception different from our current one?
      • Why makes such a conception attractive to the author? Why might it be useful?
    4. What are some objections that might be raised against this model of remuneration? How does the author respond?
    5. Do you find Penner’s argument convincing? Why / Why not?
    1. What is the author’s main aim in this article?
    2. What is the distinction between labour, work, and action that Arendt makes? Why might this conceptual distinction be useful?
    3. The author argues that remuneration was once conceptualised differently, through the practice of patronage. How did remuneration function in the case of the professional gentleman, according to Penner?
      • In what ways is this conception different from our current one?
      • Why makes such a conception attractive to the author? Why might it be useful?
    4. What are some objections that might be raised against this model of remuneration? How does the author respond?
    5. Do you find Penner’s argument convincing? Why / Why not?
    On DRL Full text Read free
    Greene, Amanda. Making a Living: The Human Right to Livelihood
    2019 2019, In Jahel Queralt and Bas van der Vossen (eds.), Economic Liberties and Human Rights. Routledge..
    Chapter 8 in Economic Liberties and Human Rights, Introduction and Section 2, pp. 153-163.
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    Abstract: In this chapter I argue that we have a human right to livelihood. Although some economic rights have been defended under a human rights framework, such as freedom of occupation and the right to an adequate standard of living, the right to livelihood requires a separate defense. We have a livelihood when we are able to exercise some control over how we generate income and accumulate wealth. I argue that this control is good in itself, and that it leads to two further goods, social contribution esteem and a sense of self-provision. Beyond its being a right per se, having a livelihood also fulfills Joseph Raz’s conditions for being a constitutional right, insofar as it is a right that can be fairly and effectively protected through legal mechanisms, and for being a human right, insofar as it a right that can be suitably enforced through a system of international law.

    Comment: Greene's perspective, although not the same as Penner's, does share some important features, and as a result, she presents an argument for a right to livelihood which can help push students into another set of questions related to this weeks topic. These ask whether having agency over one's material resources and the manner of their acquisition is so important as to be essential, and consequently, whether that can be considered a right. One could also use this text to challenge the dominant rights narrative - perhaps a having a livelihood is essential, but not the sort of good that can be protected by rights. In that case, one could use the text to explore what other ways this important human capability might be protected, and by whom.

    Discussion Questions

    1. What is the author’s main aim in this article?
    2. In what three ways, according to the author, does a livelihood contribute to a person’s well-being?
      • Is having control over resource inflow the same as complete economic independence?
      • How is social contribution esteem different from simply the personal satisfaction of a job well done?
      • In what ways is the opportunity for self-provision morally significant?
    3. Why does the author think that market-based income is superior to publicly financed income?
    4. Is Greene’s argument persuasive? What might be some objections to a right to livelihood?
    1. What is the author’s main aim in this article?
    2. In what three ways, according to the author, does a livelihood contribute to a person’s well-being?
      • Is having control over resource inflow the same as complete economic independence?
      • How is social contribution esteem different from simply the personal satisfaction of a job well done?
      • In what ways is the opportunity for self-provision morally significant?
    3. Why does the author think that market-based income is superior to publicly financed income?
    4. Is Greene’s argument persuasive? What might be some objections to a right to livelihood?
    Week 5. Disability, Gender, and Access to Work
    On DRL Full text Read free
    Albin, Einat. Universalising the Right to Work of Persons with Disabilities: An Equality and Dignity Based Approach
    2015 2015, In Virginia Mantavalou (ed.), The Right to Work: Legal and Philosophical Perspectives. Bloomsbury.
    Chapter X in The Right to Work: Legal and Philosophical Perspectives, Section I, pp. 65-71, Section III and Conclusion, pp. 81-85.
    Expand entry
    Abstract: Rarely do labour law theories draw on disability studies. However, with the growing acceptance that both disability and labour are human rights issues that are concerned with dignity and equality, and that both fields of study tempt to address the social context of disadvantage, an opportunity emerges to bring the two discourses together. In this chapter, I take advantage of this opportunity to discuss the right to work. The interest lies in the new and crucially important direction that Article 27 of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (hereafter the CRPD or the Convention) has taken. Article 27, the latest international human rights instrument that has been adopted regarding the right to work, offers what I consider to be an innovative and welcome approach towards this right, while addressing some of the main concerns that were raised in the literature regarding the right to work as adopted in other international human rights documents and implemented in practice.

    Comment: This text presents several interesting arguments regarding the right to work of persons with disabilities and its relationship with a universal right to work. It can be used, first, to engage students with literature at the intersection of critical disability theory and philosophy of work; and second, to further discuss philosophical questions concerning who should have access to good work and why.

    Discussion Questions

    1. What are some of the barriers that persons with disabilities face in the labour market and workplace?
    2. Why might access to work be especially important for persons with disabilities to feel like full members of society? Albin discusses this in Section I, but you can also think about previous discussions on meaningful work.
    3. Why, according to Albin, does the CRPD represent a critical shift in the discussion about a right to work for persons with disability?
    4. What does Article 27 of the Convention state? Discuss any features of the article that you find interesting.
    5. What are some of the main concerns that confront a universal right to work? How, according to the author, does Article 27 provide an answer to these problems?
    6. What argument does the author provide as justification for a universalist approach? How does thinking about a right to work in terms of ‘abilities’ augment an understanding of the right to work?
    1. What are some of the barriers that persons with disabilities face in the labour market and workplace?
    2. Why might access to work be especially important for persons with disabilities to feel like full members of society? Albin discusses this in Section I, but you can also think about previous discussions on meaningful work.
    3. Why, according to Albin, does the CRPD represent a critical shift in the discussion about a right to work for persons with disability?
    4. What does Article 27 of the Convention state? Discuss any features of the article that you find interesting.
    5. What are some of the main concerns that confront a universal right to work? How, according to the author, does Article 27 provide an answer to these problems?
    6. What argument does the author provide as justification for a universalist approach? How does thinking about a right to work in terms of ‘abilities’ augment an understanding of the right to work?
    On DRL Full text Read free
    McKay, Ailsa. Promoting Gender Equity Through a Basic Income
    2013 2013, In Karl Widerquist (ed.), Basic Income: An Anthology of Contemporary Research. Wiley Blackwell.
    Chapter 26 in Basic Income: An Anthology of Contemporary Research, Karl Widerquist (ed.), pp 178-184.
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    Abstract: Basic Income: An Anthology of Contemporary Research presents a compilation of six decades of Basic Income literature. It includes the most influential empirical research and theoretical arguments on all aspects of the Basic Income proposal.

    Comment: This text presents several interesting feminist arguments in favour of basic income, while offering some novel criticisms about the way 'work' is typically conceptualised in traditional UBI debates. In particular, McKay points out that most UBI discussion disregards unpaid work, which has a variety of impliciations for gendered labour and class division. Therefore, it can be used, first, to engage students with literature at the intersection of feminist philosophy, philosophy of gender, and philosophy of work; and second, to further discuss philosophical questions concerning how we conceptualise work and what happens when certain forms of work are prioritsed over others.

    Discussion Questions

    1. What is the author’s purpose, in this article?
    2. In what way, according to the author, does the current debate around basic income fail to recognise the social experiences of women? Why is it important to do so?
    3. How does basic income literature typically treat references to women and questions of gender inequality, according to the author?
    4. What solution does the author propose to these problems? How does she argue we should reconceptualise work?
    5. Why does the author refer to traditionally female work as “invisible”?
    1. What is the author’s purpose, in this article?
    2. In what way, according to the author, does the current debate around basic income fail to recognise the social experiences of women? Why is it important to do so?
    3. How does basic income literature typically treat references to women and questions of gender inequality, according to the author?
    4. What solution does the author propose to these problems? How does she argue we should reconceptualise work?
    5. Why does the author refer to traditionally female work as “invisible”?
    Week 6. Class, Race, and the Work Ethic
    On DRL Full text Read free
    Shelby, Tommie. Justice, Work, and the Ghetto Poor
    2012 2012, The Law and Ethics of Human Rights. 6 (1): 69-96.
    Excerpts. Introduction, pp.71-72; Section VI through Conclusion, pp. 86-96
    Expand entry
    Abstract: In view of the explanatory significance of joblessness, some social scientists, policymakers, and commentators have advocated strong measures to ensure that the ghetto poor work, including mandating work as a condition of receiving welfare benefits. Indeed, across the ideological political spectrum, work is often seen as a moral or civic duty and as a necessary basis for personal dignity. And this normative stance is now instantiated in federal and state law, from the tax scheme to public benefits. This Article reflects critically on this new regime of work. I ask whether the normative principles to which its advocates typically appeal actually justify the regime. I conclude that the case for a pro tanto moral or civic duty to work is not as strong as many believe and that there are reasonable responses to joblessness that do not involve instituting a work regime. However, even if we grant that there is a duty to work, I maintain that the ghetto poor would not be wronging their fellow citizens were they to choose not to work and to rely on public funds for material support. In fact, I argue that many among the black urban poor have good reasons to refuse to work. Throughout, I emphasize what too few advocates of the new work regime do, namely, that whether work is an obligation depends crucially on whether background social conditions within the polity are just.

    Comment: This text is useful for several reasons. First, it introduces an argument examining a civic obligation to work; second, it discusses that obligation in relation to structural injustices regarding socio-economic and racial inequality. It can be used to discuss the intersection of these topics more generally, or to further discuss philosophical questions concerning who should have access to good work and why.

    Discussion Questions

    1. What is the author’s main aim in this article?
    2. Does the author assume there exists a civic obligation to work? On what grounds? Do you agree or disagree with this assumption?
    3. What are some reasons, according to the author, for which the ghetto poor may reasonably refuse to work but which could be altered by small structural changes to American society? How does the author think these reasons could be addressed or resolved?
    4. What are the three major objections to a pro tanto civic obligation to work that the author presents? How does the author think these could be addressed or resolved?
    5. Do you think that these major objections are enough to override a pro tanto obligation to work?
    1. What is the author’s main aim in this article?
    2. Does the author assume there exists a civic obligation to work? On what grounds? Do you agree or disagree with this assumption?
    3. What are some reasons, according to the author, for which the ghetto poor may reasonably refuse to work but which could be altered by small structural changes to American society? How does the author think these reasons could be addressed or resolved?
    4. What are the three major objections to a pro tanto civic obligation to work that the author presents? How does the author think these could be addressed or resolved?
    5. Do you think that these major objections are enough to override a pro tanto obligation to work?
    On DRL Full text Read free
    Rose, Mike. Blue Collar Brilliance: Questioning Assumptions About Intelligence, Work, and Social Class
    2009 2009, The American Scholar. 78 (3): 43-49.
    Expand entry
    Abstract: Intelligence is closely associated with formal education - the type of schooling a person has, how much and how long - and most people seem to move comfortably from that notion to a belief that work requiring less schooling requires less intelligence. These assumptions run through our cultural history, from the post-Revolutionary War period, when mechanics were characterized by political rivals as illiterate and therefore incapable of participating in government, until today. More than once I've heard a manager label his workers as "a bunch of dummies." Generalizations about intelligence, work, and social class deeply affect our assumptions about ourselves and each other, guiding the ways we use our minds to learn, build knowledge, solve problems, and make our way through the world.

    Comment: This text is included because while written in a lay style and directed at non-academic readers, it still presents a philosophically interesting argument which challenges the normative assumptions that are often held about 'blue collar' work and professions. The text is therefore useful to raise questions about normative attitudes towards work ethic and work competance, especially as it falls along socio-economic class lines, and their implications for social justice.

    Discussion Questions

    1. What basic assumptions about work and intelligence is Rose attempting to challenge in this essay?
    2. What values are tradtionally associated with the working class, according to the author? Can you list any that he does not mention?
    3. What are some cultural or conceptual reasons, according to Rose, why we might associate working class jobs with low intelligence, lack of cleverness, etc.?
    4. What are some examples – involving verbal, mathematical, or physical skills – that the author raises to counter these long held cultural assumptions?
    5. What might be the value of subverting or challenging these basic assumptions? How could it help us create a fairer, more just system of work?
    1. What basic assumptions about work and intelligence is Rose attempting to challenge in this essay?
    2. What values are tradtionally associated with the working class, according to the author? Can you list any that he does not mention?
    3. What are some cultural or conceptual reasons, according to Rose, why we might associate working class jobs with low intelligence, lack of cleverness, etc.?
    4. What are some examples – involving verbal, mathematical, or physical skills – that the author raises to counter these long held cultural assumptions?
    5. What might be the value of subverting or challenging these basic assumptions? How could it help us create a fairer, more just system of work?
    Week 7. Political and Social Implications
    On DRL Full text Read free
    Estlund, Cynthia. Working Together: Crossing Color Lines at Work
    2005 2005, Labor History. 46 (1):79-98.
    Expand entry
    Abstract: Amidst signs of declining social capital, the typical workplace is a hotbed of sociability and cooperation. And in a still-segregated society, the workplace is where adults are most likely to interact across color lines. The convergence of close interaction and some racial diversity makes the workplace a crucial institution within a diverse democratic society. Paradoxically, the involuntariness of workplace associations—the compulsion of economic necessity, of managerial authority, and of law—helps to facilitate constructive interaction among diverse co-workers. Where racial diversity is a fact of organizational life (and the law can help to make it so), then employers and workers have their own powerful reasons—psychological and economic—to make those relationships constructive, even amicable. I contend here that it is where we are compelled to get along, and not where we choose to do so, that we can best advance the project of racial integration.

    Comment: This text raises interesting questions about the relationship between diverse workplaces and democratic practices, and in particular, makes an interesting argument about the implications for racial integration. It can therefore be used to prompt students to think generally about democratic political structures, citizenship, and equality, while also encouraging discussion in particular about the role that work plays in promoting good civic practices.

    Discussion Questions

    1. What are the author’s main claims in this article?
    2. What are some of the reasons why diversity can be good for communities?
    3. What two propositions about the workplace does Estlund make before beginning her argument? Do you agree or disagree with these fundamental assumptions?
    4. What are some of the social benefits of work – the benefits of connectedness – that Estlund identifies?
    5. Why does Estlund think that the workplace presents a unique location for integration?
    6. What does Estlund argue are some of the consequences and social implications of racially diverse workplaces?
    7. What are some of the challenges still present in racially diverse workplaces?
    8. What are some of the political implications of diverse workplaces for democracy? What are some suggestions Estlund offers for how to promote or protect diversity in the workplace? Are there any ideas you might add?
    1. What are the author’s main claims in this article?
    2. What are some of the reasons why diversity can be good for communities?
    3. What two propositions about the workplace does Estlund make before beginning her argument? Do you agree or disagree with these fundamental assumptions?
    4. What are some of the social benefits of work – the benefits of connectedness – that Estlund identifies?
    5. Why does Estlund think that the workplace presents a unique location for integration?
    6. What does Estlund argue are some of the consequences and social implications of racially diverse workplaces?
    7. What are some of the challenges still present in racially diverse workplaces?
    8. What are some of the political implications of diverse workplaces for democracy? What are some suggestions Estlund offers for how to promote or protect diversity in the workplace? Are there any ideas you might add?

PDF8Level

Feminist Philosophy of Mind

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by Adriana Alcaraz Sánchez and Jodie Russell
Funded by: American Philosophical Association Small Grant

Introduction

Feminist philosophy of mind is “an area of study that investigates the nature of mind with reference to social locations marked by categories such as gender, race, class, sexuality, nationality, and ability, and/or investigates the nature of social locations with reference to theories about the mind” (McWeeny & Maitra, 2022:3)”. Contrary to more mainstream approaches to the study of the mind, feminist approaches aim at considering the whole array of factors that might impact our understanding of what the mind is. Whilst feminist philosophy of mind is still a new area of study, it has gained increasing popularity in recent years. In 2023, the Minorities and Philosophy Chapter in Lisbon organised the first conference on the topic, bringing together researchers working in both subfields.

This blueprint aims at fostering this new and exciting approach to the study of the mind to students and researchers without previous knowledge of feminist philosophy curious to understand how tools from this subdiscipline can provide a richer account of the nature of the mind.

How to use this blueprint: The blueprint is designed for both self-study and for helping the organisation of reading groups. The blueprint is organised in 8 weeks, each of them considering a different topic of study that can be advanced with the joint endeavour of feminist thought and work in philosophy of mind. Each week takes one or more selected readings from the anthology Feminist Philosophy of Mind (McKeeny and Maitra, 2022) plus one or two additional readings. Each reading is accompanied by prompt questions designed to lead discussion in a reading group session, but also, to guide reading. Except for the first week, the order of the rest of the weeks can be followed in any order.

No previous knowledge of feminist philosophy is presupposed. Some basic knowledge on core topics on philosophy of mind is helpful, yet not indispensable. The reading group is targeted at advanced undergraduate students and postgraduate students, but it can also be useful for teaching staff designing a module on the topic.


Contents

    Week 1. Applying a feminist perspective in philosophy

    The first week aims at prompting discussion about how feminist philosophies and methods can aid and improve the study of the mind. The Essential reading by McWeeny and Maitra (2022) provides a novel characterisation of the term “feminist philosophy of mind” and argues for its implementation in mainstream philosophy. This reading can be complemented by reading Garry et al (2017) who give further considerations on how the implementation of feminist viewpoints and approaches can benefit different subdisciplines in philosophy, including philosophy of mind.

    On DRL Full text
    McWeeny, Jennifer, Keya Maitra. Introduction: What Is Feminist Philosophy of Mind?
    2022, in McWeeny, J. and Maitra, K. (eds) Feminist Philosophy of Mind. New York: Oxford University Press, pp. 1-37.
    Essential reading
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    Abstract: McWeeny and Maitra motivate the adoption of a feminist perspective in contemporary debates within the philosophy of mind to further illuminate the nature of conscious experience. They argue that the adoption of a feminist perspective leads to the implementation of a more nuanced investigation of the mind, one that avoids a conceptualization of the mind as a "uniform" concept across beings or groups, and instead, considers the role of the body and different societal contexts. In philosophy of mind, when thinking about "the mind", we are usually prompted to think about the mind as a universal thing, as something that we all (humans) have. Moreover, when exploring and investigating what makes the mind to be what it is ( i.e. which are the intrinsic and special features or consciousness), traditionally, we have been encouraged to think about certain properties of the mind that are universal and can be attributed to anyone. McWeeny and Maitra argue that this mainstream methodology in philosophy of mind is a simplistic one. Not only it overlooks the many inter and intrapersonal nuances of each individual's "mind", but also the impact of social constructs, such as gender, race, and class, in our understanding of what the mind is, and who has a mind.

    Comment: This is the introductory chapter to the anthology "Feminist Philosophy of Mind" (OUP). In here, McWeeny and Maitra (the editors) offer one of the first definitons "feminist philosophy of mind" as a subdiscipline and as a methodology to the study of the mind. They argue that current methods and theoretical work in philosophy of mind has highly overseen the role of the body and society in our understanding of the mind. This text works as a prompt to intitiate the blueprint and to consider how the study of the mind could benefit from the application of tools from feminist philosophy.

    Discussion Questions

    1. What has been the mainstream goal of the subfield of philosophy of mind within contemporary philosophy?
    2. In which way feminist philosophers have historically addressed some of the main concerns within the philosophy of mind?
    3. According to McWeeny and Maitra, what is “feminist philosophy of mind”?
    4. How does a feminist perspective conceptualise the “mind/consciousness”? How does this differ from mainstream definitions in philosophy of mind?
    5. How could debates in the philosophy of mind change if we switch to talking about “this [particular person’s mind” instead of “the [universal] mind”?
    6. How feminist perspectives can add value to current work within the philosophy of mind? And, how feminist philosophies would benefit from work in the philosophy of mind?
    On DRL Full text Read free
    Garry, Ann, Serene J. Khader, Alison Stone. Introduction to The Routledge Companion to Feminist Philosophy
    2017, In Garry, A., Khader, S. J., & Stone (Eds). The Routledge Companion to Feminist Philosophy. Routledge: New York, pp. 1-10.
    Additional reading
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    Abstract: In this introductory chapter to "The Routledge Companion of Feminist Philosophy", Garry, Khader and Stone examine the different applications of feminist philosophy outside political philosophy, as well as the different questions concerning this subdiscipline, other than the impact of gender in society and the injustices arising from it. While doing so, the editors advocate for a revision of the history of feminist thought in philosophy that takes a more intersectional approach, an approach that fully considers the role played by authors belonging to a minority group(s). This short chapter provides a quick overview of two very important questions. A first question is how the use of feminist approaches can enrich different more mainstream areas in philosophy, including philosophy of mind, philosophy of science and metaphysics, but also question the philosophical canon. A second question is how considering the voices that are underrepresented in the philosophical canon, including female and non-binary philosophers, but also, non-Western traditions, can shift our understanding of mainstream philosophical issues.

    Comment: This chapter should be read as a complimentary to McWeeny and Maitra's as further food for thought on how feminist thought can be applied to different areas of philosophy. Additionally, the authors introduce the notion of "intersectionality" and argue for a revision of the history of philosophy that considers the impact of discrimination in the promotion of different forms of thought. This text can also be a useful starting point or complimentary text for the readings of week 5.

    Discussion Questions

    1. What makes feminist philosophy different from other subdisciplines in philosophy?
    2. According to the authors, how can feminist philosophers in more privileged positions help to make this subdiscipline more representative?
    3. How can intersectionality be applied across different domains in philosophy?
    4. Do you think that a feminist perspective in philosophy is only limited to the examination of political and social issues? How could be applied to more traditional areas in the discipline?
    5. How can feminist philosophy help to narrow the gap between non-Western and Western voices in philosophy?
    6. How can we apply a feminist lens when re-examining the philosophical canon?
      Which aspects of the relation between body and mind were largely neglected by second-wave feminist thought?
    Week 2. Experiences of Gender

    This week considers the metaphysics of gender from two different perspectives: the nature of gender as part of our identity and perspective, and gender as a way of living and acting. As such, this week is designed to raise questions around the nature of gender and how it relates to our cognitive faculties and experience at large. Young’s paper pushes the discussion further to present an account of the embodiment of gender that can be oppressive to women, thus allowing for further discussion over the ethical and political nature of gender expression and the possibility of liberation.

    On DRL Full text
    Rudder Baker, Lynne. Is the first-person perspective gendered?
    2022, In McWeeny, J. and Maitra, K. (eds) Feminist Philosophy of Mind. New York: Oxford University Press, pp. 41-53.
    Essential reading
    Expand entry
    Abstract: The notion of gender identity has been characterized as "one's sense of oneself as male, female or transgender." To have a sense of oneself at all, one must have a robust first-person perspective - a capacity to conceive of oneself as oneself in the first person. A robust first-person perspective requires that one have a language complex enough to express thoughts like "I wonder how I am going to die." Since a robust first-person perspective requires that one have a language, and languages embed whole worldviews, the question arises: in learning a language, does the robust first-person perspective itself introduce gender stereotypes? Without denying that we unconsciously acquire attitudes about gender that shape our normative expectations, this chapter argues that one's gender identity is not just attributable to the biases implicit in the language one speaks. So the robust first-person perspective itself is not responsible for which gender-specific attitudes a person acquires.

    Comment: Rudder Baker's chapter on the first-person perspective and gender identity is a great starting place to begin thinking about what it means to experience the world through the lens of gender. Rudder Baker's chapter also poses interesting thought experiements, such as whether a disembodied being would have a gender idetity (she argues "no") or whether it is possible to live in a gender-less society. The chapter also introduces the reader to the necessary conditons by which we might want to say that someone has a gender identity andso is a fruitful springboard for further and deeper discussions about not only gender, but language and personal identity more broadly.

    Discussion Questions

    1. What role does language play in the acquisition of a first-person perspective? And is language necessary for the acquisition of gender identity?
    2. Could someone have a first-person perspective that isn’t gendered?
    3. Can we imagine a society where all gender norms and attitudes would disappear in virtue of social-normative and technologic-normative changes?
    4. In so far as gender becomes relevant to first-person perspectives through the adoption of norms, how do gendered experiences that doesn’t exist on the normative binary of man/woman come about? Similarly, how is a plurality of gendered experiences under one unifying label (such as ‘woman’) possible?
    5. To what extent does Rudder Baker imply that we have some agency over constructing our gender identity? Do you agree?
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    Butnor, Ashby, Matthew MacKenzie. Enactivism and Gender Performativity
    2022, In McWeeny, J. and Maitra, K. (eds) Feminist Philosophy of Mind. New York: Oxford University Press, pp. 190-206.
    Essential reading
    Expand entry
    Abstract: The enactivist paradigm of embodied cognition represents a powerful alternative to Cartesian and cognitivist approaches in the philosophy of mind. On this view, the body plays a constitutive role in the integrated functioning of perception, affect, and other cognitive processes. Enactivism shares many of the central themes of feminist theory, and is extended to apply to social and political concerns. Following a discussion of the key components of the enactive approach, we apply it to explain more complex social manifestations, specifically gender performance and its reproduction through time. By employing Judith Butler's notion of performativity, we demonstrate how gender, as one marker of social identity and difference, emerges through processes of embodied and embedded sense-making as articulated by enactive theory. We argue that more attention to embodied and embedded values allows for the interruption and transformation of histories of oppressive practices and opens the door to more liberatory possibilities.

    Comment: Butnor and MacKenzie apply a specific paradigm - the enactive model of cogniton - to the understanding of gender identity in this chapter. This chapter is thus a useful introduction to the enactive framework, but is also an important reading for those already familiar with the literature as it both tries to consider how gender can be 'natural' but also deeply social and political. As such, Butnor and MacKenzie straddle the line between the scientific and the political by provising a non-reductive, natural account of gender that does liberatory work. This reading is also highly relevant to feminists who are critical of essentialist views of gender and poses to them the question of whether we can have our naturalist cake and eat it too.

    Discussion Questions

    1. What does the enactive framework buy us for our understanding of gender as performance? Does looking at gender through an enactive lens apply new insights to the phenomena? If so, what are they?
    2. How would you cash out power in terms of enactivism? Enactivism argues that the social environment places constraints on autonomy, but how do power imbalances arise from that?
    3. Can enactivism be a liberatory framework for overcoming oppressive gender scripts, as Butnor and MacKenzie suggest?
    4. As a naturalistic theory of mind, does enactivism provide us with a middle way between essentialist and social constructivist accounts of gender?
    5. In so far as enactivism is a framework for life and mind, not just human cognition, what might we infer about gender and non-humans? Could other social creatures have gender identities?
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    Young, Iris Marion. Throwing Like a Girl: A Phenomenology of Feminine Body Comportment, Motility and Spatiality
    1980, Human Studies 3(1), pp. 137 - 156.
    Essential reading B
    Expand entry
    Abstract:

    From the introduction: This paper seeks to begin to fill a gap that thus exists both in existential phenomenology and feminist theory. It traces in a provisional way some of the basic modalities of feminine body comportment, manner of moving, and relation in space. It brings intelligibility and significance to certain observable and rather ordinary ways in which women in our society typically comport themselves and move differently from the ways that men do. In accordance with the existentialist concern with the situatedness of human experience, I make no claim to the universality of this typicality of the bodily comportment of women and the phenonemological description based on it. The account developed here claims only to describe the modalities of feminine bodily existence for women situated in contemporary advanced industrial, urban, and commercial society. Elements of the account developed here may or may not apply to the situation of woman in other societies and other epoch, but it is not the concern of this paper to determine to which, if any, other social circumstances this account applies.

    Comment: This paper provides a clear and useful introduction to the notionYoung's paper "Throwing Like a Girl" has become a classic text on the embodiment of gender and thus an important touchstone for contemporary discussions on the effects of gender norms. Given an embodied view of the mind, Young's paper can also be said to elucidate not only how we enact gender norms but also how gender permeates our way of cognitively interacting with the world. Thus, this reading compliments the chapters from Butnor & MacKenzie and Rudder Baker, while introducing the reader to two prominent phenomenologists which the feminist philosophy of mind movement draws on: Simone de Beavoir and Maurice Merleau-Ponty. This paper would also nicely compliment Benette Jackson's chapter "Embodiments of Sex and Gender: The Metaphors of Speaking Surfaces" in Maitra and McWeeny's Feminist Philosophy of Mind. of gendered bodily experience. It would be a useful introductory piece for any course that studies the role of the body more generally, such as courses on phenomenology, philosophy of race/gender, or issues in cognitive science.

    Discussion Questions

    1. Name other examples of what Young describes as distinctly female body comportment. What makes them ‘female’ and why have these come about?
    2. Does Young accurately capture the differences in the way that different genders are expressed in embodiment?
    3. In the characterization of women as immanent beings, does Young (and de Beauvoir) overlook the agential (or transcendent) experiences that also define womanhood?
    4. Given the habitual nature of gender that is impressed on women from without, how is resistance possible?
    5. When does female body comportment materially disadvantage women? How does it otherwise contribute to their oppression?
    Week 3. Mental content and psychological objects

    The third week covers the topic of mental content as well as psychological objects. It considers how mainstream positions about the nature of mental content do not provide a full picture given their overlook on the impact of the social context. One the one hand, Maitra (2022) provides an original proposal for a feminist theory of mental content, one that considers the role of the historical and societal context in the development of representational content. On the other hand, Scheman and Antony examine how, and to what extent, patriarchal structures and social norms affect our conceptualisation about the ontology of psychological objects. Given the complexity of the texts, readers can chose to either read and discuss in one session Maitra, or both Scheman and Antony.

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    Maitra, Keya. Towards a feminist theory of mental content
    2022, in McWeeny, J. and Maitra, K. (eds) Feminist Philosophy of Mind. New York: Oxford University Press, pp. 70-85.
    Essential reading A
    Expand entry
    Abstract:

    In this article, Maitra explores the intersection of feminist theory and philosophy of mind, aiming to develop a feminist theory of mental content. She examines how traditional theories of mental content in the philosophy of mind have not properly captured the experiences and mental states of marginalised groups. These theories, according to Maitra, have overlooked the role of historical and sociocultural forces and how they shape the content of many social constructs. The article advocates for a more inclusive and context-sensitive approach to mental content, one that acknowledges the impact of social and cultural factors on individual cognition and experiences. To that aim, Maitra offers a feminist modification of Millikan's Teleosemantic View by articulating a notion of "function", the content of representational content, as resulting from cultural and social contexts. She ends the article by showing an application of this modified Teleosemantic View for understanding how certain oppressive terms (i.e. 'whiteness', 'immigrant') come to have the content they do, by drawing into José Jorge Mendoza's article "Illegal: White Supremacy and Immigration Status".

    Comment: Maitra is one of the first to put forward a proposal for a feminist account of mental content by offering a revision of Millikan's teleosemantic account that considers the role of the historical and societal context in the constitution of representational content. She offers a nuanced analysis of mainstream theories of mental content, including Putnam's and Burge's externalism and argues that those views should undertake some modifications before they can be adopted in a feminist framework: namely, their lack of consideration of the historical and societal context.

    Discussion Questions

    1. Why does Maitra think that externalism is the most appropriate view for a feminist approach to mental content? And which sort of externalism?
    2. In your opinion, what makes mental states have the content they have? Are those affected by internal or external factors?
    3. From a feminist perspective, what should we reject internalism?
    4. What do mainstream externalist theories fail to consider? What would a feminist externalist account of mental content be like?
    5. Maitra criticizes Putnam’s Twin Earth thought experiment as lacking a social dimension. Do you think that in general, thought experiments in philosophy lack this dimension? Think of any examples and how they would benefit from integrating this dimension.
    6. How does Maitra apply Millikam’s Teleosemantic model for examining the content of some oppressive words?
    7. How do you think internalised racism (or implicit bias) might affect the function of certain words?
    On DRL Full text
    Scheman, Naomi. Individualism and the Objects of Psychology
    1983, in Hardin, S. and Hintikka, Merrill, B. (eds) Discovering Reality. Dordrecht: Reidel Publishing Company, pp. 225-44.
    Essential reading B (1)
    Expand entry
    Abstract: Scheman argues against individualism, the thesis that psychological states are intrinsic objects that can exist independently from the context in which the individual lives. Scheman argues that while individualism is taken as de facto theory about the ontology of psychological objects given its alignment with physicalism, individualism is an ideological position rooted in a patriarchal system. According to Scheman, individualism prevents us from wholly considering psychological objects in relation to socially embedded norms. Scheman advocates for an anti-individualist position by examining how individualist approaches arise as a result of an embedment of liberal individualism and patriarchal culture.

    Comment: This is one of the seminal articles linking feminist philosophies to work in philosophy of mind. In here, Scheman offers a nuanced examination of how a popular doctrine in philosophy of mind, individualism, has the widespread acceptance it has if we consider its background assumptions: the need to individualise psychological states to commit to a physicalist theory of the mind. Scheman also provides a critical analysis of why individualism should be rejected from a feminist standpoint since it does not take into account the socially embedded norms in which psychological objects exist. The article is a bit difficult to follow, but reading it together with Antony's quite aid comprehension.

    Discussion Questions

    1. What is psychological individualism?
    2. Why one should question psychological individualism from a feminist perspective?
    3. Why is individualism such a universally accepted assumption about the ontology of psychological states?
    4. What’s Scheman’s argument for the role of liberal individualism in maintaining individualist positions?
    5. How does Scheman rely on Freudian ideas to defend that patriarchal child-rearing practices lead to individualism? Is she right?
    6. How can Scheman’s anti-individualism be adopted for a feminist conception of mental content?
    On DRL Full text
    Antony, Louise M.. Is Psychological Individualism a Piece of Ideology?
    1995, Hypatia, 10(3), pp. 157-174.
    Essential reading B (2)
    Expand entry
    Abstract: Antony challenges Naomi Scheman's claim that "psychological individualism", sustains the ideology of patriarchy. According to Scheman, psychological individualism fails to consider the social and relational context that influences psychological phenomena. Antony challenges Scheman's view that psychological individualism has no place within a feminist approach. According to Antony, Scheman's criticism about psychological individualism is misplaced and psychological states can be individuated while at the same time maintaining their part in a more complex system (i.e. social context).

    Comment: Antony offers a juxtaposed view to that of Scheman on the role of the social in understanding the nature of mental states. Antony rejects individualism as a "piece of ideology" and Scheman's claim that a feminist standpoint in philosophy of mind cannot accept the individuation of mental states. This text should be read together with Scheman's.

    Discussion Questions

    1. Why does Antony consider that radical feminist revisions of mainstream philosophical ideas have been received negatively? What is her position on these approaches?
    2. According to Antony, what’s Scheman’s rationale for connecting psychological individualism with patriarchy?
    3. Can psychological objects be individuated at all?
    4. In which way does Antony use the example of the essence of baseballs to challenge Scheman’s view against psychological individualism?
    5. Do you think that one can be an individualist while still maintaining a feminist approach to the ontology of psychological objects?
    Week 4. Personal identity

    The fourth week covers the topic of personal identity and how feminist approaches might challenge mainstream theories. According to James (2022), current frameworks on personal identity contend that the preservation of personhood depends on psychological continuity. At T2, I am the same person I was at T2 iff the person at T2 is psychologically continuous with the person at T1. James, as well as Brison (2022), challenge psychological continuity views by arguing that psychological features (including memory) highly depend on the body, and thus, that the body cannot be completely overlooked if we want to preserve personal identity over time. Gonzalez-Arnal (2012) provide a challenge to embodied accounts to personal identity defended by James and Brison by considering the case of transsexuality where important aspects of one’s self might be incongruent with one’s embodiment. Note that Brison’s reading come with a trigger warning, and thus, it’s reading should be optional. Thus, readers can chose to complement James’ with either Brison (noting the trigger warning) for a supporting view, or with Gonzalez-Arnal for a juxtaposed view.

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    James, Susan. Feminism in philosophy of mind: The question of personal identity
    2022, in McWeeny, J. and Maitra, K. (eds) Feminist Philosophy of Mind. New York: Oxford University Press, pp. 156-172.
    Essential reading
    Expand entry
    Abstract: In this essay, James challenges current psychological theories on personal identity - theories arguing that psychological continuity is a criterion for personal identity. James offers a feminist examination of popular thought experiments aimed at showing that one's person's character and memories could be transplanted into someone's else body, thus, preserving a person's survival. According to James, those thought experiments don't take into account the role of the body in constructing one's identity and character, as well as influencing one's memories.

    Comment: In this article, James argues for a deeply embodied account of personal identity. James claims that current psychological theories on personal identity, tend to overlook the role of the body in maintaining psychological continuity. Mainstream thought experiments used by those theories, for instance, examples of body swap, undermine the extent to which psychological traits of a person depend on a body. James claims that the body is constitutive for developing one's identity and character. Additionally, she offers an analysis of the role of gender on personal identity by examining how patriarchal structures promote the idea that the mind can be independent of the body.

    Discussion Questions

    1. What do you think makes psychological transplant cases so intuitive and attractive to some philosophers?
    2. Discuss: could all character’s traits survive any sort of alterations to the body? If not, which sort of alterations might have an impact?
    3. In which way does James think that transplant cases regard the body as a mere receptacle?
    4. In your view, are we born with an already established character and identity?
    5. Consider the comparison between the twin case and the female fashion model in the body of a male garage mechanic presented by James. Which role does gender play in these cases? Would the female fashion model case be different if she were to be transplanted into another female body?
    6. According to James, in which way have patriarchal ideologies played a role in downplaying the role of the body in the preservation of personal identity?
    7. In the words of James, “What is it to survive”? For you, what would it mean that “personhood” has been preserved in transplant cases and other similar thought experiments?
    On DRL Full text
    Brison, Susan J.. Outliving oneself: trauma, memory, and personal identity
    2022, in McWeeny, J. and Maitra, K. (eds) Feminist Philosophy of Mind. New York: Oxford University Press, pp. 313-328.
    Additional reading (see TW)
    Expand entry
    Abstract: "How can one die in Vietnam or fail to survive a death camp and still live to tell one's story? How does a life- threatening event come to be experienced as self- annihilating? And what self is it who remembers having had this experience?" By examining the lived experience of survivors from traumatic events, Brison sets to explore what exactly "the self" is. According to Brison, the self is "both autonomous and socially dependent", which makes it prone to be disrupted by traumatic events, but also, can be healed through safe and healthy relationships.

    Comment: Trigger warning: This article discusses accounts of trauma, including descriptions of an event of sexual assault that occurred to the author, as well as its aftermath. If used in a syllabi, this text should be presented as "optional" and students should be warned about its sensitive nature. A brief notice of TW should also be presented a the beginning of a session where the text is discussed. Also note that the suggested prompted questions for guiding reading of this article, as well as prompting discussion, also treat sensitive topics. Susan Brison provides a compelling argument about the embodied nature of the self by examining how traumatic events can have an impact on our personal identity and highly disrupt our personhood. Brison defends a relational account of the self in which the self is constructed through our interactions with others, and at the same time, affected by those interactions, making it vulnerable. By drawing first-hand from her own experience with trauma, Brison shows the importance of integrating lived experiences in the development of philosophical accounts.

    Discussion Questions

    1. Discuss: What do you think about the definition of “trauma” that Brison provides? Do you think that it should be wider or narrower?
    2. According to Brison, after a traumatic event, “”one can no longer be oneself even to oneself, since the self exists fundamentally in relation to others””. What do you think of this claim? Can one exist independently of their relation to others?
    3. Discuss: Why do you think that the body has been historically rejected by (male) philosophers? Could that view have been different in a non-patriarchal society?
    4. In Brison’s view, how do traumatic events challenge psychological (or memory) views of personal identity?
    5. According to Brison, how reporting the traumatic event to others might eventually become therapeutic? What do you think?
    6. What does it say about the relational self, the fact that trauma survivors do better by engaging with others? (others being empathic to them)
    On DRL Full text
    Gonzalez-Arnal, Stella. Personal identity and transsexual narratives
    2012, in Gonzalez-Arnal, S., Jagger, Gi., and Lennon, K. (eds) Embodied Selves. London: Palgrave Macmillan, pp. 66-83.
    Additional reading
    Expand entry
    Abstract: In this article, Gonzalez-Arnal challenges Susan James' embodied conception of personal identity by analysing transexual narratives. According to Gonzalez-Arnal, James' account cannot fully capture the experience of transexual persons since they describe the continuity of their personal (but also gender) identity despite significant changes in their bodies. Gonzalez-Arnal examines how other two theories of personal identity, a reductionist and a dualist one, might provide a better picture of the transexual narratives. After concluding that none the reductionist nor the dualist account does much better than an embodied view of personal identity, Gonzalez-Arnal proposes an improvement to James' view that accommodates transexual experiences, namely, acknowledging the integration of the "inner" self and other's perception of one's body in shaping one's "outer self".

    Comment: This article would be a good pairing to support the reading of James' "The Question on Personal Identity" (2002). In this article, Gonzalez-Arnal presents a compelling counter-example to James' argument that her theory should be preferred over psychological theories on personal identity given the role of embodiment on personal identity. According to James, mainstream thought experiments involving body swaps rarely discuss cases involving two bodies of different gender because they, intuitively, do not bring us to believe that Person A would survive a body swap with a Person B of different gender. Gonzalez-Arnal challenges James' argumentation by presenting the example of transsexuality by showing that their personal identity is preserved even though significant changes in their body take place.

    Discussion Questions

    1. According to Gonzalez-Arnal, why James’ embodied conception of the self does not capture the sense of personal identity in transexual narratives?
    2. What is Gonzalez-Arnal rationale to argue that for certain important aspects of our personal identity, such as gender identity, the role of the body might be necessary but not sufficient? Can you think of other aspects of our self to which the same rationale might be applied?
    3. What sort of criticism can be made to reductionist accounts of personal identity regarding gender as a culturally and historically variable construct?
    4. How could a Cartesian account of the self be applied to understand the idea that transexual persons might have an “inner ‘core”‘ which is incongruent with their bodily characteristics?
    5. On Prosser’s theory, what are the differences between the “inner” and the “outer” body, between what can be “felt” and what can be “seen”? Other than in cases of transsexuality, in which those two don’t seem to match, can you think of other cases in which incongruencies might also take place?
    6. Following Green’s narrative on becoming a visible man, how do you think a relational account of the self might be useful to explain his process of coming out as trans? How our relationship with others might turn helpful in cases in which the inner self doesn’t match with the outer self?
    Week 5. Race

    Following on from weeks 2, 3 and 4, this week considers the nature of self and other understanding within the context of race and hegemony. These readings consider the nature of White and non-White empathy, understanding, and experience and how the differences lead to the marginalisation and alienation of non-White individuals. 

    On DRL Full text
    Jones, Janine. Disappearing Black People Through Failures of White Empathy
    2022, In McWeeny, J. and Maitra, K. (eds) Feminist Philosophy of Mind. New York: Oxford University Press, pp.86-101.
    Essential reading
    Expand entry
    Abstract: Empathy is sometimes thought to be, if not a moral panacea for crimes against humanity, then a moral motivator to work against them. This chapter argues that the construction of black people's minds in Manichaean opposition to that of white people's is at the root of white failures of empathy for black people. The chapter maintains that it is primarily due to this Manichaean-structured opposition, grounded in a fundamental difference between white and black fungibility, that white people's ability to successfully perceive or empathize with black people is impeded. This view understands white and black fungibility as established by and derived from the nature of the kinds of minds constructed through anti-black, white-supremacist logics. Black fungibility is derivatively attributed to black bodies and implemented through them. The chapter proposes that rather than seek to empathize with black people, white people aim to self-empathize.

    Comment: Jones' chapter nicely situates problems with models of empathy within the dicussion of understanding racial injustices. As such, this chapter provides a clear, brief introduction to three different ways that empathy might be cashed out, as well as the issues with each from the perspective of where White empathy can, and does, fail. Jones also expands the concept of 'fungibility' to Black and White bodies as part of the diagnosis of why empathy fails, which is a useful tool for unpacking and critiquing other aspects of philosophy of mind, such as the nature of 'reasons' or 'rationality'.

    Discussion Questions

    1. Name some cases in which Black people, stories or bodies are used in popular media (film, TV, literature etc.) as a vehicle for White exploration. How are Black individuals ‘fungible’ in these cases?
    2. What problems could Jones’s account of the failure of White empathy also pose for models of social cognition? Are these frameworks (e.g. Theory Theory, Simulation Theory) constructed along White expectations of empathetic understanding?
    3. How are White and Black fungibility importantly different and how can this difference be used to move past problematic forms of White empathy?
    4. What kind of depth of empathy does Jones think White people should strive for? What does this entail and where can it go wrong?
    5. How might Jones’ analysis apply to to her theories of empathy not mentioned?
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    Ahmed, Sara. A phenomenology of whiteness
    2007, Feminist Theory, 8(2), pp.149-168.
    Additional reading
    Expand entry
    Abstract: The paper suggests that we can usefully approach whiteness through the lens of phenomenology. Whiteness could be described as an ongoing and unfinished history, which orientates bodies in specific directions, affecting how they 'take up' space, and what they 'can do'. The paper considers how whiteness functions as a habit, even a bad habit, which becomes a background to social action. The paper draws on experiences of inhabiting a white world as a non-white body, and explores how whiteness becomes worldly through the noticeability of the arrival of some bodies more than others. A phenomenology of whiteness helps us to notice institutional habits; it brings what is behind to the surface in a certain way.

    Comment: Ahmed provides a phenomenological account of White experience as comfort and being at home, which compliments Jones's analysis of the failure of White empathy. While Ahmed's focus is on race in this paper, her analysis of the structure of Whiteness equally applies to multiple domains, such as gender, class, sexuality and disability, so while it is marked as 'further' reading here, this text could easily provide the foundation to multiple themes for this blueprint, and would also make a good starting point for those that wish to read Ahmed's excellent "Queer Phenomenology".

    Discussion Questions

    1. Given the strength of which Whiteness is an ingrained habit of being in the world, how is resistance possible and how does it already occur?
    2. Think about the reading group/tutorial/seminar/workshop in which you are discussing this text. What are the stopping and orientation devices at play and how do they work?
    3. How could Ahmed’s analysis apply to other kinds of orientations (e.g. gender, class, sexuality, disability)?
    4. How do you think Ahmed would diagnose the problem of failures of White empathy?
    5. In what ways are we shaped by what we inherit and what we are proximal to? Give examples.
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    Lugones, María. Playfulness, ‘World’-Travelling, and Loving Perception
    2022, In McWeeny, J. and Maitra, K. (eds) Feminist Philosophy of Mind, New York: Oxford University Press, pp.105-122.
    Essential reading
    Expand entry
    Abstract: This paper considers the ontological implications of encountering varying levels of intelligibility when one traverses social structures, such as when one immigrates to a new culture or works in a place with people of a different economic class than one's own. This paper terms this phenomenon "world-travelling," which the paper understands as the shift in self-experience that occurs when an oppressed person moves from an environment where she is readily perceived as an active subject to one where she is perceived as a passive instrument of others' wills and desires. Such a situation opens on an ontological paradox because it seems that the same person is capable of possessing two contradictory attributes at the same time. The chapter explains how this paradoxical situation could obtain by arguing that attributes of consciousness are world-dependent. It concludes that the self is actually "a plurality of selves" and that the structure of subjectivity is neither unitary, universal, nor ahistorical.

    Comment: Lugones' concept of world-travelling and playfulness compliments well the discussion in Jones' chapter on empathy. Both authors consider how identification can fail, but come to slightly different conclusions about how to facilitate empathy. These readings would thus work well when read together closely. Lugones' discussion on play also provides a springboard for not only discussing resistence to oppression, or arrogant perception, but also the embedded and problematic assumptions behind the notion of play that may be prescent in academic definitions. Indeed, if we understand play more along Lugones' lines, this may not only help us 'world travel' to meet other humans, but, perhaps, non-humans as well.

    Discussion Questions

    1. What characterises ‘arrogant perception’?
    2. Does Jones’ worries about transference and fungibility in White empathy apply in the case of Lugones’ loving perception, where identification is key?
    3. Lugones links a lack of playfulness with a lack of health. How should we understand this claim? Are all serious individuals ‘sick’?
    4. If we are different ‘selves’ in the worlds we inhabit, what creates continuity, or is there any?
    5. is there a difference between world-travelling and code-switching?
    Week 6. Mental disorder

    This week’s readings seek to answer the question of why feminists should be concerned about the topic of mental disorder in philosophy of mind; mental disorder is not merely a fringe topic or case where ‘normal’ cognition goes wrong, but is central to understanding one of the many ways in which the study of the mind marginalises particular individuals. This topic is covered from two perspectives: problems with the medical model, as raised by Jennifer Radden, and problems with the science of the brain, as raised by Anne Jacobson. The additional readings here supplement these discussions with further elaboration of particular concepts, like epistemic injustice and values in scientific claims.

    On DRL Full text
    Radden, Jennifer. Symptoms in particular: feminism and the disordered mind
    2022, In McWeeny, J. and Maitra, K. (eds) Feminist Philosophy of Mind. New York: Oxford University Press, pp.121-138.
    Essential reading
    Expand entry
    Abstract: Contrary to influential medical and cognitivist models governing how mental disorder is usually understood today, the socially embedded, disordered "mind," or subject, of feminist theory leaves little room for idiopathic causal analyses, with their narrow focus on the brain and its functioning, and reluctant acknowledgment of symptoms. Mental disorder must originate well beyond the particular brain of the person with whom it is associated, feminist analyses imply. Because the voiced distress of the sufferer cannot be reduced to the downstream, "symptomatic" effects of brain dysfunction, symptoms can be seen differently, as central to the diagnostic identity, and constitutive of (at least some) disorders. And new attention is required for the testimony of women diagnosed with mental disorder, vulnerable as it is to epistemic injustices. Corrected explanations of women's mental disorder leave remaining concerns, both epistemological and ethical, over the madwoman narrating her symptoms.

    Comment: Radden's paper introduces the reader to broad concerns with the dominant medical model of disorder from a feminist perspective, highlighting the tension with a naturalistic, reductionist approach with the situated and ecological approach of Radden's feminism. This article touches on topics mentioned in other readings (such as enactive concpetions of mind and epistemic injustice) but contextualises them within the field of philosophy of psychiatry. As such, this article is a fruitful springboard for critically considering the nature of medicine and psychiatry from multiple angles. This chapter would be complimented by the further reading of Russell's (2023) paper on Enactive Psychiatry.

    Discussion Questions

    1. Can/ should a feminist approach to madness and mental disorder be associated with the medical model at all? Is the feminist approach to ‘amend’ the medical model?
    2. How can we use feminist theory to bridge the ‘experiential gap’ between clinicians and patients to avoid epistemic injustices?
    3. How could the epistemic injustices Radden mentions affect disorder experience itself?
    4. Are there important differences between mental and somatic illnesses in the ways that women are treated?
    5. How does simply having disordered experience itself marginalise individuals as ‘minded’ beings?
    6. Can we overcome epistemic injustices with more socially informed scientific research (as in Jacobson’s chapter)?
    On DRL Full text Read free
    Russell, Jodie Louise. Problems for enactive psychiatry as a practical framework
    2023, Philosophical Psychology, pp.1458-1481.
    Additional reading
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    Abstract: In recent years, autopoietic enactivism has been used to address persistent conceptual problems in psychiatry, such as the problem of demarcating disorder, that other models thus far have failed to overcome. There appear to be three main enactive accounts of psychopathology with subtle, although not incompatible, differences: Maiese characterizes disorder as distinct disruptions in autonomy and agency; Nielsen characterizes disorder as behaviors that relevantly conflict with the functional norms of an individual; De Haan emphasizes patterns of disordered sense-making, that are transformed through the existential dimension. Given that these accounts are intended to provide not only an ontologically richer account of psychopathology but also reduce the stigma experienced by individuals with mental disorders by accounting for lived experience, a critical analysis of these approaches is needed. Russell provides a problematization of enactive accounts of mental disorder, showing that this particular framework does not, as it stands, necessarily reduce the harm and suffering experienced by individuals with mental disorder because of its ontological openness; enactivism leaves much to be interpreted and applied by the clinician (or patient) such that practical and ethical problems in its use arise.

    Comment: This cheeky inclusion of Russell's paper as further reading would suitably compliment both the readings on mental disorder, and Butnor and MacKenzie's chapter on gender, for a deeper discussion. The positive feminist thesis is left vague at the end of this paper, which provides a nice starting point to discuss solutions to the problems with enactivism raised therein. This paper also provides a nice entry-point into the enactive literature, which might provide an enticing, situated model of mind to compliment particular feminist outlooks.

    Discussion Questions

    1. How does enactivism overcome the problems with reductive models of mental disorder?
    2. Does enactivism plausibly provide better understanding of disorder experience?
    3. Are the claims made by enactivism ‘mixed’, as Russell claims? Is this a problem for other models of mental disorder?
    4. What kinds of frameworks, as Russell suggests, be supplemented to overcome the issues with enactive psychiatry?
    5. Does enactivism convincingly naturalise the normative?
    On DRL Full text
    Jacobson, Anne J.. Norms and Neuroscience: The Case of Borderline Personality Disorder
    2022, In McWeeny, J. and Maitra, K. (eds) Feminist Philosophy of Mind, New York: Oxford University Press, pp.207-220.
    Essential reading
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    Abstract: Cognitive neuroscience can offer us new explanations of episodes human behavior that, unlike many explanations traditionally available, do not draw on questionable past theories arising from cultures and traditions that are in fact patriarchal. At the same time, feminists have had a number of reasons for regarding it suspiciously as, among other things, reductive and dehumanizing. In this paper, new work on borderline personality disorder provides an illustrative example of the first. It is also used in an extended argument against the second. Cognitive neuroscience is interested principally in explaining how creatures function well in their niches. It is replete with covert references to values and interests. The paper draws an important distinction between cases in which culture creates new conditions for old functions to be realized and those where it creates new functions.

    Comment: Jacobson's chapter is an insightful exemplar of feminist philosophy of neuroscience that charts a course between hard-naturalism of mind in science and the pure social-constructivist theories of mental disorder. Jacobson's case study of Boderline Personality Disorder (BPD) demonstrates the ways in which values may be embedded in psychiatric categories, but the phenomena can nevertheless be accounted for using normatively-informed neuroscience. Feminist philosophy of science at large is an influence here, and thus this chapter is an important bridge between this topic and our own, feminist philosophy of mind.

    Discussion Questions

    1. When men largely dictate the interests of fields like neuroscience, how do feminists steer those interests towards equality and liberation?
    2. One may argue that the neuroscientific view inherently excludes lived experience; how does a feminist philosophy of neuroscience prevent epistemic injustices that have come about from the historical exclusion of lived experience in health research?
    3. How do we adjudicate between competing interests in neuroscience?
    4. Can a neuroscience that incorporates normativity ever be called ‘objective’? What does that mean for the strength of neuroscientific claims?
    5. Can the incorporation of values in CNS help adjust the power balance between researchers/clinicians and patients? If so, how?
    On DRL Full text Read free
    Ritunnano, Rosa. Overcoming Hermeneutical Injustice in Mental Health: A Role for Critical Phenomenology
    2022, Journal of the British Society for Phenomenology, 53(3), pp.243-260.
    Additional reading
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    Abstract: The significance of critical phenomenology for psychiatric praxis has yet to be expounded. In this paper, Rituanno argues that the adoption of a critical phenomenological stance can remedy localised instances of hermeneutical injustice, which may arise in the encounter between clinicians and patients with psychosis. In this context, what is communicated is often deemed to lack meaning or to be difficult to understand. While a degree of un-shareability is inherent to subjective life, Rituanno argues that issues of unintelligibility can be addressed by shifting from individualistic conceptions of understanding to an interactionist view. This takes into account the contextual, historical and relational background within which meaning is co-constituted. She concludes by providing a corrective for hermeneutical injustice, which entails a specific attentiveness towards the person's subjectivity, a careful sensitivity to contingent meaning-generating structures, and a degree of hermeneutical flexibility as an attitude of openness towards alternative horizons of possibility.

    Comment: Ritunnano's paper clearly situates the concept of hermeneutic injustice in the field of mental health, using psychosis as a case study. Although it predominantly deals with just one type of epistemic injustice, Ritunnano's paper is nevertheless an approachable entry into the topic that compliments Radden's chapter. The field of critical phenomenology is also introduced, which links strongly to feminist considerations when trying to understand lived experience. Thus, this paper makes for good further reading on the topic of feminist philosophy of mind and mental illness.

    Discussion Questions

    1. What are the kinds of challenges that clinicians and patients may face when communicating?
    2. In what way is hermeneutic injustice a ‘harm’?
    3. Does Ritunnano’s focus on critical phenomenology help us overcome hermeneutical gaps?
    4. How might Lugones’ idea of playful world travelling (from week 5) contribute to the discussion on hermeneutic injustice?
    5. Can critical phenomenology help with overcoming testimonial injustices as well?
    Week 7. Theories about the mind-body problem

    This week approaches one of the main topics in the philosophy of mind, the mind-body problem. It does so by examining how applying a feminist approach, one that considers the role of the social on the mental, can provide a full characterisation about the nature of mental states. On the one hand, McWeeny considers the potential of panspychism to answer the attribution question, the question of which bodies, or entities, have minds. On the other hand, Droege and Scheman provide a criticism of reductionist physicalist theories and argue for a theory on the nature of mental states that considers the social as constitutive of the mental. As in Week 2, given the complexity of the topics covered, we recommend that readers choose to either read and discuss McWeeny or the combination of Droege and Scheman’s for a reading group’s session.

    On DRL Full text
    McWeeny, Jennifer. Which Bodies Have Minds? Feminism, Panpsychism, and the Attribution Question
    2022, in McWeeny, J. and Maitra, K. (eds) Feminist Philosophy of Mind. New York: Oxford University Press, pp. 272-293.
    Essential reading A
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    Abstract: This article develops a new framework for addressing the attribution question, the question of which bodies have minds, by bringing a feminist perspective to metaphysical considerations about the mind. McWeeny argues that the attribution question, when applied to individuals who have been subject to different sorts of oppression, is not only a question about whose bodies have minds but also a question about the degree of "mentality" attributed to certain individuals and the mental constitution of those individuals.

    Comment: McWeeny provides a novel examination of the attribution question by looking into what might be considered one of the most inclusive theories about the mind: panpsychism. According to Panpsychism, "mentality is ubiquitous in nature". Thus, we should expect panpsychism to hold an equal attribution across all bodies, and assert that all bodies have minds, without discrimination. McWeeny shows us, upon further examination, how mainstream panpsychist views (Russelian or physicalist panpsychism) fail to do so. McWeeny provides a detailed analysis of how Cavendishian Panpsychism is more well-placed to give a feminist perspective on the attribution question.

    Discussion Questions

    1. According to McWeeny, what are the benefits of Cavendishian panpsychism over Russellian panpsychism? Do you think it provides a more feminist approach to the mind-body problem than other frameworks?
    2. What are the risks of Cavendishian panpsychism? Would the assumption of an equal attribution ratio for every single body lead to the overinclusion of minds? (i.e. fetuses, micro-organisms).
    3. According to Cavendish, “bodies are necessarily minded”. Do think that her view could affect current developments in AI and robotics? Shall we reframe what we mean by “body”?
    4. In your view, how the “degree attribution” might still prevail nowadays as a result of implicit racism? Discuss.
    5. How does Cavendish reject the “degree attribution” by maintaining a difference in the kind of conscious experience across species?
    6. According to McWeeny’s analysis, how capitalism has contributed to a mechanistic view of the body? How could we change this?
    7. McWeeny closes the article with the following: “Here we find that not all views of mind are equal when it comes to explaining mental phenomena, nor are all conceptions of mind equally egalitarian when it comes to instantiating liberatory configurations of the social. The task of a feminist philosophy of mind is to hold both desiderata at the same time”. How do you think feminist philosophy of mind can help to advance research in this respect?
    On DRL Full text
    Droege, Paula. Why Feminists Should be Materialists and Vice Versa
    2022, in McWeeny, J. and Maitra, K. (eds) Feminist Philosophy of Mind. New York: Oxford University Press, pp. 255-270.
    Essential reading B (1)
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    Abstract: In this article, Droege defends a nonreductive account of materialism, which in her view, can be endorsed by feminists since it considers the dynamic relations among mind, body, and environment. Droege shows how "new materialism" or nonreductive materialism preserves the role of social interactions in explaining the constitution of mental states, while at the same time, also considers the role of the physical. Droege argues that ignoring the physical is a mistake that some feminists commit that prevents us from offering a full picture of the nature of social constructs, such as "gender". In the materialist view that Droege supports, physical causation is seen as "indeterminate, constantly in flux, and potentially both disruptive and supportive of human projects". Droege closes the article by showing how feminist methods, by taking an interdisciplinary approach, can provide a more nuanced picture of the nature of the mind, one that considers both the role of the physical and social world.

    Comment: Roege defends a nonreductive account of materialism, which, in her view, doesn't stand against feminist criticisms of physicalism. Similarly to Scheman's "Against Physicalism", Droeger argues that mainstream physicalist theories have ignored the role of the social in their explanations about the mental. Droeger offers an analysis of how feminist practices can illuminate work on the philosophy of mind by taking an interdisciplinary approach that brings together findings and viewpoints from different disciplines.

    Discussion Questions

    1. Droege states: “A belief is a meaningful object only at the psychological level of explanation”. Why does she claim so? And do you agree?
    2. Droege claims that “physical explanations […] are tempting because they offer the possibility of simple solutions”. She presents the example of two explanations such as “testosterone makes men aggressive” or “poor diet explains poverty”. Can you think of similar examples in the philosophy of mind? And how could those explanations benefit from a more careful examination of the social and political sphere?
    3. Why does Droege think that we need an ontology of the physical world to fully capture social constructs?
    4. Droege claims: “Feminists should be materialists, because our engagement with the material world shapes who we are and holds the promise of what we can become”. Do you agree?
    5. According to Droege, work on animal cognition is less patriarchal, yet is not published as “feminist”. Why do you think this is the case?
    6. Why does Droege think that feminists can help researchers deal with interdisciplinary research? Isn’t this an extra burden for the feminist? (i.e. to play the role of “mediator”?
    7. Droege quotes Janice Moulton and says “Philosophers problematically assume that ‘”the only, or at any rate, the best, way of evaluating work in philosophy is to subject it to the strongest or most extreme opposition’. Why is that problematic? And how is this hindering the field of philosophy instead of advancing it?
    8. Is Droege right in considering the methods of cognitive ethologists similar to those of feminists, and thus, to regard them as feminist methods? Is this just a matter of semantics? (p.265)
    9. Discuss: Was Nagel wrong after all, can you know what is it like to be a bat? (p.266)
    On DRL Full text
    Scheman, Naomi. Against Physicalism
    2022, in McWeeny, J. and Maitra, K. (eds). Feminist Philosophy of Mind. New York: Oxford University Press, pp. 239-254.
    Essential reading B (2)
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    Abstract:

    This is a revision of Scheman's seminal paper originally published in 2000 which provides one of the first pieces showing how mainstream philosophy of mind can benefit from the insertion of feminist thought in its practices. In this article, Scheman criticises mainstream physicalism as ignoring the social context in its explanations of the mental. According to Scheman, this dismissal is a mistake since "beliefs, desires, emotions, and other phenomena of our mental lives are the particulars that they are because they are socially meaningful [...]".

    Discussion Questions

    1. According to Scheman, why feminists have been critical of dualism? (For more on this, see James’ text on Week 4). Are those the same reasons held to argue against physicalism?
    2. Do you think that, according to Scheman, we should reject any form of physicalism? Can we have a form of physicalism that considers mental states as dependent on the social? Do you think that physicalism could still reconcile the role of the social context?
    3. Why should we take the example of the music performance as a counter-example against physicalism and the principle of causal closure? Does it succeed in showing that a physical event didn’t have a physical cause?
    4. Could it be that the physicalist project and Scheman’s criticisms are pointing at different levels of explanation? It seems that one is to determine what is the cause of one event (i.e. mental state) and the other, how to account for the nature of that state (i.e. social). Discuss.
    5. In pp. 248-49, Scheman compares the notion of mental states to socially constructed notions such as “woman”. How does she relate both notions? What is the alternative, if both, dualism and physicalism should be rejected? What is the solution offered by Scheman?
    Week 8. Sexual orientation

    This week on sexual orientation draws together many of the themes regarding gender, agency, and recognition but situates the discussion more firmly within the topic of sexual desire. The two essential readings follow two different traditions in this manner, continental and analytic, to elucidate different issues and come to different conclusions. The goal of this week is to stimulate thought on sexual orientation from multiple angles and show its connections to other issues, such as gender. The further reading from Judith Butler is especially helpful in this regard.

    On DRL Full text
    Ahmed, Sara. Queer Phenomenology: Orientations, Objects, Others. Chapter 2: “Sexual Orientation”
    2006, In Queer Phenomenology: Orientations, Objects, Others, New York: Duke University Press, pp. 65-107.
    Essential reading
    Expand entry
    Abstract: Focusing on the "orientation" aspect of "sexual orientation", Ahmed examines what it means for bodies to be situated in space and time. Bodies take shape as they move through the world directing themselves toward or away from objects and others. Being "orientated" means feeling at home, knowing where one stands, or having certain objects within reach. Orientations affect what is proximate to the body or what can be reached. A queer phenomenology, Ahmed contends, reveals how social relations are arranged spatially, how queerness disrupts and reorders these relations by not following the accepted paths, and how a politics of disorientation puts other objects within reach, those that might, at first glance, seem awry.

    Comment: This paper is especially stimulating if students earlier on the course also read the text by Ahmed on the week on race, as much of "A phenomenology of whiteness" informs Queer phenomenology. This specific chapter, however, focuses on sexual orientation, and discusses some of Merleau-Ponty's philosophy. Ahmed's article may also be required reading for those exploring a distinctly phenomenological approach to sexuality and could be read in alongside Díaz-León's chapter, which follows in the analytic tradition, for a broader range of 'styles' of discussion of sexual orientation in philosophy.

    Discussion Questions

    1. What does it meen to ‘straighten’ queer orientations? In what ways are queer desires ‘straightened’?
    2. To what extent does Ahmed successfully psychoanalyse Freud? Are you convinced by her analysis?
    3. What are hereosexual objects? Name some examples. How do they come into being?
    4. How do sexual orientations like bisexuality or pansexuality, where one could ‘pass’ as straight, fit into Ahmed’s analysis? How could you apply queer phenomenology to understand these orientations?
    5. How is sexual orientation linked to the idea of the ‘gift’? What is this gift?
    On DRL Full text Read free
    Díaz-León, E.. Sexual Orientations: The Desire View
    2022, In McWeeny, J. and Maitra, K. (eds) Feminist Philosophy of Mind, New York: Oxford University Press, pp.294-309.
    Essential reading
    Expand entry
    Abstract: Talk about sexual orientations is widespread in our society and our culture, but very few analytic philosophers have paid attention to questions about the nature of sexual orientations, such as what sexual orientations are and what "sexual orientation" means. This chapter examines the main theories that are available in the recent and growing literature on this issue, including behaviorism, ideal and ordinary versions of dispositionalism, structuralism, and views according to which sexual orientations are mental states such as sexual desires. It discusses several objections to these views, and develops and defends a new version of the view that characterizes sexual orientations in terms of sexual desires.

    Comment: Díaz-León's paper is an approachable entry point into the literature on defining sexual orientation. This paper works well without background reading on the wider debate and is especially approachable for those already familiar with behaviourism and its issues. Díaz-León also demonstrates the different feminist projects we may take up within the literature on the mind: the descriptive and the political. Both of which provide fertile ground for discussion and debate.

    Discussion Questions

    1. Is there an important way in which Cary may be different from other heterosexual men? Can the views presented capture this difference?
    2. Are there any other intuitive examples against the Bidimensional Dispositionalism view?
    3. Is asexuality a sexual orientation on the desire view?
    4. Do you agree with Díaz-León that it is politically useful to capture the sex-gender of the person in question when defining their sexual orientation? Does Díaz-León’s new definition capture everything that is politically useful?
    5. In footnote 7, Díaz-León describes a solution to a problem case raised to the structural definition of sexual orientation . Does this response adequately capture the nature of sexual desire between both trans women and cis-women, and between cis-women and other cis-women?
    On DRL Full text Read free
    Butler, Judith. Performativity, Precariety and Sexual Politics
    2009, AIBR, Revista de Antropología Iberoamericana, 4(3), Septiembre-Diciembre 2009, pp. i-xiii.
    Additional reading
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    Abstract: Gender performativity is one of the core concepts in Judith Butler's work. In this paper Butler re-examines this term and completes it with the idea of precarity, by making a reference to those who are exposed to injury, violence and displacement, those who are in risk of not being qualified as a subject of recognition, There are issues that constantly arise in the nation-states, such as claiming a right when there is not a right to claim, or being forced to follow certain norms in order to change these norms. This is particularly relevant in the sexual policies that are shaped within the nation-states.

    Comment: Butler draws together muitple themes in this paper to talk about how fascets of our identity (gender, sexuality and even our national/ethnic idetitiy) are strongly determined by external strctures, even when we try to subvert those structures. While sexuality is a key theme in this paper, Butlet discusses the theme of recognition, subjecthood and precarity from multiple angles, making it a cornerstone for multiple themes in this blueprint. The discussion on assimilation and translation is also highly relevant to Ahmed's discussions both in Queer Phenomenology and "A phenomenology of whiteness".

    Discussion Questions

    1. What are the norms behind legibility and recognition? How are these enacted and enforced to include some and exclude others?
    2. Are there possible connections between Butler’s analysis in this paper and the literature on epistemic injustice? Would a notion of epistemic justice overcome some of the hegemonic issues Butler raises?
    3. What is the connection between ‘translation’ and ‘performance’?
    4. Does Butler take an overly pessimistic view of the subversion of particular norms? Is it possible to forge new, innovative norms and identities?
    5. What can we do such that other forms of living, i.e. other than heteronormativity, become less precious, without assimilating these ways of living into the normative ‘standard’?

PDF8Level

Philosopher Queens: Women in Philosophy and the History of Exclusion

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by Rebecca Buxton (with thanks to Alix Dietzel)

Introduction

Women have historical been excluded from the traditional canon of philosophy. This reading group aims to help students think through, first, why such exclusion as taken place and, second, to think about what ought to be done to remedy it. The reading list is therefore divided into two sections. The first two weeks focus on the deconstruction and reconstruction of the traditional canon; thinking about the exclusion of women and other marginalised groups, and then attending to the process of reconstruction (or abolition). The final six weeks of the course focus on individual women philosophers. This is (obviously) nowhere near exhaustive. But it provides a basic starting point for those wanting to read more women philosophers.

The Book

This Blueprint is based around an excellent introductory book co-edited by the author, titled: Philosopher Queens: The lives and legacies of philosophy’s unsung women. We will read some sections from it, but we recommend the entire book, of course! Here is what the publisher has to say about it:

The history of philosophy has not done women justice: you’ve probably heard the names Plato, Kant, Nietzsche and Locke – but what about Hypatia, Arendt, Oluwole and Young? The Philosopher Queens is a long-awaited book about the lives and works of women in philosophy by women in philosophy. This collection brings to centre stage twenty prominent women whose ideas have had a profound – but for the most part uncredited – impact on the world. You’ll learn about Ban Zhao, the first woman historian in ancient Chinese history; Angela Davis, perhaps the most iconic symbol of the American Black Power Movement; Azizah Y. al-Hibri, known for examining the intersection of Islamic law and gender equality; and many more. For anyone who has wondered where the women philosophers are, or anyone curious about the history of ideas – it’s time to meet the philosopher queens. 


Contents

    Week 1. Exclusion from the Canon
    On DRL Full text Read free
    Haslanger, Sally. Changing the Ideology and Culture of Philosophy: Not by Reason (Alone)
    2007 2007, Hypatia, 23 (2): 210–23..
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    Abstract: There is a deep well of rage inside of me. Rage about how I as an individual have been treated in philosophy; rage about how others I know have been treated; and rage about the conditions that I'm sure affect many women and minorities in philosophy, and have caused many others to leave. Most of the time I suppress this rage and keep it sealed away. Until I came to MIT in 1998, I was in a constant dialogue with myself about whether to quit philosophy, even give up tenure, to do something else. In spite of my deep love for philosophy, it just didn't seem worth it. And I am one of the very lucky ones, one of the ones who has been successful by the dominant standards of the profession. Whatever the numbers say about women and minorities in philosophy, numbers don't begin to tell the story. Things may be getting better in some contexts, but they are far from acceptable.

    Comment: In her 2007 paper, Haslanger sets out the situation of women in philosophy with a particular focus on instutional academic settings. This paper discusses how women are excluded from philosophy (both contemporary and historical) as well as thinking about disciplnary boundaries: why is it that feminist philosophy is not often thought of as 'real' philosophy?

    Discussion Questions

    1. How does Haslanger’s empirical data compare with how things are today?
    2. Has the position of women in philosophy improved over the last ten years?
    3. Do you agree that the exclusion of women from the history of philosophy is partly to do with disciplinary boundaries?
    4. Why is it that women are not being published in top academic philosophy journals at the same rate as men?
    1. How does Haslanger’s empirical data compare with how things are today?
    2. Has the position of women in philosophy improved over the last ten years?
    3. Do you agree that the exclusion of women from the history of philosophy is partly to do with disciplinary boundaries?
    4. Why is it that women are not being published in top academic philosophy journals at the same rate as men?
    On DRL Full text Read free
    Waithe, Mary Ellen. Sex, Lies, and Bigotry: The Canon of Philosophy
    2020 2020, In Sigridur Thorgeirsdottir and Ruth Edith Hagengruber (eds.), Methodological Reflections on Women’s Contribution and Influence in the History of Philosophy, Springer International Publishing..
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    Abstract: In “Sex, Lies, and Bigotry: The Canon of Philosophy” I explore several questions: What does it mean for our understanding of the history of philosophy that women philosophers have been left out and are now being retrieved? What kind of a methodology of the history of philosophy does the recovery of women philosophers imply? Whether and how excluded women philosophers have been included in philosophy? Whether and how feminist philosophy and the history of women philosophers are related? I also explore the questions “Are there any themes or arguments that are common to many women philosophers?” and “Does inclusion of women in the canon require a reconfiguration of philosophical inquiry?” I argue that it is either ineptness or simple bigotry that led most historians of philosophy to intentionally omit women’s contributions from their histories and that such failure replicated itself in the university curricula of recent centuries and can be remedied by suspending for the next two centuries the teaching of men’s contributions to the discipline and teaching works by women only. As an alternative to this drastic and undoubtedly unpopular solution, I propose expanding the length and number of courses in the philosophy curriculum to include discussion of women’s contributions.

    Comment: In this scathing chapter, Waithe argues that people who have left women out of the history of philosophy are either inempt of bigoted. Rather than being an accidental fact of women's general exclusion, she argues that women philosophers have been ignored intentionally.

    Discussion Questions

    1. Why have women been historically excluded from the philosophical canon?
    2. What is the ‘traditional canon’ in philosophy and is it useful?
    3. Do you agree with Waithe that, rather than remaking the traditional philosophical canon, we should simply ecpand it?
    4. What are the dangers of this approach?
    1. Why have women been historically excluded from the philosophical canon?
    2. What is the ‘traditional canon’ in philosophy and is it useful?
    3. Do you agree with Waithe that, rather than remaking the traditional philosophical canon, we should simply ecpand it?
    4. What are the dangers of this approach?
    On DRL Full text Read free
    Llanera, Tracy. The Brown Babe’s Burden
    2019 2019, Hypatia, 34 (2): 374–83..
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    Abstract: In this paper Tracy Llanera relects on her experience as a non-white academic in an Australian university, recounting personal experiences. Many of these highlight the importance of an intersectional approach to the inclusion of women in philosophy. Llanera highlights the ongoing importance of mentorship and representation concluding that there is much more work to be done.

    Comment: Tracy Llanera discusses her personal experience as a non-white woman in philosophy. There is much to learn from this piece, most importantly the need for an intersectional approach. Focusing on the personal experience of women (as we also see in other pieces) is necessary to understand the whole picture of contemporary exclusion.

    Discussion Questions

    1. How could the inclusion of women in philosophy be more intersectional?
    2. What lessons can we learn from Llanera’s personal experience?
    1. How could the inclusion of women in philosophy be more intersectional?
    2. What lessons can we learn from Llanera’s personal experience?
    Week 2. Recreating the Canon
    On DRL Full text Read free
    Hutchings, Kimberley, Owens, Patricia. Women Thinkers and the Canon of International Thought: Recovery, Rejection, and Reconstitution
    2021 2021, American Political Science Review, 115 (2): 347–59..
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    Abstract: Canons of intellectual “greats” anchor the history and scope of academic disciplines. Within international relations (IR), such a canon emerged in the mid-twentieth century and is almost entirely male. Why are women thinkers absent from IR’s canon? We show that it is not due to a lack of international thought, or that this thought fell outside established IR theories. Rather it is due to the gendered and racialized selection and reception of work that is deemed to be canonical. In contrast, we show what can be gained by reclaiming women’s international thought through analyses of three intellectuals whose work was authoritative and influential in its own time or today. Our findings question several of the basic premises underpinning IR’s existing canon and suggest the need for a new research agenda on women international thinkers as part of a fundamental rethinking of the history and scope of the discipline.

    Comment: In this paper, Hutchings and Owens put forward a new research agenda for women's international thought. This can help us to think though how new canon's might be created or transformed. The paper therefore begins to project of bringing women back into intellectual history.

    Discussion Questions

    1. Hutchings and Owens propose a new way forward for thinking about women’s international thought. Do you find this compelling?
    2. Hutchings and Owens discuss the gendered and racialised reception of work. How might this be overcome?
    1. Hutchings and Owens propose a new way forward for thinking about women’s international thought. Do you find this compelling?
    2. Hutchings and Owens discuss the gendered and racialised reception of work. How might this be overcome?
    On DRL Full text
    Tyson, Sarah. Where Are the Women? Why Expanding the Archive Makes Philosophy Better
    2018 2018, Columbia University Press..
    Introduction, xiii-xxviii
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    Abstract: Philosophy has not just excluded women. It has also been shaped by the exclusion of women. As the field grapples with the reality that sexism is a central problem not just for the demographics of the field but also for how philosophy is practiced, many philosophers have begun to rethink the canon. Yet attempts to broaden European and Anglophone philosophy to include more women in the discipline’s history or to acknowledge alternative traditions will not suffice as long as exclusionary norms remain in place. In Where Are the Women?, Sarah Tyson makes a powerful case for how redressing women’s exclusion can make philosophy better. She argues that engagements with historical thinkers typically afforded little authority can transform the field, outlining strategies based on the work of three influential theorists: Genevieve Lloyd, Luce Irigaray, and Michèle Le Doeuff. Following from the possibilities they open up, at once literary, linguistic, psychological, and political, Tyson reclaims two passionate nineteenth-century texts―the Declaration of Sentiments from the 1848 Seneca Falls Convention and Sojourner Truth’s speech at the 1851 Akron, Ohio, Women’s Convention―showing how the demands for equality, rights, and recognition sought in the early women’s movement still pose quandaries for contemporary philosophy, feminism, and politics. Where Are the Women? challenges us to confront the reality that women’s exclusion from philosophy has been an ongoing project and to become more critical both of how we see existing injustices and of how we address them.

    Comment: In her book, Tyson discusses why it is valuable recognise the contributions of women philosophers, arguing that their lost contributions have the potential to transform the current field. This opens up interesting questions about the value of representation and how we ought to approach campaigning for the inclusion of women.

    Discussion Questions

    1. Should we focus on the contribution that women philosophers can make to the discipline? 
    2. What is the value of representation among philosophers in the canon?
    3. Do you agree with Tyson that expanding the canon will make philosophy better?
    4. Do you think that, even if expanding the canon does not improve the discipline, we ought to do so anyway?
    1. Should we focus on the contribution that women philosophers can make to the discipline? 
    2. What is the value of representation among philosophers in the canon?
    3. Do you agree with Tyson that expanding the canon will make philosophy better?
    4. Do you think that, even if expanding the canon does not improve the discipline, we ought to do so anyway?
    Week 3. Hypatia
    On DRL Full text
    Whiting, Lisa. Hypatia
    2020 2020, In: The Philosopher Queens: The Lives and Legacies of Philosophy's Unsung Women. Rebecca Buxton and Lisa Whiting (eds.). Unbound..
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    Comment: A very clear and short introduction to Hypatia, her background, her mathematical works and her philosophical teachings. Whiting also offers a useful overview of the often misleading historiography on Hypatia as well as of 20th century feminist appeals to her character.

    On DRL Full text
    Watts, Edward. Hypatia: The Life and Legend of an Ancient Philosopher
    2017 2017, Oxford University Press..
    "A Philosophical Mother and Her Children", pp 63-78.
    Expand entry
    Abstract: A philosopher, mathematician, and martyr, Hypatia is one of antiquity's best-known female intellectuals. For the sixteen centuries following her murder by a mob of Christians Hypatia has been remembered in books, poems, plays, paintings, and films as a victim of religious intolerance whose death symbolized the end of the Classical world. But Hypatia was a person before she was a symbol. Her great skill in mathematics and philosophy redefined the intellectual life of her home city of Alexandria. Her talent as a teacher enabled her to assemble a circle of dedicated male students. Her devotion to public service made her a force for peace and good government in a city that struggled to maintain trust and cooperation between pagans and Christians. Despite these successes, Hypatia fought countless small battles to live the public and intellectual life that she wanted. This book rediscovers the life Hypatia led, the unique challenges she faced as a woman who succeeded spectacularly in a man's world, and the tragic story of the events that led to her murder.

    Comment: This books offers an deeper overview of Hypatia's life and work. In particular, it notes her political involvement and influences that she had on the city.

    Discussion Questions

    1. What did Hypatia mean by “breaking away from the world of matter”?
    2. What was the impact of Hypatia’s public philosophy and political activity?
    3. In what way is Hypatia’s execution comparable with Socrates’?
    1. What did Hypatia mean by “breaking away from the world of matter”?
    2. What was the impact of Hypatia’s public philosophy and political activity?
    3. In what way is Hypatia’s execution comparable with Socrates’?
    Week 4. Mary Astell
    On DRL Full text
    Webb, Simone. Mary Astell
    2020 2020, In: The Philosopher Queens: The Lives and Legacies of Philosophy's Unsung Women. Rebecca Buxton and Lisa Whiting (eds.). Unbound..
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    Comment: Webb offers a clear summary of Astell's life and work, particularly her campaning on women's education. This can serve as an excellent introduction to Astell's famous text, A Serious Proposal to the Ladies, as Webb offers some elements of context to understand what led Astell to write this text, as well as the paradoxical aspects of Astell's feminism.

    On DRL Full text
    Astell, Mary. A Serious Proposal to the Ladies: Parts I and II
    2002 1694 1697, Broadview Press.
    Expand entry
    Publisher's Note: Mary Astell's A Serious Proposal to the Ladies is one of the most important and neglected works advocating the establishment of women's academies. Its reception was so controversial that Astell responded with a lengthy sequel, also in this volume. The cause of great notoriety, Astell's Proposal was imitated by Defoe in his "An Academy for Women," parodied in the Tatler, satirized on the stage, plagiarized by Bishop Berkeley, and later mocked by Gilbert and Sullivan in Princess Ida.

    Comment: This new edition by Patricia Springborg of Mary Astell's A Serious Proposal to the Ladies: Parts I and II includes helpful introductory material and explanatory annotations to Astell's text. Springborg's introduction places Astell's work in the context of the woman question and the debate over empirical rationalism in the eighteenth-century. Astell defends women-only education, arguing against the dangers of women failing to think for themselves. This text is good to use in an early modern course. It could also be considered in a course on feminist philosophy as an example of early feminist thought (predating Mary Wollstonecraft).

    Discussion Questions

    1. Why does Astell critique women’s ‘conduct books’?
    2. Astell does not argue that women and men are the same. What should we think about this claim?
    3. Is Astell concerns with the material position of women or their sense of self?
    4. How does Astell propose that women reclaim their autonomy?
    5. What benefits does Astell claim would stem from an all-women educational community?
    1. Why does Astell critique women’s ‘conduct books’?
    2. Astell does not argue that women and men are the same. What should we think about this claim?
    3. Is Astell concerns with the material position of women or their sense of self?
    4. How does Astell propose that women reclaim their autonomy?
    5. What benefits does Astell claim would stem from an all-women educational community?
    Week 5. The Oxford Four, a.k.a. The Wartime Quartet

    If you are interested in the work of Anscombe, Foot, Midgley and Murdoch, we have a whole Blueprint devoted to them! Find it here.

    On DRL Full text
    Robson, Ellie. Mary Midgley
    2020 2020, In: The Philosopher Queens: The Lives and Legacies of Philosophy's Unsung Women. Rebecca Buxton and Lisa Whiting (eds.). Unbound..
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    Comment: Robson offers an overview of the true breadth and holistic nature of Midgley's work, beyond the widely known aspects of her work such as her thoughts on animal ethics. As such it can serve as a great introduction to any of her works, from her ethics to her metaphilosophy.

    On DRL Full text
    Lipscomb, Benjamin J.B.. The Women are Up To Something
    2021 2021, Oxford University Press.
    Expand entry
    Abstract: The story of four remarkable women who shaped the intellectual history of the 20th century: Elizabeth Anscombe, Philippa Foot, Mary Midgley, and Iris Murdoch. On the cusp of the Second World War, four women went to Oxford to begin their studies: a fiercely brilliant Catholic convert; a daughter of privilege longing to escape her stifling upbringing; an ardent Communist and aspiring novelist with a list of would-be lovers as long as her arm; and a quiet, messy lover of newts and mice who would become a great public intellectual of our time. They became lifelong friends. At the time, only a handful of women had ever made lives in philosophy. But when Oxford's men were drafted in the war, everything changed. As Elizabeth Anscombe, Philippa Foot, Mary Midgley, and Iris Murdoch labored to make a place for themselves in a male-dominated world, as they made friendships and families, and as they drifted toward and away from each other, they never stopped insisting that some lives are better than others. They argued that courage and discernment and justice—and love—are the heart of a good life. This book presents the first sustained engagement with these women's contributions: with the critique and the alternative they framed. Drawing on a cluster of recently opened archives and extensive correspondence and interviews with those who knew them best, Benjamin Lipscomb traces the lives and ideas of four friends who gave us a better way to think about ethics, and ourselves.

    Comment: This text discusses the lives and work of four women philosophers in mid-20th century England: Mary Midgley, Phillipa Foot, Elizabeth Anscombe, and Iris Murdoch. As such it is relevant to discussions of the challenges that women face in academic settings, but it can also serve as historical background on contemporary ethics, as these four philosophers developped ideas that revolutionised the field.

    Discussion Questions

    1. Is there anything about the political context surrounding the Oxford Four that makes their time at Oxford together distinctive?
    2. Why should we think of these four women as a collective (if we should at all)?
    3. How does discussing these women’s’ relationships with one another help us to understand the development of their thought?
    1. Is there anything about the political context surrounding the Oxford Four that makes their time at Oxford together distinctive?
    2. Why should we think of these four women as a collective (if we should at all)?
    3. How does discussing these women’s’ relationships with one another help us to understand the development of their thought?
    Week 6. Sophie Oluwole
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    Salami, Minna. Sophie Bosede Oluwole
    2020 2020, In: The Philosopher Queens: The Lives and Legacies of Philosophy's Unsung Women. Rebecca Buxton and Lisa Whiting (eds.). Unbound..
    Expand entry

    Comment: In this chapter, Salami offers some very useful historical background on Nigeria's pre-colonial past and Yoruba thought. This helps us understand Oluwole's situation as an African philosopher born in colonial Nigeria and influenced by Western philosophy, as well as a staunch defender of Yoruba oral genres and African philosophy as a whole. Salami also notes that Oluwole is one of the rare philosophers to have been influential and admired within and without the academy.

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    Oluwole, Sophie. Socrates and Ọ̀rúnmìlà: Two Patron Saints of Classical Philosophy
    2014 2014, Ark Publishers..
    Introduction and Chapter 1.
    Expand entry
    Abstract: Oluwole's teachings and works are generally attributed to the Yoruba school of philosophical thought, which was ingrained in the cultural and religious beliefs (Ifá) of the various regions of Yorubaland. According to Oluwole, this branch of philosophy predates the Western tradition, as the ancient African philosopher Orunmila predates Socrates by her estimate. These two thinkers, representing the values of the African and Western traditions, are two of Oluwole's biggest influences, and she compares the two in her book Socrates and Orunmila.

    Comment: This book compares Socrates to Ọ̀rúnmìlà, an 'Orisha' or an important sprit in Yoruba. Both Socrates and Orunmila undertook their philosophy orally and passed their teachings and thinking onto students. Oluwole therefore challenges the western assumption that African philosophy does not have a long-standing on deep tradition.

    Discussion Questions

    1. Why is the comparison between Socrates and Ọ̀rúnmìlà so powerful?
    2. What is the place of the oral tradition in philosophy?
    3. Oluwole wants to highlight what is African about African philosophy. What are the main features that she highlights?
    1. Why is the comparison between Socrates and Ọ̀rúnmìlà so powerful?
    2. What is the place of the oral tradition in philosophy?
    3. Oluwole wants to highlight what is African about African philosophy. What are the main features that she highlights?
    Week 7. bell hooks
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    hooks, bell. Ain’t I A Woman? Black Women and Feminism
    1981 1981, South End Press.
    Chapter 5: "Black Women and Feminism"
    Expand entry
    Abstract: In this classic study, cultural critic bell hooks examines how black women, from the seventeenth century to the present day, were and are oppressed by both white men and black men and by white women. Illustrating her analysis with moving personal accounts, Ain't I a Woman is deeply critical of the racism inherent in the thought of many middle-class white feminists who have failed to address issues of race and class. While acknowledging the conflict of loyalty to race or sex is still a dilemma, hooks challenges the view that race and gender are two separate phenomena, insisting that the struggles to end racism and sexism are inextricably intertwined.

    Comment: This text discusses Black women's struggle against oppression and subjugation in America, focusing on white women's role in slavery. hooks argues that this history of slavery is directly linked to Black women's contemporary marginalization.

    Discussion Questions

    1. What have ‘bourgeois white women’ done to feminist movements?
    2. hooks says that she struggles to choose between feminist and anti-racist struggles. How does she propose we proceed instead of choosing?
    3. Can feminism ever make sense of the diverse nature of women’s’ experience?
    1. What have ‘bourgeois white women’ done to feminist movements?
    2. hooks says that she struggles to choose between feminist and anti-racist struggles. How does she propose we proceed instead of choosing?
    3. Can feminism ever make sense of the diverse nature of women’s’ experience?
    Week 8. Iris Marion Young
    On DRL Full text
    Lim, Désirée. Iris Marion Young
    2020 2020, In: The Philosopher Queens: The Lives and Legacies of Philosophy's Unsung Women. Rebecca Buxton and Lisa Whiting (eds.). Unbound..
    Expand entry

    Comment: In this chapter, Lim recounts Young's childhood and educational background as a way to inform our understanding of her philosophical and political practice. In this sense, this text should deeply enhance students' comprehension of Young's feminist political thought and would serve as uselful introduction to some of her writings on structural injustices and minority rights.

    On DRL Full text
    Young, Iris Marion. Justice and the Politics of Difference
    1990 1990, Princeton University Press.
    Chapter 2: "The Five Faces of Oppression"
    Expand entry
    Publisher's note: In this classic work of feminist political thought, Iris Marion Young challenges the prevailing reduction of social justice to distributive justice. It critically analyzes basic concepts underlying most theories of justice, including impartiality, formal equality, and the unitary moral subjectivity. The starting point for her critique is the experience and concerns of the new social movements about decision making, cultural expression, and division of labor--that were created by marginal and excluded groups, including women, African Americans, and American Indians, as well as gays and lesbians. Iris Young defines concepts of domination and oppression to cover issues eluding the distributive model. Democratic theorists, according to Young do not adequately address the problem of an inclusive participatory framework. By assuming a homogeneous public, they fail to consider institutional arrangements for including people not culturally identified with white European male norms of reason and respectability. Young urges that normative theory and public policy should undermine group-based oppression by affirming rather than suppressing social group difference. Basing her vision of the good society on the differentiated, culturally plural network of contemporary urban life, she argues for a principle of group representation in democratic publics and for group-differentiated policies.

    Comment: This is an important work of feminist political philosophy. It would be useful to teach in a course on feminist philosophy, or as part of a course or unit on theories of justice, as it engages with many of the seminal thinkers in this area, such as Locke, Rousseau, and Rawls.

    Discussion Questions

    1. What is Young’s argument against liberal approaches to distributive justice?
    2. Is there anything missing from Young’s account of oppression?
    3. What is the concept of ‘structural injustice’ and how does it explain the Sandy case?
    4. Do you agree that we should move from a ‘liability’ model to a forward-looking ‘responsibility’ model of justice?
    1. What is Young’s argument against liberal approaches to distributive justice?
    2. Is there anything missing from Young’s account of oppression?
    3. What is the concept of ‘structural injustice’ and how does it explain the Sandy case?
    4. Do you agree that we should move from a ‘liability’ model to a forward-looking ‘responsibility’ model of justice?

PDF8Level

An Introduction to Feminist Philosophy

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by Anne-Marie McCallion
Funded by: AHRC

Introduction

This reading group blueprint offers an introductory overview to the topic of feminist philosophy. It explores key texts within the fields of feminist ecology, black feminist epistemology, Queer theory, and Marxist feminism. It offers students the opportunity to critically engage with a variety of global feminist issues as well as a series of thinkers who are situated across a variety of persuasions and feminist specialisms. There are eight texts in total contained in this blueprint and they are best accessed in the order that they are laid out as each text builds – in some way – on the one prior.


Contents

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    1.
    Menon, Nivedita. Seeing Like a Feminist
    2012 2012, Penguin India and Zubaan Books..
    Chapter 3: 'Desire', pp. 91-111
    Expand entry
    Abstract:

    For Nivedita Menon, feminism is not about a moment of final triumph over patriarchy but about the gradual transformation of the social field so decisively that old markers shift forever. From sexual harassment charges against international figures to the challenge that caste politics poses to feminism, from the ban on the veil in France to the attempt to impose skirts on international women badminton players, from queer politics to domestic servants’ unions to the Pink Chaddi campaign, Menon deftly illustrates how feminism complicates the field irrevocably. Incisive, eclectic and politically engaged, Seeing like a Feminist is a bold and wide-ranging book that reorders contemporary societ

    Comment: Nivedita Menon is an influential feminist academic, who briefly taught in Lady Shri Ram College, University of Delhi, and is currently a professor of political science in Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. What probably heightens her ability to see through the flawless nude makeup of our patriarchal culture is the fact that she was brought up in the Nair community of Kerala which, until her grandmother’s generation, was matrilineal. Seeing Like A Feminist is about both the challenges faced by feminism in India as well as global and intersectional movements of feminism. It covers a wide range of issues like the Hindu Code Bills, the Pink Chaddi campaign that was heavily criticized by the media, ‘gender verification’ tests for the Olympic Games, Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, gender performativity, the Women’s Reservation Bill (Sharma, 2016). In this chapter, Menon critically examines the concept of ‘nature’ how it functions to corset our perception and actions, and in turn, constrain woBTQ+ emancipation.

    Discussion Questions

    1. “Selectively equating ‘unnatural’ with ‘immoral’ is a way of suffocating the debate” In what other social debates do we see this move being made? (p. 94)
    2. Would you say ‘nature’ itself is an inherently politically loaded idea, or is it simply its persistent equivocation with normative ethical frameworks which has rendered it synonymous with an unquestionable necessity about the way things are/ought to be? (pp. 93-4)
    3. Is describing queerness as the result of nature a solution to homophobia? (p. 97)
    4. “But the whole unpredictable thing about politics is that, often, counterhegemonic voices are able to tip the scales within a constellation produced by range of heterogenous ideas and circumstances.” What does Nivedita mean by this? And can you think of some examples of this? (p. 100)
    5. What is the relationship between class and queerness? (pp. 103-104)
    6. To what extent can hijras be said to share women’s experiences? (pp. 105-106)
    7. Should people everywhere be given the option of a third gender on passports and other legal documents? Should gender simply not be a question which is asked on such documents? (p. 106)
    8. Would you say the ‘glamorisation’ of the gay ‘lifestyle’ has mostly helped or hindered the LGBTQ+ movement? (p. 109)
    9. What are some of the central lessons which can be extracted from this chapter?
    1. “Selectively equating ‘unnatural’ with ‘immoral’ is a way of suffocating the debate” In what other social debates do we see this move being made? (p. 94)
    2. Would you say ‘nature’ itself is an inherently politically loaded idea, or is it simply its persistent equivocation with normative ethical frameworks which has rendered it synonymous with an unquestionable necessity about the way things are/ought to be? (pp. 93-4)
    3. Is describing queerness as the result of nature a solution to homophobia? (p. 97)
    4. “But the whole unpredictable thing about politics is that, often, counterhegemonic voices are able to tip the scales within a constellation produced by range of heterogenous ideas and circumstances.” What does Nivedita mean by this? And can you think of some examples of this? (p. 100)
    5. What is the relationship between class and queerness? (pp. 103-104)
    6. To what extent can hijras be said to share women’s experiences? (pp. 105-106)
    7. Should people everywhere be given the option of a third gender on passports and other legal documents? Should gender simply not be a question which is asked on such documents? (p. 106)
    8. Would you say the ‘glamorisation’ of the gay ‘lifestyle’ has mostly helped or hindered the LGBTQ+ movement? (p. 109)
    9. What are some of the central lessons which can be extracted from this chapter?
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    2.
    Plumwood, Val. Feminism and the Mastery of Nature
    1994 1994, Routledge..
    Chapter 1: 'Feminism and Ecofeminism', pp. 19-41
    Expand entry
    Abstract:

    Two of the most important political movements of the late twentieth century are those of environmentalism and feminism. In this book, Val Plumwood argues that feminist theory has an important opportunity to make a major contribution to the debates in political ecology and environmental philosophy. Feminism and the Mastery of Nature explains the relation between ecofeminism, or ecological feminism, and other feminist theories including radical green theories such as deep ecology. Val Plumwood provides a philosophically informed account of the relation of women and nature, and shows how relating male domination to the domination of nature is important and yet remains a dilemma for women.

    Comment: Val Plumwood (11 August 1939 – 29 February 2008) was an Australian philosopher and ecofeminist known for her work on anthropocentrism. From the 1970s she played a central role in the development of radical ecosophy. Working mostly as an independent scholar, she held positions at the University of Tasmania, North Carolina State University, the University of Montana, and the University of Sydney. Feminism and the Mastery of Nature draws on the feminist critique of reason to argue that the master form of rationality of western culture has been systematically unable to acknowledge dependency on nature, the sphere of those it has defined as ‘inferior’ others. Plumwood illuminates the relationship between women and nature, and between ecological feminism and other feminist theories. This chapter on Feminism and Ecofeminism is situated here in the list because it furthers the critical evaluation of nature which Menon draws by turning the discussion on it’s head. Whilst Menon illustrates the ways in which the of nature is utilised as a means of distorting ‘moral’ and political action, Plumwood illustrates the ways in which the concept of nature itself has been distorted and corrupted by colonial and patriarchal realities.

    Discussion Questions

    1. Why is the relationship between nature and culture gendered?
    2. What are the different ways in which feminists have theorised about the distinction between nature and culture?
    3. What do you think about this distinction?
    4. What is ‘backgrounding’? And what other aspects of women’s lives do you think are ‘backgrounded’?
    5. On page 32 Plumwood quotes Alison Jagger’s discussion of gender roles leading to the overdevelopment/underdevelopment of certain aspects of our character. Do you agree with this? What are some ways this can be evidenced?
    6. On page 37 Plumwood states that women have been associated with nature because of their ‘uncontrollable’ bodies. What does she mean by this?
    7. In what ways have women’s choices surrounding reproduction been constrained?
    8. What do you think about the ‘abstract pro-nature’ approach to reproduction? Is there anything to be said in favour of it?
    9. What is Plumwood’s suggestion for how we ought to go about theorising about reproduction in light of her rejection of dualism?
    10. Has this chapter changed your position/opinion on anything? If so, what.
    1. Why is the relationship between nature and culture gendered?
    2. What are the different ways in which feminists have theorised about the distinction between nature and culture?
    3. What do you think about this distinction?
    4. What is ‘backgrounding’? And what other aspects of women’s lives do you think are ‘backgrounded’?
    5. On page 32 Plumwood quotes Alison Jagger’s discussion of gender roles leading to the overdevelopment/underdevelopment of certain aspects of our character. Do you agree with this? What are some ways this can be evidenced?
    6. On page 37 Plumwood states that women have been associated with nature because of their ‘uncontrollable’ bodies. What does she mean by this?
    7. In what ways have women’s choices surrounding reproduction been constrained?
    8. What do you think about the ‘abstract pro-nature’ approach to reproduction? Is there anything to be said in favour of it?
    9. What is Plumwood’s suggestion for how we ought to go about theorising about reproduction in light of her rejection of dualism?
    10. Has this chapter changed your position/opinion on anything? If so, what.
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    3.
    Davis, Angela. Women, Race, and Class
    1981 1981, Random House..
    Chapter 1: 'The Legacy of Slavery: Standards for a New Womanhood'
    Expand entry
    Abstract:

    Angela Davis provides a powerful history of the social and political influence of whiteness and elitism in feminism, from abolitionist days to the present, and demonstrates how the racist and classist biases of its leaders inevitably hampered any collective ambitions. While Black women were aided by some activists like Sarah and Angelina Grimke and the suffrage cause found unwavering support in Frederick Douglass, many women played on the fears of white supremacists for political gain rather than take an intersectional approach to liberation. Here, Davis not only contextualizes the legacy and pitfalls of civil and women’s rights activists, but also discusses Communist women, the murder of Emmitt Till, and Margaret Sanger’s racism. Davis shows readers how the inequalities between Black and white women influence the contemporary issues of rape, reproductive freedom, housework and child care in this bold and indispensable w

    Comment: Angela Davis is an American political activist, philosopher, academic and author. She is a professor at the University of California and a longtime member of the Communist Party USA. She is also a founding member of the Committees of Correspondence for Democracy and Socialism (CCDS) and the author of over ten books on class, feminism, race, and the US prison system. Women, Race and Class is a Marxist feminist analysis of gender, race and class. The third book written by Davis, it covers U.S. history from the slave trade and abolitionism movements to the women's liberation movements which began in the 1960s. In this chapter, Davis examines and describes the unwritten history of black women slaves and their legacies.

    Discussion Questions

    1. What does the lack of scholarly engagement with the female slave tell us about historical scholarship more broadly? (p. 7)
    2. To what extent does this alter the credibility of the scholarship which has already taken place on the black male slave?
    3. What kind of labour was common for the female slave? And what can this tell us about contemporary notions of femininity? (p. 8)
    4. “The special abuses inflicted on women thus facilitated the ruthless economic exploitation of their labour” (p. 10) This was the position of the Black Woman slave. To what extent can this be generalised as a universal remark upon the woman’s condition?
    5. What was the condition of pregnant slaves who laboured in the fields? (p. 11)
    6. “As the ideology of femininity—a by-product of industrialization—was popularized and disseminated through the new ladies’ magazines and romantic novels, white women came to be seen as inhabitants of a sphere totally severed from the realm of productive work.” What is the ‘ideology of femininity’? (p. 12)
    7. How was the ‘matriarchal’ family structure – which was supposedly present in slave families – utilised to legitimise the denigration of black men, women, and families?
    8. “The salient theme emerging from domestic life in the slave quarters is one of sexual equality.” Discuss. (p. 16)
    9. Who was Harriet Tubman? Please feel free to revisit the text or use any other resources you have to hand at the moment to answer this question. (p. 18)
    10. “This was one of the greatest ironies of the slave system, for in subjecting women to the most ruthless exploitation conceivable, exploitation which knew no sex distinctions, the groundwork was created not only for Black women to assert their equality through their social relations, but also to express it through their acts of resistance.” Discuss.
    11. Does the utilisation of rape as a method of intimidation tell us something salient about the eroticisation and hyper-sexualisation of women who belong to oppressed racial groups? (p. 19)
    12. Discuss Genovese’s diagnosis of the problem of raphite men against black women. (p. 20)
    13. “It was those women who passed on to their nominally free female descendants a legacy of hard work, perseverance and self-reliance, a legacy of tenacity, resistance and insistence on sexual equality—in short, a legacy spelling out standards for a new womanhood”. In what ways have you witnessed the standards of a new womanhood emerge in your own lives and in the lives of the women around you? (p. 21)
    1. What does the lack of scholarly engagement with the female slave tell us about historical scholarship more broadly? (p. 7)
    2. To what extent does this alter the credibility of the scholarship which has already taken place on the black male slave?
    3. What kind of labour was common for the female slave? And what can this tell us about contemporary notions of femininity? (p. 8)
    4. “The special abuses inflicted on women thus facilitated the ruthless economic exploitation of their labour” (p. 10) This was the position of the Black Woman slave. To what extent can this be generalised as a universal remark upon the woman’s condition?
    5. What was the condition of pregnant slaves who laboured in the fields? (p. 11)
    6. “As the ideology of femininity—a by-product of industrialization—was popularized and disseminated through the new ladies’ magazines and romantic novels, white women came to be seen as inhabitants of a sphere totally severed from the realm of productive work.” What is the ‘ideology of femininity’? (p. 12)
    7. How was the ‘matriarchal’ family structure – which was supposedly present in slave families – utilised to legitimise the denigration of black men, women, and families?
    8. “The salient theme emerging from domestic life in the slave quarters is one of sexual equality.” Discuss. (p. 16)
    9. Who was Harriet Tubman? Please feel free to revisit the text or use any other resources you have to hand at the moment to answer this question. (p. 18)
    10. “This was one of the greatest ironies of the slave system, for in subjecting women to the most ruthless exploitation conceivable, exploitation which knew no sex distinctions, the groundwork was created not only for Black women to assert their equality through their social relations, but also to express it through their acts of resistance.” Discuss.
    11. Does the utilisation of rape as a method of intimidation tell us something salient about the eroticisation and hyper-sexualisation of women who belong to oppressed racial groups? (p. 19)
    12. Discuss Genovese’s diagnosis of the problem of raphite men against black women. (p. 20)
    13. “It was those women who passed on to their nominally free female descendants a legacy of hard work, perseverance and self-reliance, a legacy of tenacity, resistance and insistence on sexual equality—in short, a legacy spelling out standards for a new womanhood”. In what ways have you witnessed the standards of a new womanhood emerge in your own lives and in the lives of the women around you? (p. 21)
    On DRL Full text
    4.
    Phadke, Shilpa. Why Loiter?: Women And Risk On Mumbai Streets
    2011 2011, Penguin India..
    Chapter 3: 'Good Little Women', pp 34-43
    Expand entry
    Abstract:

    1950s Calcutta. Seventeen-year-old Shankar walks on to Old Post Office Street to become a clerk in the Calcutta High Court. There he meets the last English barrister, and thus begins their unusual and unforgettable relationship.

    The Great Unknown is the moving story of the many people Shankar meets in the courtrooms and lawyers’ chambers of Old Post Office Street—some seeking justice, others watching the drama of life unfold. It offers a uniquely personal glimpse into their PBI – World of unfulfilled dreams and duplicity, of unexpected tragedy, as well as hope and exhilaration.

    Here you will meet Marian Stuart, who journeys from Lebanon to PBI – India in search of a husband and happiness; the once-rich but now-destitute Englishman James Gould; Helen Grubert, the embittered Anglo-PBI – Indian typist, who wins her breach-of-promise case but has a miraculous change of heart; Nicholas Droulas, the betrayed Greek sailor desperate for revenge; Shefali Mitra, the distraught mother fighting to hold on to er she did not give birth to; Chhoka-da, the benevolent babu who takes the young clerk under his wing; and the barrister sahib who profoundly enriches Shankar’s life with his own experiences.

    The Great Unknown (Kato Ajanarey), Sankar’s debut novel, first appeared in Desh in 1955. An instant success, it remains immensely popular more than fifty years after its publication. This first-ever English translation captures the simplicity and poignancy of the origi

    Comment: Shilpa Phadke is a researcher, writer, and pedagogue. She is a Professor at the Tata Institute for Social Sciences and chairperson for the Centre for the Study of Contemporary Culture, School of Media and Cultural Studies. Her research interests include: gender and the politics of space, the middle classes, sexuality and the body, feminist politics among young women, reproductive subjectivities, feminist parenting, and pedagogic practices. Why Loiter presents an original take on women’s safety in the cities of twenty-first century India, it maps the exclusions and negotiations that women from different classes and communities encounter in the nation’s urban public spaces. Basing this book on more than three years of research in Mumbai, Shilpa Phadke, Sameera Khan and Shilpa Ranade argue that though women’s access to urban public space has increased, they still do not have an equal claim to public space in the city. And they raise the question: can women’s access to public space be viewed in isolation t of other marginal groups? In this chapter, Phadke explores the myth of the ‘good woman’ and how gendered virtues such as chastity and ‘respect’ function ultimately to inhibit women’s safety on urba

    Discussion Questions

    1. What are the images that come to mind when you think of the ‘Good Woman’? And how much influence do you think this has had over your own life?
    2. “She is the woman who can make the habitually apathetic Mumbaikars take to the streets in outrage when she is sexually assaulted” Do you think that public outrage at sexual assault is selective? If so, how much of this conditioned by the image of the ‘good woman’? (pp. 34-35)
    3. How is dialogue surrounding safety on the streets dominated by concerns for middle-class women? Would you say that working-class women are entirely excluded from consideration on this matter? (pp. 36-7)
    4. Are there other performative displays of respectability that you can think of? (p. 37)
    5. Do you agree that the binary between public/private perfectly maps onto the binary between good/bad women? If so, can you think of any further examples to illustrate this? (p. 38)
    6. Do you think there is a general anxiety surrounding being able to distinguish between ‘good’ and ‘bad’ women? If itself differently in men than it does in women? (p. 39)
    7. What does the lack of public outrage at rape cases which are committed against sex workers tell us about hegemonic depictions of women’s sexuality, and women’s societal position more broadly? (p. 40)
    8. The author points out that the general reluctance to press charges after sexual assault reveals the embedded shame that families (and women themselves) prioritise over the mental and physical health of the victim of the crime. What else might this tell us? (p. 41)
    9. Discuss some of the ways in which “The inextricable connection of safety to respectability” bars women from safety. (p. 42)
    1. What are the images that come to mind when you think of the ‘Good Woman’? And how much influence do you think this has had over your own life?
    2. “She is the woman who can make the habitually apathetic Mumbaikars take to the streets in outrage when she is sexually assaulted” Do you think that public outrage at sexual assault is selective? If so, how much of this conditioned by the image of the ‘good woman’? (pp. 34-35)
    3. How is dialogue surrounding safety on the streets dominated by concerns for middle-class women? Would you say that working-class women are entirely excluded from consideration on this matter? (pp. 36-7)
    4. Are there other performative displays of respectability that you can think of? (p. 37)
    5. Do you agree that the binary between public/private perfectly maps onto the binary between good/bad women? If so, can you think of any further examples to illustrate this? (p. 38)
    6. Do you think there is a general anxiety surrounding being able to distinguish between ‘good’ and ‘bad’ women? If itself differently in men than it does in women? (p. 39)
    7. What does the lack of public outrage at rape cases which are committed against sex workers tell us about hegemonic depictions of women’s sexuality, and women’s societal position more broadly? (p. 40)
    8. The author points out that the general reluctance to press charges after sexual assault reveals the embedded shame that families (and women themselves) prioritise over the mental and physical health of the victim of the crime. What else might this tell us? (p. 41)
    9. Discuss some of the ways in which “The inextricable connection of safety to respectability” bars women from safety. (p. 42)
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    5.
    hooks, bell. All About Love: New Visions
    2000 2000, New York: William Morrow..
    Chapter 2: 'Justice: Childhood Love Lessons'
    Expand entry
    Abstract:

    All About Love offers radical new ways to think about love by showing its interconnectedness in our private and public lives. In eleven concise chapters, hooks explains how our everyday notions of what it means to give and receive love often fail us, and how these ideals are established in early childhood. She offers a rethinking of self-love (without narcissism) that will bring peace and compassion to our personal and professional lives, and asserts the place of love to end struggles between individuals, in communities, and among societies. Moving from the cultural to the intimate, hooks notes the ties between love and loss and challenges the prevailing notion that romantic love is the most important love of all.

    Visionary and original, hooks shows how love heals the wounds we bear as individuals and as a nation, for it is the cornerstone of compassion and forgiveness and holds the power to overcome shame.

    For readers who have found ongoing delight and wisdom in bell hooks's life and work, and for those who are just now discovering her, All About Love is essential reading and a brilliant book that will change how we think about love, our culture-and one another.

    Comment: bell hooks, is an American author, professor, feminist, and social activist. The name "bell hooks" is borrowed from her maternal great-grandmother, Bell Blair Hooks. The focus of her writing is the intersectionality of race, capitalism, and gender, and what she describes as their ability to produce and perpetuate systems of oppression and class domination. All About Love offers radical new ways to think about love by showing its interconnectedness in our private and public lives. In this book, hooks explains how our everyday notions of that it means to give and receive love often fail us, and how these ideals are established in early childhood. In this chapter on Justice, hooks confronts the injustice of childhood by critically examining the lack of autonomy and respect often endured by children. She gracefully articulates the manner in which this injustice lays the groundwork for further distortions and injustices in the world.

    Discussion Questions

    1. Would you say it was fair to claim that our conception of ‘discipline’ particularly when it is applied to children – is ‘masculinised’?
    2. “There can be no love without Justice.” Discuss.
    3. Do you agree that there should be some systems in place to uphold ‘children’s rights’?
    4. Is the neglect and abuse of children a structural injustice? If so, to what extent does Hooks’s proposition for a children’s ‘rights’ represent an individualistic solution to a structural problem?
    5. Is there a chance that such systems may disproportionately legislate against and penalise actions by mothers as opposed to fathers?
    6. How might such systems be potentially distorted by sexist ideals of the ‘good’ mother?
    7. What does Hooks’s analysis of popular support for physical punishment of children tell us about dominant attitudes towards violence?
    1. Would you say it was fair to claim that our conception of ‘discipline’ particularly when it is applied to children – is ‘masculinised’?
    2. “There can be no love without Justice.” Discuss.
    3. Do you agree that there should be some systems in place to uphold ‘children’s rights’?
    4. Is the neglect and abuse of children a structural injustice? If so, to what extent does Hooks’s proposition for a children’s ‘rights’ represent an individualistic solution to a structural problem?
    5. Is there a chance that such systems may disproportionately legislate against and penalise actions by mothers as opposed to fathers?
    6. How might such systems be potentially distorted by sexist ideals of the ‘good’ mother?
    7. What does Hooks’s analysis of popular support for physical punishment of children tell us about dominant attitudes towards violence?
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    6.
    Hill Collins, Patricia. Black Feminist Thought
    2000 2000, 2nd Edition. Routledge..
    Chapter 11: 'Black Feminist Epistemology' pp. 251-271
    Expand entry
    Abstract:

    In spite of the double burden of racial and gender discrimination, African-American women have developed a rich intellectual tradition that is not widely known. In Black Feminist Thought, originally published in 1990, Patricia Hill Collins set out to explore the words and ideas of Black feminist intellectuals and writers, both within the academy and without. Here Collins provides an interpretive framework for the work of such prominent Black feminist thinkers as Angela Davis, bell hooks, Alice Walker, and Audre Lorde. Drawing from fiction, poetry, music and oral history, the result is a book that provided the first synthetic overview of Black feminist thought and its canon.

    Comment: Patricia Hill Collins is an American academic specializing in race, class, and gender. She is a Distinguished University Professor of Sociology Emerita at the University of Maryland. She was the 100th president of the ASA and the first African-American woman to hold this position. Collins's work primarily concerns issues involving race, gender, and social inequality within the African-American community. In Black Feminist Thought, Collins sets out to explore the words and ideas of Black feminist intellectuals and writers, both within the academy and without. Here Collins provides an interpretive framework for the work of such prominent Black feminist thinkers as Angela Davis, bell hooks, Alice Walker, and Audre Lorde. In this chapter, Collins outlines and illuminates the framework for a black feminist epistemology by juxtaposing it against Western epistemologies that have dominated and hindered thought. In doing so, Collins also underlines the necessity of alternative epistemologies to render the lives of black women intelligible.

    Discussion Questions

    1. What is the difference between an epistemology, paradigm, and methodology? (p. 252)
    2. Can you think of some examples of how knowledge validation processes reflect the interests of elite white men? (p. 253)
    3. Collins claims that part of the way Black feminist thought is kept out of legitimised spheres of knowledge is by allowing a few select black women into the academy and encouraging them to espouse the same Eurocentric ‘universally’ accepted knowledges as their white male colleagues. Do you agree with this? If so, do you think black women are the only marginalised group that we can observe this happening to? (p. 254)
    4. Do you agree with the claim that women are more likely to rely on first-hand experience than men? If so, why? (p. 259)
    5. “the differences distinguishing U.S. Black women from other groups, even those close to them, lies less in Black women’s race or gender identity than in access to social institutions that support an ethic of caring in their lives”. Do you agree with this claim? (pp. 264-5)
    6. Many feminist scholars have pointed out that the widespread exclusion of situated perspectives and situated knowledge is damaging to women, but why is it so central to Black women’s oppression in particular?
    7. Does the ‘universal’ emerge from attending to the fine details of the particular? (pp. 268-9)
    8. “Partiality, and not universality, is the condition of being heard” What does Collins mean by this? (p. 270)
    9. How does the existence of Black Feminist Epistemology challenge what currently passes for Truth? Be as specific as possible.
    1. What is the difference between an epistemology, paradigm, and methodology? (p. 252)
    2. Can you think of some examples of how knowledge validation processes reflect the interests of elite white men? (p. 253)
    3. Collins claims that part of the way Black feminist thought is kept out of legitimised spheres of knowledge is by allowing a few select black women into the academy and encouraging them to espouse the same Eurocentric ‘universally’ accepted knowledges as their white male colleagues. Do you agree with this? If so, do you think black women are the only marginalised group that we can observe this happening to? (p. 254)
    4. Do you agree with the claim that women are more likely to rely on first-hand experience than men? If so, why? (p. 259)
    5. “the differences distinguishing U.S. Black women from other groups, even those close to them, lies less in Black women’s race or gender identity than in access to social institutions that support an ethic of caring in their lives”. Do you agree with this claim? (pp. 264-5)
    6. Many feminist scholars have pointed out that the widespread exclusion of situated perspectives and situated knowledge is damaging to women, but why is it so central to Black women’s oppression in particular?
    7. Does the ‘universal’ emerge from attending to the fine details of the particular? (pp. 268-9)
    8. “Partiality, and not universality, is the condition of being heard” What does Collins mean by this? (p. 270)
    9. How does the existence of Black Feminist Epistemology challenge what currently passes for Truth? Be as specific as possible.
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    7.
    Butler, Judith. Gender Trouble: Feminism and the Subversion of Identity
    1990 1990, Routledge..
    Chapter 1: 'Subjects of sex/gender/desire'
    Expand entry
    Abstract:

    One of the most talked-about scholarly works of the past fifty years, Judith Butler’s Gender Trouble is as celebrated as it is controversial. Arguing that traditional feminism is wrong to look to a natural, 'essential' notion of the female, or indeed of sex or gender, Butler starts by questioning the category 'woman' and continues in this vein with examinations of 'the masculine' and 'the feminine'. Best known however, but also most often misinterpreted, is Butler's concept of gender as a reiterated social performance rather than the expression of a prior reality. Thrilling and provocative, few other academic works have roused passions to the same exten

    Comment: Judith Pamela Butler is an American philosopher and gender theorist whose work has influenced political philosophy, ethics, and the fields of third-wave feminist, queer, and literary theory. In 1993, Butler began teaching at the University of California, Berkeley, where they have served, beginning in 1998, as the Maxine Elliot Professor in the Department of Comparative Literature and the Program of Critical Theory. They are also the Hannah Arendt Chair at the European Graduate School. In Gender Trouble Butler argues that gender is a kind of improvised performance. The work is influential in feminism, women's studies, and lesbian and gay studies, and has also enjoyed widespread popularity outside of traditional academic circles. Butler's ideas about gender came to be seen as foundational to queer theory and the advancing of dissident sexual practices during the 1990s. In this chapter, Butler critically assesses central literatures that have sought to define and illuminate gender and sexuality; in doing so, they lay the groundwork for their subsequent critique of hegemonic depictions of gender binaries.

    Discussion Questions

    1. Paraphrasing Foucault, Butler writes: “Juridical systems of power produce the subjects they subsequently come to represent”. What does this mean? (p. 2)
    2. Do you agree with Butler’s claim that the existence of the ‘subject’ should be understood as arising from the mythical state of nature hypothesis and illusionary social contract? (p. 2)
    3. What is political ‘representation’? And is there an alternative to the ‘stable subject’? (p. 4)
    4. What is the central point of Butler’s discussion of De Beauvoir and Irigaray? (p. 10)
    5. Do you think the destruction of ‘sex’ would lead to women assuming the status of the universal subject? (pp. 18-20)
    6. Is this a desirable goal? (pp. 18-20)
    7. What does Haar mean by “All psychological categories … derive from the illusion of substantial identity”? (pp. 20-21)
    8. What does Butler mean by “it would seem that the ontology of substances itself is not only and artificial effect, but essentially superfluous”? (p. 24)
    9. Do you agree with Wittig that ‘Sex’ does not precede oppression? (p. 25)
    10. How significant do you think the role of language is in ‘marking’ gender? (p. 25)
    11. Discuss the claim that Butler extracts from Foucault that “the subject” does not have access to a sexuality that is somehow ‘outside’ or ‘before’ the power that prohibits, regulates, and creates it. (p. 29)
    12. What are some of the “contingent acts” that present gender as a “naturalistic necessity”? (p. 33)
    1. Paraphrasing Foucault, Butler writes: “Juridical systems of power produce the subjects they subsequently come to represent”. What does this mean? (p. 2)
    2. Do you agree with Butler’s claim that the existence of the ‘subject’ should be understood as arising from the mythical state of nature hypothesis and illusionary social contract? (p. 2)
    3. What is political ‘representation’? And is there an alternative to the ‘stable subject’? (p. 4)
    4. What is the central point of Butler’s discussion of De Beauvoir and Irigaray? (p. 10)
    5. Do you think the destruction of ‘sex’ would lead to women assuming the status of the universal subject? (pp. 18-20)
    6. Is this a desirable goal? (pp. 18-20)
    7. What does Haar mean by “All psychological categories … derive from the illusion of substantial identity”? (pp. 20-21)
    8. What does Butler mean by “it would seem that the ontology of substances itself is not only and artificial effect, but essentially superfluous”? (p. 24)
    9. Do you agree with Wittig that ‘Sex’ does not precede oppression? (p. 25)
    10. How significant do you think the role of language is in ‘marking’ gender? (p. 25)
    11. Discuss the claim that Butler extracts from Foucault that “the subject” does not have access to a sexuality that is somehow ‘outside’ or ‘before’ the power that prohibits, regulates, and creates it. (p. 29)
    12. What are some of the “contingent acts” that present gender as a “naturalistic necessity”? (p. 33)
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    8.
    Plumwood, Val. Feminism and the Mastery of Nature
    1994 1994, Routledge..
    Chapter 2: 'Dualism and the Logic of Colonisation', pp. 41-69
    Expand entry
    Abstract:

    Two of the most important political movements of the late twentieth century are those of environmentalism and feminism. In this book, Val Plumwood argues that feminist theory has an important opportunity to make a major contribution to the debates in political ecology and environmental philosophy. Feminism and the Mastery of Nature explains the relation between ecofeminism, or ecological feminism, and other feminist theories including radical green theories such as deep ecology. Val Plumwood provides a philosophically informed account of the relation of women and nature, and shows how relating male domination to the domination of nature is important and yet remains a dilemma for women.

    Comment: Here we return to Feminism and the Mastery of Nature by Plumwood, but this time to the second chapter which discusses Dualism. This chapter is situated here in the list to provoke discussion of the gender binary and the extent to which critical analysis of dualism can be utilised to dismantle dominant depictions of sex and gender. In this chapter, Plumwood argues that the dualisms like man/woman, black/white, and good/bad all posses the same logical form and they are what underlie the logic of colonisation, domination and patriarchy. In making this argument, Plumwood gives us reason to be sceptical of other philosophical dualisms like subject/object, reason/emotion.

    Discussion Questions

    1. Do you agree with Plumwood that colonisation creates the identity of the colonised? (p. 41-2) And that ‘woman’ is made from the dross and refuse of a man? (p. 44) Is there anything you don’t understand about the list of dualisms which is presented on page 43?
    2. What do you make of Plumwood’s assessment of Aristotle’s justification for various forms of dominion on page 46? Do you agree that they are all inseparably interconnected?
    3. Is it true that the more unstable a ‘master’s identity’ the more aggressively it needs to be asserted? Can you think of any additional examples for this?
    4. In what ways has ‘Inclusion’ impacted women and – what has historically been segregated as – women’s work?
    5. Do you think homoginisation and stereotyping happens only to oppressed classes of people? Is there a difference between the stereptypes we have for men and the ones we have for women?
    6. If there is a difference here, do you think it is morally significant?
    7. What is the difference between a dualism anAre there any instances in which it may be suitable to adopt the cavern of reversal strategy? (p. 62)
    8. What do you think of the Mackinnon quote captured on page 65?
    9. Do you agree with Plumwood that a desolution of gendered dualisms necessitates the weaving of this dualism into other dualisms?
    1. Do you agree with Plumwood that colonisation creates the identity of the colonised? (p. 41-2) And that ‘woman’ is made from the dross and refuse of a man? (p. 44) Is there anything you don’t understand about the list of dualisms which is presented on page 43?
    2. What do you make of Plumwood’s assessment of Aristotle’s justification for various forms of dominion on page 46? Do you agree that they are all inseparably interconnected?
    3. Is it true that the more unstable a ‘master’s identity’ the more aggressively it needs to be asserted? Can you think of any additional examples for this?
    4. In what ways has ‘Inclusion’ impacted women and – what has historically been segregated as – women’s work?
    5. Do you think homoginisation and stereotyping happens only to oppressed classes of people? Is there a difference between the stereptypes we have for men and the ones we have for women?
    6. If there is a difference here, do you think it is morally significant?
    7. What is the difference between a dualism anAre there any instances in which it may be suitable to adopt the cavern of reversal strategy? (p. 62)
    8. What do you think of the Mackinnon quote captured on page 65?
    9. Do you agree with Plumwood that a desolution of gendered dualisms necessitates the weaving of this dualism into other dualisms?

PDF9Level

Race, Disability, and Gender in Bioethics

Expand entry

by Chris Blake-Turner

Introduction

This blueprint is organized into three sections, each corresponding to an area that has been underdiscussed in the dominant bioethics literature. The first considers issues of race and bioethics. It focuses especially on bioethics and Black Americans, an intersection on which important work has recently been done. The second highlights new work on disability and bioethics. Topics include taking seriously the testimony of disabled people, and the triaging of care during the COVID-19 pandemic. The third section considers work on gender and bioethics. It begins with a paper that applies feminist ethics to moral distress, an important concept in nursing ethics that is often left out of physician-dominated mainstream bioethical discussion. The last two papers are on the care of transgender adults and children, respectively.

Together these papers can be used as the basis of an 8-week reading group. There are 9 papers, but both the Ray and Ashley papers are short, and either could be doubled up with the reading that comes after it. Despite being short, however, both papers are rich enough to furnish material for a week on their own.

These readings just scratch the surface of important and expanding areas of bioethics. But by the time you’ve worked through them, you should have a better grasp of some central concepts, and you should have a good idea of where to look to find further readings.


Contents

    Race and Bioethics
    On DRL Full text
    1.
    Ray, Keisha. It’s Time for a Black Bioethics
    2021 2021, The American Journal of Bioethics. 21(2): 38–40..
    Expand entry
    Abstract: There are some long-standing social issues that imperil Black Americans' relationship with health and healthcare. These issues include racial disparities in health outcomes (Barr 2014), provider bias and racism lessening their access to quality care (Sabin et al. 2009), disproportionate police killings (DeGue, Fowler, and Calkins 2016), and white supremacy and racism which encourage poor health (Williams and Mohammed 2013). Bioethics, comprised of humanities, legal, science, and medical scholars committed to ethical reasoning is prima facie well suited to address these problems and influence solutions in the form of policy and education. Bioethics, however, so far has shown only a minimal commitment to Black racial justice.

    Comment: In this short, seminal piece, Keisha Ray argues that bioethics needs to address issues of health and well-being of Black individuals. She applies Beauchamp and Childress’s famous four principles of bioethics to a particular issue: the disproportionate maternal mortality rate of Black women in the United States. Ray argues bioethics must incorporate the lens of Black bioethics, if the discipline is to remain relevant.

    Discussion Questions

    1. Ray writes: “Bioethics, however, so far has shown only a minimal commitment to Black racial justice” (p. 38). Why do you think that is?
    2. How does the lens of Black bioethics help us explain Black women’s higher maternal mortality rates in the United States?
    3. Ray deploys the principles of autonomy, beneficence and non-maleficence, and justice in a Black bioethics framework. But she is also explicit that “There are… other ways of doing bioethics” (p. 38). How might Black bioethics help us, if at all, understand other ways of approaching bioethical issues?
    4. Ray raises the possibility of medical reparations for Black patients. What kind of reparations, if any, might be appropriate and why? Do you think they should be implemented?
    5. Ray’s discussion focuses on a particular case: Black women in the United States. To what extent does her argument about Black bioethics generalize to other contexts?
    6. What, if anything, can we learn from Ray’s paper about bioethics and non-Black marginalized groups?
    1. Ray writes: “Bioethics, however, so far has shown only a minimal commitment to Black racial justice” (p. 38). Why do you think that is?
    2. How does the lens of Black bioethics help us explain Black women’s higher maternal mortality rates in the United States?
    3. Ray deploys the principles of autonomy, beneficence and non-maleficence, and justice in a Black bioethics framework. But she is also explicit that “There are… other ways of doing bioethics” (p. 38). How might Black bioethics help us, if at all, understand other ways of approaching bioethical issues?
    4. Ray raises the possibility of medical reparations for Black patients. What kind of reparations, if any, might be appropriate and why? Do you think they should be implemented?
    5. Ray’s discussion focuses on a particular case: Black women in the United States. To what extent does her argument about Black bioethics generalize to other contexts?
    6. What, if anything, can we learn from Ray’s paper about bioethics and non-Black marginalized groups?
    On DRL Full text
    2.
    Wilson, Yolonda, et al.. Intersectionality in Clinical Medicine: The Need for a Conceptual Framework
    2019 2019, The American Journal of Bioethics. 19(2): 8–19..
    Expand entry
    Abstract: Intersectionality has become a significant intellectual approach for those thinking about the ways that race, gender, and other social identities converge in order to create unique forms of oppression. Although the initial work on intersectionality addressed the unique position of black women relative to both black men and white women, the concept has since been expanded to address a range of social identities. Here we consider how to apply some of the theoretical tools provided by intersectionality to the clinical context. We begin with a brief discussion of intersectionality and how it might be useful in a clinical context. We then discuss two clinical scenarios that highlight how we think considering intersectionality could lead to more successful patient–clinician interactions. Finally, we extrapolate general strategies for applying intersectionality to the clinical context before considering objections and replies.

    Comment: Wilson et al. argue that intersectionality is an important concept in clinical practice. They clarify the concept and distinguish their call for intersectionality from nearby claims. For instance, they argue that intersectionality goes beyond mere cultural competence that healthcare providers are already trained in, at least to some degree. Their paper is anchored around two fictionalized case studies, which they use to make vivid and explain their central claims. They end by responding to objections, including the very idea of intersectionality itself.

    Discussion Questions

    1. How do you understand intersectionality? How, if at all, does that differ from Wilson et al.’s understanding?
    2. What are we supposed to learn about intersectionality in clinical medicine from the two cases, i.e. History of Trauma and Chronic Pain? What are the similarities and differences between the two cases when it comes to applying intersectionality in clinical contexts?
    3. Why do Wilson et al. say that “an intersectional framework to clinical practice does not call for simple concordance of physician-patient race and gender” (p. 12)?
    4. Wilson et al. argue that “clinicians can be as knowledgeable about the impact of social policies on their patients as they are about [medical issues]” (p. 14). Is it feasible to expect physicians and other healthcare providers to be knowledge about socio-historical contexts and structures, in addition to having medical expertise?
    5. Which of the three objections that Wilson et al. consider do you find most compelling? Do they address it adequately?
    6. How might you put Wilson et al.’s paper in conversation with Ray’s? Are Black bioethics and intersectionality in clinical medicine compatible? If so, how? If not, under which circumstances is each approach to be preferred?
    1. How do you understand intersectionality? How, if at all, does that differ from Wilson et al.’s understanding?
    2. What are we supposed to learn about intersectionality in clinical medicine from the two cases, i.e. History of Trauma and Chronic Pain? What are the similarities and differences between the two cases when it comes to applying intersectionality in clinical contexts?
    3. Why do Wilson et al. say that “an intersectional framework to clinical practice does not call for simple concordance of physician-patient race and gender” (p. 12)?
    4. Wilson et al. argue that “clinicians can be as knowledgeable about the impact of social policies on their patients as they are about [medical issues]” (p. 14). Is it feasible to expect physicians and other healthcare providers to be knowledge about socio-historical contexts and structures, in addition to having medical expertise?
    5. Which of the three objections that Wilson et al. consider do you find most compelling? Do they address it adequately?
    6. How might you put Wilson et al.’s paper in conversation with Ray’s? Are Black bioethics and intersectionality in clinical medicine compatible? If so, how? If not, under which circumstances is each approach to be preferred?
    On DRL Full text
    3.
    Yearby, Ruqaiijah. Race Based Medicine, Colorblind Disease: How Racism in Medicine Harms Us All
    2021 2021, The American Journal of Bioethics. 21(2): 19–27..
    Expand entry
    Abstract: The genome between socially constructed racial groups is 99.5%-99.9% identical; the 0.1%-0.5% variation between any two unrelated individuals is greatest between individuals in the same racial group; and there are no identifiable racial genomic clusters. Nevertheless, race continues to be used as a biological reality in health disparities research, medical guidelines, and standards of care reinforcing the notion that racial and ethnic minorities are inferior, while ignoring the health problems of Whites. This article discusses how the continued misuse of race in medicine and the identification of Whites as the control group, which reinforces this racial hierarchy, are examples of racism in medicine that harm all us. To address this problem, race should only be used as a factor in medicine when explicitly connected to racism or to fulfill diversity and inclusion efforts.

    Comment: Yearby argues that appeals to racial categories—social, but especially biological—in medicine harm people from all races, including those from dominant racial groups, like Whites. Yearby first gives evidence for the claim that there is no biological reality to race. She then argues that the continued use of racial categorization in medicine—for instance, as a basis for different standards of care—leads to worse outcomes for all. For example, because Whites are often the de facto standard group in healthcare, their worse health outcomes are sometimes overlooked. Yearby ends by making suggestions for improving the categorization of people in healthcare.

    Discussion Questions

    1. How does Yearby distinguish between biological and social race?
    2. How does Yearby argue that using racial categories in medicine leads to racial health disparities?
    3. Do you agree with Yearby that “the root cause of poor health outcomes for all groups… is racism” (p. 21)?
    4. How, if at all, does Yearby’s discussion of morality in childbirth affect your understanding of Ray’s argument?
    5. What does Yearby mean by “the corruption of knowledge production” (pp. 22–23)? How does she argue that racism plays a role in this process?
    6. Yearby argues that race-based medicine with respect to breast cancer “not only reifies the racist belief that Whites are superior, but also prevents women of all races from equal to treatment” (p. 24). Is her argument a good one? How might it extend beyond breast cancer?
    7. Like the other authors in this section, Yearby focuses on the medical system in the U.S. To what extent do Yearby’s arguments apply to other medical systems, for instance those with state-provided medical access as in the U.K.?
    1. How does Yearby distinguish between biological and social race?
    2. How does Yearby argue that using racial categories in medicine leads to racial health disparities?
    3. Do you agree with Yearby that “the root cause of poor health outcomes for all groups… is racism” (p. 21)?
    4. How, if at all, does Yearby’s discussion of morality in childbirth affect your understanding of Ray’s argument?
    5. What does Yearby mean by “the corruption of knowledge production” (pp. 22–23)? How does she argue that racism plays a role in this process?
    6. Yearby argues that race-based medicine with respect to breast cancer “not only reifies the racist belief that Whites are superior, but also prevents women of all races from equal to treatment” (p. 24). Is her argument a good one? How might it extend beyond breast cancer?
    7. Like the other authors in this section, Yearby focuses on the medical system in the U.S. To what extent do Yearby’s arguments apply to other medical systems, for instance those with state-provided medical access as in the U.K.?
    Disability and Bioethics
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    4.
    Taylor, Sunaura. Beasts of Burden: Animal and Disability Liberation
    2017 2017, The New Press..
    “On Ableism and Animals”, excerpt published by The New Inquiry.
    Expand entry
    Abstract: How much of what we understand of ourselves as “human” depends on our physical and mental abilities—how we move (or cannot move) in and interact with the world? And how much of our definition of “human” depends on its difference from “animal”? Drawing on her own experiences as a disabled person, a disability activist, and an animal advocate, author Sunaura Taylor persuades us to think deeply, and sometimes uncomfortably, about what divides the human from the animal, the disabled from the nondisabled—and what it might mean to break down those divisions, to claim the animal and the vulnerable in ourselves, in a process she calls “cripping animal ethics.” Beasts of Burden suggests that issues of disability and animal justice—which have heretofore primarily been presented in opposition—are in fact deeply entangled. Fusing philosophy, memoir, science, and the radical truths these disciplines can bring—whether about factory farming, disability oppression, or our assumptions of human superiority over animals—Taylor draws attention to new worlds of experience and empathy that can open up important avenues of solidarity across species and ability. Beasts of Burden is a wonderfully engaging and elegantly written work, both philosophical and personal, by a brilliant new voice.

    Comment: In this excerpt from her book, Beasts of Burden, Taylor resists the way that animals and intellectual disabled people are often framed in terms of one another. She argues that this does a disservice to both groups. Animals are not voiceless, as they are often constructed. And their comparison to disabled people in the (in)famous argument from marginal cases should not be accepted. Perhaps most importantly, the argument opens for discussion the worth of disabled people’s lives. But this is not something that should be open for discussion, especially given the marginalization of disabled people.

    Discussion Questions

    1. How does Taylor cast doubt on the idea of animal advocacy as giving “voice to the voiceless”? Do you agree with her?
    2. What is the argument from marginal cases?
    3. Why, according to Taylor, is there a “danger” in the argument from marginal cases?
    4. How does Taylor argue for the conclusion that to “compare animals to intellectually disabled people… harms both populations”?
    5. What does Taylor mean when, in the final paragraph, she claims that “We need to crip animal ethics”? Do you agree?
    6. How might Taylor’s article have implications for bioethical issues beyond animal ethics?
    1. How does Taylor cast doubt on the idea of animal advocacy as giving “voice to the voiceless”? Do you agree with her?
    2. What is the argument from marginal cases?
    3. Why, according to Taylor, is there a “danger” in the argument from marginal cases?
    4. How does Taylor argue for the conclusion that to “compare animals to intellectually disabled people… harms both populations”?
    5. What does Taylor mean when, in the final paragraph, she claims that “We need to crip animal ethics”? Do you agree?
    6. How might Taylor’s article have implications for bioethical issues beyond animal ethics?
    On DRL Full text
    5.
    Wiesler, Christine. Epistemic Oppression and Ableism in Bioethics
    2020 2020, Hypatia. 35: 714–732..
    Expand entry
    Abstract: Disabled people face obstacles to participation in epistemic communities that would be beneficial for making sense of our experiences and are susceptible to epistemic oppression. Knowledge and skills grounded in disabled people's experiences are treated as unintelligible within an ableist hermeneutic, specifically, the dominant conception of disability as lack. My discussion will focus on a few types of epistemic oppression—willful hermeneutical ignorance, epistemic exploitation, and epistemic imperialism—as they manifest in some bioethicists’ claims about and interactions with disabled people. One of the problems with the epistemic phenomena with which I am concerned is that they direct our skepticism regarding claims and justifications in the wrong direction. When we ought to be asking dominantly situated epistemic agents to justify their knowledge claims, our attention is instead directed toward skepticism regarding the accounts of marginally situated agents who are actually in a better position to know. I conclude by discussing disabled knowers’ responses to epistemic oppression, including articulating the epistemic harm they have undergone as well as ways of creating resistant ways of knowing.

    Comment: Wieseler draws on resources developed by feminists and disability theorists to critique the practice of philosophical bioethics (bioethics done by philosophers). In particular, she argues that philosophical bioethics involves and perpetuates ableism. Among its many problems, this ableism is epistemically fraught. It interferes with disabled people’s ability to participate in various kinds of knowledge production. Wieseler uses a lot of technical terms—like epistemic exploitation, epistemic imperialism, and willful hermeneutical ignorance—but she explains everything clearly and the payoff is worthwhile. Wieseler uses these concepts to develop a powerful and thought-provoking critique of bioethical practice with respect to disability. The concepts are also useful in broader contexts, as we’ll see in section 3.

    Discussion Questions

    1. How does willful hermeneutical ignorance differ from hermeneutical injustice?
    2. What is the “double bind” of epistemic exploitation (p. 717)?
    3. What is the “standard view of disability” and why is not a “value-free starting assumption”, according to Wieseler (pp. 719–720)?
    4. How does Wieseler draw on the notions of epistemic exploitation, epistemic imperialism, and willful hermeneutical ignorance to critique Singer (a stand in for philosophical bioethicists more generally) on his approach to disability?
    5. What are “crip skills” and what is their significance for bioethics and epistemic resistance (p. 726)?
    6. As well as arguing that assuming that disabled people have a low quality of life is ableist, Wieseler claims that quality of life should not be conflated with value of life. What is valuable about lives other than their subjective quality?
    7. What points of harmony and friction are there between Wieseler’s piece and Taylor’s?
    1. How does willful hermeneutical ignorance differ from hermeneutical injustice?
    2. What is the “double bind” of epistemic exploitation (p. 717)?
    3. What is the “standard view of disability” and why is not a “value-free starting assumption”, according to Wieseler (pp. 719–720)?
    4. How does Wieseler draw on the notions of epistemic exploitation, epistemic imperialism, and willful hermeneutical ignorance to critique Singer (a stand in for philosophical bioethicists more generally) on his approach to disability?
    5. What are “crip skills” and what is their significance for bioethics and epistemic resistance (p. 726)?
    6. As well as arguing that assuming that disabled people have a low quality of life is ableist, Wieseler claims that quality of life should not be conflated with value of life. What is valuable about lives other than their subjective quality?
    7. What points of harmony and friction are there between Wieseler’s piece and Taylor’s?
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    6.
    Stramondo, Joseph A.. Tragic Choices: Disability, Triage, and Equity Amidst a Global Pandemic
    2021 2021, The Journal of Philosophy of Disability. 1: 201–210..
    Expand entry
    Abstract: In this paper, I make three arguments regarding Crisis Standards of Care developed during the COVID-19 pandemic. First, I argue against the consideration of third person quality of life judgments that deprioritize disabled or chronically ill people on a basis other than their survival, even if protocols use the language of health to justify maintaining the supposedly higher well-being of non-disabled people. Second, while it may be unavoidable that some disabled people are deprioritized by triage protocols that must consider the likelihood that someone will survive intensive treatment, Crisis Standards of Care should not consider the amount or duration of treatment someone may need to survive. Finally, I argue that, rather than parsing who should be denied treatment to maximize lives saved, professional bioethicists should have put our energy into reducing the need for such choices at all by resisting the systemic injustices that drive the need for triage.

    Comment: Stramondo critiques triage protocols that were put into place, or at least proposed, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Stramondo argues that protocols that prioritize quality of life involve ableist commitments. While chance-of-survival protocols might do better here, he argues that they are also vulnerable to creeping ableism. Stramondo’s paper is valuable not only for its perspective on triage protocols, but also for highlighting some crucial theoretical contributions by philosophers of disability and by bioethicists. Stramondo also argues not to cede too much ground to fatalism in thinking about triage protocols; bioethicists should also, and perhaps primarily, resist the framing of triage as inevitable, rather than a product of various privileged interests.

    Discussion Questions

    1. What is the so-called “disability paradox” and what are Stramondo’s reservations about that term (p. 202)?
    2. What is wrong, according to Stramondo, with the University of Washington’s invocation of “health” in their triage protocol?
    3. Stramondo writes: “I would argue that any triage protocol is unjustly discriminatory against disabled people insofar as it deprioritizes them due to a belief that their lives are of less value because they are of less quality” (p. 204). How is Stramondo’s argument affected, if at all, by Wieseler’s injunction to separate quality of life from value of life?
    4. Why is individual assessment, rather than assessment based on group membership, of likelihood of survival important?
    5. What is the distinction that Stramondo draws between inefficiency and waste? How does the distinction allow him to argue for accepting the likelihood-of-survival criterion while rejecting the level-of-resource intensity criterion? How does the distinction play a role in bioethical issues beyond triage?
    6. What is the “powerful paradigm shift” Stramondo interprets Shelley Tremain as calling for (p. 206)? What does Stramondo suggest that bioethicists do in response? Is he right?
    7. Taking Stramondo’s points into consideration, what do you think a just, and in particular an anti-ableist, triage protocol would involve?
    1. What is the so-called “disability paradox” and what are Stramondo’s reservations about that term (p. 202)?
    2. What is wrong, according to Stramondo, with the University of Washington’s invocation of “health” in their triage protocol?
    3. Stramondo writes: “I would argue that any triage protocol is unjustly discriminatory against disabled people insofar as it deprioritizes them due to a belief that their lives are of less value because they are of less quality” (p. 204). How is Stramondo’s argument affected, if at all, by Wieseler’s injunction to separate quality of life from value of life?
    4. Why is individual assessment, rather than assessment based on group membership, of likelihood of survival important?
    5. What is the distinction that Stramondo draws between inefficiency and waste? How does the distinction allow him to argue for accepting the likelihood-of-survival criterion while rejecting the level-of-resource intensity criterion? How does the distinction play a role in bioethical issues beyond triage?
    6. What is the “powerful paradigm shift” Stramondo interprets Shelley Tremain as calling for (p. 206)? What does Stramondo suggest that bioethicists do in response? Is he right?
    7. Taking Stramondo’s points into consideration, what do you think a just, and in particular an anti-ableist, triage protocol would involve?
    Gender and Bioethics
    On DRL Full text
    7.
    Peter, Elizabeth, Liaschenko, Joan. Moral Distress Reexamined: A Feminist Interpretation of Nurses’ Identities, Relationships, and Responsibilites
    2013 2013, The Journal of Bioethical Inquiry. 10: 337–345..
    Expand entry
    Abstract: Moral distress has been written about extensively in nursing and other fields. Often, however, it has not been used with much theoretical depth. This paper focuses on theorizing moral distress using feminist ethics, particularly the work of Margaret Urban Walker and Hilde Lindemann. Incorporating empirical findings, we argue that moral distress is the response to constraints experienced by nurses to their moral identities, responsibilities, and relationships. We recommend that health professionals get assistance in accounting for and communicating their values and responsibilities in situations of moral distress. We also discuss the importance of nurses creating “counterstories” of their work as knowledgeable and trustworthy professionals to repair their damaged moral identities, and, finally, we recommend that efforts toward shifting the goal of health care away from the prolongation of life at all costs to the relief of suffering to diminish the moral distress that is a common response to aggressive care at end-of-life.

    Comment: Moral distress is, roughly, when a healthcare worker is institutionally constrained to act against their best moral judgement. A typical example is a nurse being prevented from giving care they deem morally required because they are hierarchically constrained by the orders of a physician. Moral distress has been much discussed in nursing ethics, but is almost entirely absent from broader bioethics syllabi and conversations. This paper examines moral distress through a lens of feminist care ethics. In doing so, it draws lessons that apply very broadly throughout professional ethics.

    Discussion Questions

    1. How do Peter and Liaschenko define moral distress? Is their definition a good one? Why or why not?
    2. What is a moral identity and why is it important in thinking about moral distress?
    3. Peter and Liaschenko write that “the identity of ‘nurse’ is a social construction” (p. 339). What do they mean by that? Are they right?
    4. How does foregrounding relationships shed light on moral distress?
    5. How does gender play a role in the moral distress of hospital nurses?
    6. What recommendations do Peter and Liaschenko make for alleviating the problem of moral distress? Are likely to work? What other recommendations might be implemented?
    7. Peter and Liaschenko focus on the moral distress of hospital nurses, but recognize that moral distress is a broader issue. What are some examples of moral distress beyond hospital nursing, or even beyond the context of healthcare?
    1. How do Peter and Liaschenko define moral distress? Is their definition a good one? Why or why not?
    2. What is a moral identity and why is it important in thinking about moral distress?
    3. Peter and Liaschenko write that “the identity of ‘nurse’ is a social construction” (p. 339). What do they mean by that? Are they right?
    4. How does foregrounding relationships shed light on moral distress?
    5. How does gender play a role in the moral distress of hospital nurses?
    6. What recommendations do Peter and Liaschenko make for alleviating the problem of moral distress? Are likely to work? What other recommendations might be implemented?
    7. Peter and Liaschenko focus on the moral distress of hospital nurses, but recognize that moral distress is a broader issue. What are some examples of moral distress beyond hospital nursing, or even beyond the context of healthcare?
    On DRL Full text Read free
    8.
    Ashley, Florence. Gatekeeping Hormone Replacement Therapy for Transgender Patients is Dehumanising
    2019 2019, The Journal of Medical Ethics. 45: 480-482..
    Expand entry
    Abstract: Although informed consent models for prescribing hormone replacement therapy are becoming increasingly prevalent, many physicians continue to require an assessment and referral letter from a mental health professional prior to prescription. Drawing on personal and communal experience, the author argues that assessment and referral requirements are dehumanising and unethical, foregrounding the ways in which these requirements evidence a mistrust of trans people, suppress the diversity of their experiences and sustain an unjustified double standard in contrast to other forms of clinical care. Physicians should abandon this unethical requirement in favour of an informed consent approach to transgender care.

    Comment: Ashley draws on their own experiences as a trans person, as well as that of the trans community more broadly, to argue against assessment and referral requirements for hormone-replacement therapy (HRT). Ashley argues instead for an informed consent model, on which providers of HRT are not gatekeepers of transness, but facilitators of thoughtful decision-making.

    Discussion Questions

    1. An important part of Ashley’s argument is their own experience in accessing HRT and other transition-related healthcare, as well the experiences of the trans community. Appeals to anecdotal, and especially personal, evidence mark a departure from the how bioethics is normally practised. What are the advantages and disadvantages of Ashley’s approach?
    2. How can the concepts of epistemic exploitation, epistemic imperialism and willful hermeneutical ignorance (explained in Wieseler’s paper) augment Ashley’s argument that trans people are subject to injustice when “physicians deny the authority trans people have over their own mental experiences” (p. 481)?
    3. “Medically transitioning is not all about gender dysphoria”, Ashley writes (p. 481). What do they mean? How do they argue that gender dysphoria assessments problematize and pathologize trans experience?
    4. How does Ashley argue that assessment and referral requirements either assume that trans people are mentally ill or involve double standards?
    5. In general, how should we think about the limits of informed consent? That is, what are the circumstances in which someone requesting medical treatment is not sufficient for providing that treatment? It might be helpful to think both about the circumstances of the person making the request and about the thing they’re requesting.
    1. An important part of Ashley’s argument is their own experience in accessing HRT and other transition-related healthcare, as well the experiences of the trans community. Appeals to anecdotal, and especially personal, evidence mark a departure from the how bioethics is normally practised. What are the advantages and disadvantages of Ashley’s approach?
    2. How can the concepts of epistemic exploitation, epistemic imperialism and willful hermeneutical ignorance (explained in Wieseler’s paper) augment Ashley’s argument that trans people are subject to injustice when “physicians deny the authority trans people have over their own mental experiences” (p. 481)?
    3. “Medically transitioning is not all about gender dysphoria”, Ashley writes (p. 481). What do they mean? How do they argue that gender dysphoria assessments problematize and pathologize trans experience?
    4. How does Ashley argue that assessment and referral requirements either assume that trans people are mentally ill or involve double standards?
    5. In general, how should we think about the limits of informed consent? That is, what are the circumstances in which someone requesting medical treatment is not sufficient for providing that treatment? It might be helpful to think both about the circumstances of the person making the request and about the thing they’re requesting.
    On DRL Full text
    9.
    Priest, Maura. Transgender Children and the Right to Transition: Medical Ethics When Parents Mean Well but Cause Harm
    2019 2019, The American Journal of Bioethics. 19 (2): 45-59..
    Expand entry
    Abstract: In this article, I argue that (1) transgender adolescents should have the legal right to access puberty-blocking treatment (PBT) without parental approval, and (2) the state has a role to play in publicizing information about gender dysphoria. Not only are transgender children harmed psychologically and physically via lack of access to PBT, but PBT is the established standard of care. Given that we generally think that parental authority should not go so far as to (1) severally and permanently harm a child and (2) prevent a child from access to standard physical care, then it follows that parental authority should not encompass denying gender-dysphoric children access to PBT. Moreover, transgender children without supportive parents cannot be helped without access to health care clinics and counseling to facilitate the transition. Hence there is an additional duty of the state to help facilitate sharing this information with vulnerable teens.

    Comment: Priest argues that the state should provide puberty-blocking treatment (PBT) for trans youth, even if their parents are not supportive. Priest’s argument is important partly because it avoids the issue of whether adolescents and children can give properly informed consent. This is a point that some of Priest’s critics seem to have missed (see, for example, Laidlaw et al. 2019. “The Right to Best Care for Children Does Not Include the Right to Medical Transition”, and Harris et al. 2019. “Decision Making and the Long-Term Impact of Puberty Blockade in Transgender Children”). Priest’s conclusion is founded instead on a principle of harm avoidance.

    Discussion Questions

    1. Priest argues that psychological harm is not less important than physical harm. How does she argue for this claim? Is she correct?
    2. Priest argues that the state should intervene and offer PBT to trans youth with unsupportive parents. What is her argument exactly? Is it a good one?
    3. How does Priest address the objection that some studies suggest “many transgender children do not go on to become transgender adults” and so shouldn’t be given PBT (p. 49)?
    4. Why does Priest not base her argument on the “mature minor doctrine” (p. 52)?
    5. What is the special role of schools in providing PBT, according to Priest?
    6. Priest considers several objections to her argument, especially in the section beginning on p 54. Are her replies convincing? Are there any other objections that she doesn’t address? How might you reply on her behalf?
    7. Although Priest is not committed to the idea that PBT should only be provided to trans youth when they give properly informed consent, it’s worth considering informed consent in children and adolescents as an issue in itself. If children can’t give properly informed consent to PBT, why not? Are there things they can give properly informed consent to? If so, why is PBT different?
    1. Priest argues that psychological harm is not less important than physical harm. How does she argue for this claim? Is she correct?
    2. Priest argues that the state should intervene and offer PBT to trans youth with unsupportive parents. What is her argument exactly? Is it a good one?
    3. How does Priest address the objection that some studies suggest “many transgender children do not go on to become transgender adults” and so shouldn’t be given PBT (p. 49)?
    4. Why does Priest not base her argument on the “mature minor doctrine” (p. 52)?
    5. What is the special role of schools in providing PBT, according to Priest?
    6. Priest considers several objections to her argument, especially in the section beginning on p 54. Are her replies convincing? Are there any other objections that she doesn’t address? How might you reply on her behalf?
    7. Although Priest is not committed to the idea that PBT should only be provided to trans youth when they give properly informed consent, it’s worth considering informed consent in children and adolescents as an issue in itself. If children can’t give properly informed consent to PBT, why not? Are there things they can give properly informed consent to? If so, why is PBT different?

PDF9Level

Explorations into Nahua and Mayan Philosophy of Mind

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by M. Jimena Clavel Vázquez and Andrés Hernández Villarreal

Introduction

This blueprint aims at exploring the landscape of philosophical concepts and ideas present in ancient Nahua and Mayan thought. By Nahua thought we mean the intellectual legacy of the Nahuatl speaking people who inhabited the Mexican Central Plateau from roughly the fourteenth century until the first years of the colonial Mexico. Throughout the blueprint, we refer at times to this intellectual tradition as pertaining to the Aztecs, the Mexicas, or the Nahuas depending on the group of people to which the selected reading refers. By Mayan thought we mean, in turn, the legacy of the people who has inhabited the Maya region of Southern Mexico and a great part of Central America roughly from the Classical period to the eighteenth century. The Mesoamerican philosophical landscape is rich, but difficult to navigate due to important methodological challenges such as the scarcity of sources. Great progress has already been made, however, in the understanding of philosophical concerns by key scholarly figures. Based on their work, this blueprint explores philosophical concerns that we might associate now with philosophy of mind: the human soul, the relation between the soul and body, perception and the senses, time experience, and personhood. Our hope is that this blueprint contributes to displaying the richness of the Mesoamerican philosophical landscape.

The blueprint is divided into three sections, each composed of three proposed sessions. It begins with an introductory section that provides historical and cultural background, followed by two thematic sections: one that focuses on Nahuatl thought, and one that focuses on Mayan thought. To put together the blueprint, the selected readings range from philosophical, historical and anthropological texts to literature. In sections II and III, we have included primary sources that will help illustrate the philosophical ideas discussed in the selected readings. In these sections we have specified how the different readings fit together. When necessary, we have provided a bit of context in the introductory comments guiding the session.


Contents

    INTRODUCTION

    Week 1. The History of the Maya and the Aztec Civilizations

    Both of these two books are introductory to the broader historical context of Maya and Aztec civilizations. The selected chapters present some of the basic historical, geographical, and demographics facts/claims about the Maya and the Aztecs. These texts also introduce some relevant information about the language, writing systems, and foundational myths of both the Maya and the Aztecs. The purpose of this session is to discuss these topics to gain acquaintance with some of the peculiarities and problems of ancient Mesoamerican thought.

    On DRL Full text Read free
    Restall, Matthew, Solari, Amari. The Maya: A Very Short Introduction
    2020 2020, Oxford University Press.
    Chapters 1 and 2
    Expand entry
    Abstract: The Maya: A Very Short Introduction examines the history and evolution of Maya civilization, explaining Maya polities or city-states, artistic expression, and ways of understanding the universe. Study of the Maya has tended to focus on the 2,000 years of history prior to contact with Europeans, and romantic ideas of discovery and disappearance have shaped popular myths about the Maya. However, they neither disappeared at the close of the Classic era nor were completely conquered by Europeans. Independent Maya kingdoms continued until the seventeenth century, and while none exists today, it is still possible to talk about a Maya world and Maya civilization in the twenty-first century.
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    Carrasco, David. The Aztecs: A Very Short Introduction
    2012 2012, Oxford University Press.
    Chapters 1, 2, and 7.
    Expand entry
    Abstract: The Aztecs: A Very Short Introduction employs the disciplines of history, religious studies, and anthropology as it illuminates the complexities of Aztec life. This VSI looks beyond Spanish accounts that have coloured much of the Western narrative to let Aztec voices speak. It also discusses the arrival of the Spaniards, contrasts Aztec mythical traditions about the origins of their city with actual urban life in Mesoamerica, outlines the rise of the Aztec empire, explores Aztec religion, and sheds light on Aztec art. The VSI concludes by looking at how the Aztecs have been portrayed in Western thought, art, film, and literature as well as in Latino culture and arts
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    Carrasco, David, Jones, Lindsay, Sessions, Scott. Mesoamerica’s Classic Heritage: From Teotihuacan to the Aztecs
    2000 2000, University Press of Colorado.
    Further reading
    Expand entry
    Abstract:

    For more than a millennium the great Mesoamerican city of Teotihuacn (c. 150 b.c.a.d. 750) has been imagined and reimagined by a host of subsequent cultures including our own. Mesoamerica's Classic Heritage engages the subject of the unity and diversity of pre-Hispanic Mesoamerica by focusing on the classic heritage of this ancient city. This new volume is the product of several years of research by members of Princeton University's Moses Mesoamerican Archive and Research Project and Mexico's Proyecto Teotihuacn. Offering a variety of disciplinary perspectives--including the history of religions, anthropology, archaeology, and art history - and a wealth of new data, Mesoamerica's Classic Heritage examines Teotihuacn's rippling influence across Mesoamerican time and space, including important patterns of continuity and change, and its relationships, both historical and symbolic, with Tenochtitlan, Cholula, and various Mayan communities.

    Study Questions

    1. Can you think of a particular theory within the Western philosophical canon whose relevance can be only properly understood if we take into account the historical context in which it was developed? (e.g., Hobbes’ account of political authority and the English Civil War).
    2. If there never was a Mayan empire or any particular society that called itself “the Mayas”, what do we mean when we speak about the “Maya civilization”?
    3. Which are the main sources of Mayan mythology? Regarding content and format, how do these compare to canonical sources of Greek mythology (Hesiod’s Theogony, or Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey)?
    4. What is the place of Teotihuacan in the Aztec world view?
    5. If the defeat of the Aztec empire was only possible with the collaboration of both native peoples and Spaniards, in what way can we conceive the victory of the latter as a colonialist conquest?
    1. Can you think of a particular theory within the Western philosophical canon whose relevance can be only properly understood if we take into account the historical context in which it was developed? (e.g., Hobbes’ account of political authority and the English Civil War).
    2. If there never was a Mayan empire or any particular society that called itself “the Mayas”, what do we mean when we speak about the “Maya civilization”?
    3. Which are the main sources of Mayan mythology? Regarding content and format, how do these compare to canonical sources of Greek mythology (Hesiod’s Theogony, or Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey)?
    4. What is the place of Teotihuacan in the Aztec world view?
    5. If the defeat of the Aztec empire was only possible with the collaboration of both native peoples and Spaniards, in what way can we conceive the victory of the latter as a colonialist conquest?
    Week 2. Introduction to Nahua thought
    On DRL Full text
    Maffie, James. Philosophy without Europe
    2019 2019, In Latin American and Latinx Philosophy, Robert Eli Sánchez (ed.). Routledge.
    Expand entry
    Abstract:

    Latin American and Latinx Philosophy: A Collaborative Introduction is a beginner’s guide to canonical texts in Latin American and Latinx philosophy, providing the non-specialist with necessary historical and philosophical context, and demonstrating their contemporary relevance. It is written in jargon-free prose for students and professors who are interested in the subject, but who don’t know where to begin. Each of the twelve chapters, written by a leading scholar in the field, examines influential texts that are readily available in English and introduces the reader to a period, topic, movement, or school that taken together provide a broad overview of the history, nature, scope, and value of Latin American and Latinx philosophy. Although this volume is primarily intended for the reader without a background in the Latin American and Latinx tradition, specialists will also benefit from its many novelties, including an introduction to Aztec ethics; a critique of “the Latino threat” narrative; the legacy of Latin American philosophy in the Chicano movement; an overview of Mexican existentialism, Liberation philosophy, and Latin American and Latinx feminisms; a philosophical critique of indigenism; a study of Latinx contributions to the philosophy of immigration; and an examination of the intersection of race and gender in Latinx identity.

    Comment: In this chapter, Maffie compares the general framework of Western philosophy and that of Mexica or Aztec philosophy. The latter offers a genuine alternative to the former, for Mexica’s philosophy, in general, is “path-seeking” rather than “truth-seeking”. This means that the main purpose of philosophy consists in following and expanding a particular way of life. The author also introduces some important features of Mexica philosophy, namely, that there is no clear-cut distinction between philosophy, religion, and spirituality. Furthermore, in this chapter we can also find a brief account of some interesting philosophical views. Firstly, the relationship between living beings and Mexica Deities (i.e., Creator Beings). The latter are not transcendent, and they have no ontological priority over the former insofar as the existence of both are deeply intertwined. Secondly, the author discusses the moral obligations of human beings towards Creator Beings, non-human animals, and other human beings. Finally, it discusses the Mexica notion of “personhood” (i.e., admits degrees and can belong to inanimate objects, and both human and non-human animals).

    On DRL Full text Read free
    León-Portilla, Miguel. Aztec Thought and Culture: A Study of the Ancient Nahuatl Mind
    1963 1963, University of Oklahoma Press.
    Chapter 1: 'The Birth of Philosophy among the Nahuas' pp. 3-24, and Appendices I-II pp. 184-221.

    Further Reading

    Expand entry

    Publisher's note: For at least two millennia before the advent of the Spaniards in 1519, there was a flourishing civilization in central Mexico. During that long span of time a cultural evolution took place which saw a high development of the arts and literature, the formulation of complex religious doctrines, systems of education, and diverse political and social organization.The rich documentation concerning these people, commonly called Aztecs, includes, in addition to a few codices written before the Conquest, thousands of folios in the Nahuatl or Aztec language written by natives after the Conquest. Adapting the Latin alphabet, which they had been taught by the missionary friars, to their native tongue, they recorded poems, chronicles, and traditions.

    The fundamental concepts of ancient Mexico presented and examined in this book have been taken from more than ninety original Aztec documents. They concern the origin of the universe and of life, conjectures on the mystery of God, the possibility of comprehending things beyond the realm of experience, life after death, and the meaning of education, history, and art. The philosophy of the Nahuatl wise men, which probably stemmed from the ancient doctrines and traditions of the Teotihuacans and Toltecs, quite often reveals profound intuition and in some instances is remarkably “modern.”

    This English edition is not a direct translation of the original Spanish, but an adaptation and rewriting of the text for the English-speaking reader.

    Study Questions

    1. What is the difference between “truth-seeking” philosophy and “path-seeking” philosophy?
    2. If not truth, what is the foundation of Mexica’s “path-seeking” philosophy?
    3. Which are the main responsibilities of the Mexica philosopher?
    4. What is the relationship between human beings and deities (i.e., Creator Beings) in Mexica philosophy/religion?
    5. In which sense are Mexica ethics non-anthropocentric?
    6. Can you describe the Mexica notion of “personhood”?
    1. What is the difference between “truth-seeking” philosophy and “path-seeking” philosophy?
    2. If not truth, what is the foundation of Mexica’s “path-seeking” philosophy?
    3. Which are the main responsibilities of the Mexica philosopher?
    4. What is the relationship between human beings and deities (i.e., Creator Beings) in Mexica philosophy/religion?
    5. In which sense are Mexica ethics non-anthropocentric?
    6. Can you describe the Mexica notion of “personhood”?
    Week 3. Introduction to Mayan Thought
    On DRL Full text Read free
    McLeod, Alexus. Philosophy of the Ancient Maya: Lords of Time
    2018 2018, Lexington Books.
    Preface pp. vii-x, and Conclusion pp. 161-174.
    Expand entry
    Abstract:

    This book investigates some of the central topics of metaphysics in the philosophical thought of the Maya people of Mesoamerica, particularly from the Preclassic through Postclassic periods. This book covers the topics of time, change, identity, and truth, through comparative investigation integrating Maya texts and practices — such as Classic Period stelae, Postclassic Codices, and Colonial-era texts such as the î and the books of Chilam Balam — and early Chinese philosophy.

    Comment: In the preface and conclusion, McLeod introduces some relevant methodological aspects that must be considered in order to understand Mayan philosophy. The first one, is that of the nature of the sources from which we can reconstruct Mayan philosophical thought that are available to use. Unlike the source of Ancient Mexica intellectual culture which are relatively abundant, the availability of Mayan sources is more limited. The second one, is about the nature of Mayan language: written Maya consists of pictograms which represent both ideograms or glyphs and syllabic sounds. The author also discusses the fact that some forms of Mayan languages and Mayan peoples are alive. Finally, this section of McLeod’s book also discusses the philosophical concepts of truth and personhood.

    Study Questions

    1. Why is it the case that Ancient Mayan Philosophy is not part of Latin American Philosophy?
    2. Can you mention some of the challenges faced by scholars trying to reconstruct the history of Mayan Thought?
    3. Why does the author use some concepts of Chinese philosophy to understand similar Mayan philosophical concepts?
    4. Explain the Aztec concept of “truth” and how it compares to its Mayan counterpart.
    5. How does the fact that both Mayan people and languages are still around affect the reconstruction of Mayan classical philosophy?
    1. Why is it the case that Ancient Mayan Philosophy is not part of Latin American Philosophy?
    2. Can you mention some of the challenges faced by scholars trying to reconstruct the history of Mayan Thought?
    3. Why does the author use some concepts of Chinese philosophy to understand similar Mayan philosophical concepts?
    4. Explain the Aztec concept of “truth” and how it compares to its Mayan counterpart.
    5. How does the fact that both Mayan people and languages are still around affect the reconstruction of Mayan classical philosophy?
    NAHUA PHILOSOPHY

    Week 4. The Nahua conception of human beings

    How did Nahuatl thought conceive the nature of human beings? León-Portilla’s chapter will serve as an introduction to this question. This chapter introduces key concepts in the Nahua conception of human beings. Firstly, it introduces the idea that human beings are created out of necessity by the gods, and the idea that they find themselves in a precarious situation. It also introduces the concepts of heart (yóllotl) and face (ix-tli) as the key concepts to understand human being’s dynamic nature. While the face can be understood as that which makes each person an individual and that which needs to be developed (we can assimilate it to a notion of the self), the heart is taken to be the dynamic center of human being’s psychological life. The chapter also focuses on the destiny of human beings on earth and in the afterlife, as well as to the notion of free will that is at play. In parallel to León-Portilla’s text and as the primary sources for this week are two Nahua Cantares or “ghost songs” that talk about the precarious nature of human beings on earth. These cantares exemplify some of the ideas discussed by León-Portilla. As further reading, the sections “Psychological well-being or in ixtli – in yollotl”, “Teachers of knowledge and face”, “Illness and the community”, and “Aztec healers or psychotherapists” provide a clear and helpful discussion on these concepts and, more generally, on Nahua psychology.

    On DRL Full text Read free
    Unknown. Cantares Mexicanos: Songs of the Aztecs.
    1985 1985, John Bierhorst (trans.). Stanford University Press.
    folio 2v: 'A song of green places, an Otomi song, a plain one' p.137, and folios 10v and 11 pp. 161-167.
    Expand entry
    Abstract:

    Adapted from prologue. “Since its rediscovery in the mid-nineteenth century the codex Cantares Mexicanos has come to be recognized as the chief source of Aztec poetry and one of the monuments of American Indian literature (…) Over the years a tradition has gradually been established that views the Cantares as a poet’s miscellany, studded with lyrics composed by famous kings (…) [Bierhorst’s edition] breaks with this tradition (…) The findings [of the present study] in brief are these: The ninety-one songs in the Cantares, without exception, belong to a single genre, which flourishes during the third quarter of the sixteenth century. Netotiliztli (or dance associated with worldly entertainment) is the native name that appears to have been applied to the genre in its entirety. But for lack of certainty on this point, and for the sake of convenience, I have chosen to designate it by the term “ghost songs.” (…) the Aztec ghost song may be described as a musical performance in which warrior-singers summon the ghosts of ancestors in order to swell their ranks and overwhelm their enemies. (…) The Cantares itself (…) is limited to songs belonging to the city-state of Mexico, or to Mexico and its close ally, Azcapotzalco (…) Although it is possible that a few of the songs in the Cantares manuscripts were composed before the Conquest, by far the greater number belong to the post-Conquest period.”

    Comment: These cantares exemplify some of the ideas discussed by León-Portilla in Aztec Thought and Culture

    On DRL Full text
    León-Portilla, Miguel. Aztec Thought and Culture: A Study of the Ancient Nahuatl Mind
    1963 1963, University of Oklahoma Press.
    Chapter 4: 'The Approach to Man in Nahuatl Thought', pp. 104-132
    Expand entry

    Publisher's note: For at least two millennia before the advent of the Spaniards in 1519, there was a flourishing civilization in central Mexico. During that long span of time a cultural evolution took place which saw a high development of the arts and literature, the formulation of complex religious doctrines, systems of education, and diverse political and social organization. The rich documentation concerning these people, commonly called Aztecs, includes, in addition to a few codices written before the Conquest, thousands of folios in the Nahuatl or Aztec language written by natives after the Conquest. Adapting the Latin alphabet, which they had been taught by the missionary friars, to their native tongue, they recorded poems, chronicles, and traditions.

    The fundamental concepts of ancient Mexico presented and examined in this book have been taken from more than ninety original Aztec documents. They concern the origin of the universe and of life, conjectures on the mystery of God, the possibility of comprehending things beyond the realm of experience, life after death, and the meaning of education, history, and art. The philosophy of the Nahuatl wise men, which probably stemmed from the ancient doctrines and traditions of the Teotihuacans and Toltecs, quite often reveals profound intuition and in some instances is remarkably “modern.”

    This English edition is not a direct translation of the original Spanish, but an adaptation and rewriting of the text for the English-speaking reader.

    Comment: This chapter introduces key concepts in the Nahua conception of human beings. Firstly, it introduces the idea that human beings are created out of necessity by the gods, and the idea that they find themselves in a precarious situation. It also introduces the concepts of heart (yóllotl) and face (ix-tli) as the key concepts to understand human being’s dynamic nature. While the face can be understood as that which makes each person an individual and that which needs to be developed (we can assimilate it to a notion of the self), the heart is taken to be the dynamic center of human being’s psychological life. The chapter also focuses on the destiny of human beings on earth and in the afterlife, as well as to the notion of free will that is at play.

    On DRL Full text
    Padilla, Amado, Salgado De Snyder, V. Nelly. Psychology in Pre-Columbian Mexico
    1988 1988, Hispanic Journal of Behavioral Sciences, 10 (1): 55-66.
    Further reading
    Expand entry
    Abstract:

    Aztec psychological thought is described in this paper. The Pre-Columbian world of the Aztecs was characterized by Spanish chroniclers as being as sophisticated in the sciences and medicine as anything found in Europe at the time of the conquest of Mexico. This knowledge included a belief structure about the development of personality and the way in which Aztec society socialized the person. Concepts of psychological equilibrium and well-being are also found within Aztec medicine. Psychological dysfunctions were identified by Aztec healers and "talking" therapies not unlike today's psychotherapeutic techniques could be found.

    Comment: The sections “Psychological well-being or in ixtli – in yollotl”, “Teachers of knowledge and face”, “Illness and the community”, and “Aztec healers or psychotherapists” provide a clear and helpful discussion on the concepts of destiny, free will, precarious nature of human beings on earth, and, more generally, on Nahua psychology.

    Study Questions

    1. In what sense are human beings in a precarious situation on earth?
      León-Portilla introduces the narration of Quetzalcóatl’s trip to Mictlan (the underworld) that relates to the origin of human beings, what is the moral of this narration regarding the human nature?
    2. What is the Nahuatl understanding of “face” (ix-tli) and its development?
    3. What is the Nahuatl understanding of “heart” (yollotl) and what could it mean to say that it is dynamic?
    4. How did Nahuatl thought made compatible the idea that human beings have a certain predetermined fate and destiny with the idea that they can have some control over it?
    5. What is the tlamatimine or sage’s role in the development of human beings and in their understanding of the true of human being’s origin and nature?
    6. How is the idea that the value of life on earth is limited expressed in the Cantares “Beginning of the songs” and “A song of green places…”?
    7. Read the cantar “Flower song” and think: what is the heart’s desire and why cannot it be found on earth?
    1. In what sense are human beings in a precarious situation on earth?
      León-Portilla introduces the narration of Quetzalcóatl’s trip to Mictlan (the underworld) that relates to the origin of human beings, what is the moral of this narration regarding the human nature?
    2. What is the Nahuatl understanding of “face” (ix-tli) and its development?
    3. What is the Nahuatl understanding of “heart” (yollotl) and what could it mean to say that it is dynamic?
    4. How did Nahuatl thought made compatible the idea that human beings have a certain predetermined fate and destiny with the idea that they can have some control over it?
    5. What is the tlamatimine or sage’s role in the development of human beings and in their understanding of the true of human being’s origin and nature?
    6. How is the idea that the value of life on earth is limited expressed in the Cantares “Beginning of the songs” and “A song of green places…”?
    7. Read the cantar “Flower song” and think: what is the heart’s desire and why cannot it be found on earth?
    Week 5. Body and vital forces

    Alfredo López Austin discusses the Aztec view of the body and the soul. According to him, the body was thought to be composed of two types of substances distinguished in virtue of their material features. Further, there was a substance that can be associated with the modern concept of souls. López Austin proposes that ancient Nahuas thought of human psychological life as having a tripartite structure, distinguishing between three animistic entities: tonalli, teyolia, and ihíyotl. Tonalli is associated with warmth and the radiation of heat, and seen as a force that animates an individual. Although it is mainly located in the head, it is also distributed across the entire body. Teyolía, in turn, is the animistic entity or force that is thought to abandon the body after death. There is a strong associated between teyolia and winged creatures, particularly birds, into which the human soul turned to travel to the afterlife world. This force is associated with the heart to which cognitive, affective, and volitive functions are attributed. Finally, ihiyotl is a force or gas thought to be located in the liver, but can also be introduced into the individual or occasionally emanate from them. This force is associated with some negative emotions and attitudes (e.g. greed and anger). As in other respects, Nahuatl medicine emphasized the relevance of keeping this force and its emanations in balance.

    The proposed passage of the Florentine Codex As further illustrates the association between passing away and transforming into a bird. The further passages from the Florentine Codex are related to pure life and the knowledge of an individual. These passages are typically seen as sources which illuminate the Nahuatl concept of the heart.

    As further reading, we suggest the paper by Olko & Madaczak, in which they critically discuss López Austin’s proposal. They suggest that we should consider tonalli as the animistic entity that was most likely to be present in pre-Hispanic thought.

    Alfredo López Austin discusses the Aztec view of the body and the soul. According to him, the body was thought to be composed of two types of substances distinguished in virtue of their material features. Further, there was a substance that can be associated with the modern concept of souls. López Austin proposes that ancient Nahuas thought of human psychological life as having a tripartite structure, distinguishing between three animistic entities: tonalli, teyolia, and ihíyotl. Tonalli is associated with warmth and the radiation of heat, and seen as a force that animates an individual. Although it is mainly located in the head, it is also distributed across the entire body. Teyolía, in turn, is the animistic entity or force that is thought to abandon the body after death. There is a strong associated between teyolia and winged creatures, particularly birds, into which the human soul turned to travel to the afterlife world. This force is associated with the heart to which cognitive, affective, and volitive functions are attributed. Finally, ihiyotl is a force or gas thought to be located in the liver, but can also be introduced into the individual or occasionally emanate from them. This force is associated with some negative emotions and attitudes (e.g. greed and anger). As in other respects, Nahuatl medicine emphasized the relevance of keeping this force and its emanations in balance.

    The proposed passage of the Florentine Codex As further illustrates the association between passing away and transforming into a bird. The further passages from the Florentine Codex are related to pure life and the knowledge of an individual. These passages are typically seen as sources which illuminate the Nahuatl concept of the heart.

    As further reading, we suggest the paper by Olko & Madaczak, in which they critically discuss López Austin’s proposal. They suggest that we should consider tonalli as the animistic entity that was most likely to be present in pre-Hispanic thought.

    On DRL Full text
    de Sahagún, Bernardino. Florentine Codex: General History of the Things of New Spain
    2012 2012, Arthur J. O. Anderson and Charles E. Dibble (eds. and trans.). University of Utah Press.
    Book 3 p. 49; Book 3, pp. 25 and 114-115
    Expand entry

    Publisher’s note: “Two of the world’s leading scholars of the Aztec language and culture have translated Sahagún’s monumental and encyclopedic study of native life in Mexico at the time of the Spanish Conquest. This immense undertaking is the first complete translation into any language of Sahagún’s Nahuatl text, and represents one of the most distinguished contributions in the fields of anthropology, ethnography, and linguistics.

    Written between 1540 and 1585, the Florentine Codex (so named because the manuscript has been part of the Laurentian Library’s collections since at least 1791) is the most authoritative statement we have of the Aztecs’ lifeways and traditions—a rich and intimate yet panoramic view of a doomed people.

    The Florentine Codex is divided by subject area into twelve books and includes over 2,000 illustrations drawn by Nahua artists in the sixteenth century.”

    Comment: Recommended passages which address passing away and a person’s transformation into birds, as well as pure life and the knowledge of an individual: Book 3 p. 49; Book 3, pp. 25 and 114-115. These passages are typically seen as sources to illuminate the Nahuatl concept of the heart.

    On DRL Full text
    López-Austin, Alfredo. The Human Body in the Mexica Worldview
    2017 2017, In The Oxford Handbook of the Aztecs, Deborah L. Nichols and Enrique Rodríguez-Alegría (eds.). Oxford University Press.
    pp. 399 – 409
    Expand entry
    Abstract:

    For the ancient Mexicas, the composition of the human body was similar to that of the cosmos, with both being composed of dense and light substances. The light substance of the human body was divine in nature and formed the different souls of each human being. Some souls were indispensable for human existence while others were unnecessary and often harmful. The dense part of the human body functioned through its union with the souls. Like the different souls, the dense parts of the human body also had specific functions dedicated to different activities. For example, human thought derived primarily from the heart. Souls could be damaged, which could cause them to malfunction and lead to illness and possibly death in the human being. As the souls were divine, each was a conscious being with its own personality; thus there could be disagreements between them. Disharmony could also lead to illness.

    Comment: Because of the difficulty of López-Austin’s text, it is proposed to focus only on some sections. Specifically, from chapter 5 focus on the section that introduces the location of animistic states and processes, the section on the linguistic group yol, yollo, the linguistic group tonal, the linguistic group cua, and the linguistic group ihío. Finally, read the section on the animistic centers. Individual members of the reading group can also choose to focus each on one of the animistic entity presented in chapter 6. For illustration of the concepts discussed, consider also reading Bernardino de Sahagún's Florentine Codex.

    On DRL Full text Read free
    Olko, Justyna, Madajczak, Julia. An Animating Principle in Confrontation with Christianity? De(re)constructing the Nahua ‘Soul’
    2019 2019, Ancient Mesoamerica, 30: 75-88.
    Further reading
    Expand entry
    Abstract:

    -Yolia is one of the principal indigenous terms present in Christian Nahua terminology in the first decades of European contact. It is employed for “soul” or “spirit” and often forms a doublet with ánima in Nahuatl texts of an ecclesiastical, devotional, or secular nature. the term -Yolia/teyolia has also lived a rich and fascinating life in scholarly literature. Its etymology (“the means for one’s living”) is strikingly similar to that of the Spanish word “ánima”, or “soul.” Taking into account the possibility that attestations of the seemingly pre-Hispanic -Yolia can be identified in some of the written sources, we have reviewed historical, linguistic, and anthropological evidence concerning this term in order to revisit the Nahua concept of the “soul.” we also scrutinize the very origin of -Yolia in academic discourse. this analysis, based on broader historical and linguistic evidence referring to both pre-Conquest beliefs and Christianization in sixteenth-century central Mexico, is the point of departure for proposing and substantiating an alternative hypothesis about the origin of -yolia. Our precise focus has been to trace and pinpoint a pervasive Christian influence, manifest both in indigenous Colonial texts and conceptual frameworks of modern scholars interpreting them. we conclude that -Yolia is a neologism created in the early Colonial period.

    Comment: Offers a critical discussion of López Austin’s 'The Human Body in the Mexica Worldview'. They propose to consider tonalli as the animistic entity that was most likely to be present in pre-Hispanic thought.

    Study Questions

    1. What are the substances that compose the body?
    2. How does López Austin divide the different types of souls?
    3. What is the relation between the body and the substances related to the soul? In what sense are they dynamic?
    4. How does the question about the origin of human beings and that about the origin of tonalli relate to each other?
    5. What are the main features and functions of teyolía? What its function? In what sense is teyolía collective? Considering López Austin’s characterization of death, what’s the relation between teyolía and its human host?
    6. What are the features of tonalli? How do you make sense of the idea that one must care for their tonalli?
    7. What are the features and functions of ihíyotl?
    8. Why are the passages related to death and the transformation of a person into a bird taken in relation to the nature of the heart?
    9. To which organs does the passage in page 25 of book 6 of the Florentine Codex associate the knowledge of the individual?
    10. How is the pure life characterized in page 114 of book 6 of the Florentine Codex?
    1. What are the substances that compose the body?
    2. How does López Austin divide the different types of souls?
    3. What is the relation between the body and the substances related to the soul? In what sense are they dynamic?
    4. How does the question about the origin of human beings and that about the origin of tonalli relate to each other?
    5. What are the main features and functions of teyolía? What its function? In what sense is teyolía collective? Considering López Austin’s characterization of death, what’s the relation between teyolía and its human host?
    6. What are the features of tonalli? How do you make sense of the idea that one must care for their tonalli?
    7. What are the features and functions of ihíyotl?
    8. Why are the passages related to death and the transformation of a person into a bird taken in relation to the nature of the heart?
    9. To which organs does the passage in page 25 of book 6 of the Florentine Codex associate the knowledge of the individual?
    10. How is the pure life characterized in page 114 of book 6 of the Florentine Codex?
    Week 6. Perception and the senses

    What is the Nahua conception of perception? And how does this relate to pictorial expression? This is the theme that guides these readings. The proposed reading is the paper “Sensorial Experiences in Mesoamerica” by Sarah E. Newman. In this paper, Newman begins by discussing the methodological challenges of understanding the experiences of ancient cultures. One of the ideas she emphasizes from precious scholarship is the claim that perception is not seen as passive and was taken to be the centre of consciousness. Newman goes through each of the five senses, noting the relevance of multi-modality for Nahua understanding of perceptual experience.

    To link this theme to that of understanding and communication, a paper on the senses in Mesoamerican cultures has been proposed as further reading. One of the guiding ideas of the paper by Houston & Taube (2000) is that the Mesoamerican conception of perception is synesthetic insofar as their material culture aimed at evoking multi-modal experiences. According to the authors, writing was meant to be accompanied by oral expression.

    To explore this idea, it is suggested to read some sections of the paper “Aztec Pictorial Narratives” by Isabel Laack which analyses the embodied metaphors found in the pictorial manuscript Mapa de Cuauhtinchan no. 2 (the map of Cuauhtinchan number 2) based on the theory of embodied cognition proposed by Lakoff and Johnson. According to the latter, our concepts are grounded on embodied metaphors. Laack’s proposal is that Aztec pictographic manuscript exploits these kinds of concepts to enable the communication of non-propositional meaning.

    What is the Nahua conception of perception? And how does this relate to pictorial expression? This is the theme that guides these readings. The proposed reading is the paper “Sensorial Experiences in Mesoamerica” by Sarah E. Newman. In this paper, Newman begins by discussing the methodological challenges of understanding the experiences of ancient cultures. One of the ideas she emphasizes from precious scholarship is the claim that perception is not seen as passive and was taken to be the centre of consciousness. Newman goes through each of the five senses, noting the relevance of multi-modality for Nahua understanding of perceptual experience.

    To link this theme to that of understanding and communication, a paper on the senses in Mesoamerican cultures has been proposed as further reading. One of the guiding ideas of the paper by Houston & Taube (2000) is that the Mesoamerican conception of perception is synesthetic insofar as their material culture aimed at evoking multi-modal experiences. According to the authors, writing was meant to be accompanied by oral expression.

    To explore this idea, it is suggested to read some sections of the paper “Aztec Pictorial Narratives” by Isabel Laack which analyses the embodied metaphors found in the pictorial manuscript Mapa de Cuauhtinchan no. 2 (the map of Cuauhtinchan number 2) based on the theory of embodied cognition proposed by Lakoff and Johnson. According to the latter, our concepts are grounded on embodied metaphors. Laack’s proposal is that Aztec pictographic manuscript exploits these kinds of concepts to enable the communication of non-propositional meaning.

    On DRL Full text Read free
    Unknown. The Mapa de Cuauhtinchan No. 2
    1300 1500 1599, Resource available at: http://mesoamerica.info/mapa-de-cuautinchan-II.
    Expand entry

    Summary: The Mapa de Cuauhtinchan II is a historical-cartographical document from the early colonial period from the state of Puebla, which is likely a copy of an older document from the early post-classic period. This document was declared a historical monument on June 24th, 1963, by the Mexican National Institute of Anthropology and History. The number 2 was assigned to distinguish it from other maps [found in Cuauhtinchan]. To this day, there are four maps registered in this town that pertained to the sixteenth century. Together they constitute a set of sources intimately related in virtue of its pictographic style, as well as of its historic and cartographic content. The Mapa de Cuauhtinchan II is considered one among the historical-cartographical documents that served to state arguments and justifications in defense of political and territorial rights of the ethnic groups who authored them. Along with the oral tradition, they conform Mesoamerican historiography. The historical information they provide refers to the Chichimeca groups of people that left Chicomoztoc in the twelfth century as a response to the calling of the Tolteca-Chichimeca people to conquer the allies of the Olmeca Xicallanca people in Cholula, Puebla.

    Translated from Mesoamerican Research Foundation (n.d.), Mapa de Cuauhtínchan II, available at http://mesoamerica.info/mapa-de-cuautinchan-II.

    On DRL Full text Read free
    Newman, Sarah E.. Sensorial experiences in Mesoamerica: Existing Scholarship and Possibilities
    2019 2019, In The Routledge Handbook of Sensory Archaeology, Robin Skeates and Jo Day (eds.). Routledge.
    pp. 481 – 499
    Expand entry
    Abstract:

    The cultural construction of experience and perception has been a topic of interest among scholars working in Mesoamerica for decades. Archaeological remains, art, ancient and historic textual sources, and ethnographic observations complement and inform one another in those investigations, many of which stress the particular conceptions of bodies, sensorial hierarchies, and lived experiences across the culturally and linguistically connected region extending geographically from northern Mexico to Costa Rica. This chapter provides an overview of sensorial studies in Mesoamerica that highlights the rich and diverse evidence available. It emphasizes a diachronic, comparative approach, common in Mesoamericanist archaeology, which forces scholars to go beyond the identification of specific stimuli on discrete senses and enables them to study contexts of heightened synaesthetic experience, as well as those contexts’ affective and symbolic meanings. Finally, I suggest possibilities for considering an archaeology of the senses that extends beyond the limits of a singular human body in order to more fully embrace the conceptual nature of ancient Mesoamerican experience.

    Comment: Newman begins by discussing the methodological challenges of understanding the experiences of ancient cultures. One of the ideas she emphasizes from precious scholarship is the claim that perception is not seen as passive and was taken to be the centre of consciousness. Newman goes through each of the five senses, noting the relevance of multi-modality for Nahua understanding of perceptual experience. It is useful to read it accompanied by Isabel, Laack. Aztec Pictorial Narratives, and using the Mapa de Cuauhtinchan No. 2 as a reference.

    On DRL Full text Read free
    Isabel, Laack. Aztec Pictorial Narratives: Visual Strategies to Activate Embodied Meaning and the Transformation of Identity in the Mapa de Cuauhtinchan No. 2
    2020 2020, In Narrative Cultures and the Aesthetics of Religion, Dirk Johannsen, Anja Kirsch andJens Kreinath (eds.). Brill.
    Expand entry
    Abstract:

    In this chapter, Laack analyzes a migration account visually depicted in the Mexican early colonial pictorial manuscript known as the Mapa de Cuauhtinchan No. 2. This pictographic map tells the story of a group of Aztecs leaving their primordial home, changing their social, cultural, and religious identity through migration and the passing of ordeals, and finally settling in the town of Cuauhtinchan. It is painted in the style of Aztec pictography, which used visual imagery to convey thoughts and meanings in contrast to alphabetical scripts using abstract signs for linguistic sounds. Drawing on the theories of embodied metaphors and embodied meaning by philosopher Mark L. Johnson and cognitive linguist George P. Lakoff, I argue that Aztec pictography offers efficient and effective means to communicate embodied metaphors on a visual level and evokes complex layers of embodied meaning. In doing so, I intend to change perspective on the narrative powers of religious stories by transcending textual patterns of analysis and theory building and opening up to non-linguistic modes of experience and their influence on narrative structures and strategies.

    Comment: This paper analyses the embodied metaphors found in the pictorial manuscript Mapa de Cuauhtinchan no. 2 (the map of Cuauhtinchan number 2) based on the theory of embodied cognition proposed by Lakoff and Johnson. According to the latter, our concepts are grounded on embodied metaphors. Laack’s proposal is that Aztec pictographic manuscript exploits these kinds of concepts to enable the communication of non-propositional meaning. It is useful to read it accompanied by Newman, Sarah E.. Sensorial experiences in Mesoamerica

    On DRL Full text
    Houston, Stephen, Taube, Karl. An Archaeology of the Senses: Perception and Cultural Expression in Ancient Mesoamerica
    2000 2000, Cambridge Archeological Journal, 10 (2): 261 – 294.
    Further reading
    Expand entry
    Abstract:

    The ancient Maya and other Mesoamerican peoples showed an intense interest in invoking the senses, especially hearing, sight, and smell. The senses were flagged by graphic devices of synaesthetic or cross-sensory intent; writing and speech scrolls triggered sound, sightlines the acts and consequences of seeing, and flowery ornament indicated both scent and soul essence. As conceived anciently, the senses were projective and procreative, involving the notion of unity and shared essence in material and incorporeal realms. Among the Maya, spaces could be injected with moral and hierarchical valuation through visual fields known as y-ichnal. The inner mind extended to encompass outer worlds, in strong parallel to concepts of monism. From such evidence arises the possibility of reconstructing the phenomenology of ancient Mesoamericans.

    Study Questions

    1. What are the methodological challenges faced by sensorial studies?
      In what sense is sight active? How does the Nahua view of sight compare to that of Classical antiquity?
    2. How would you articulate the features that make sound relevant?
      What are the features of smell? What is the connection between the sense or smell and synesthetic experiences?
    3. What does Newman mean by ‘sensorial assemblages’? Why is it methodologically relevant for sensorial studies?
    4. Why is it relevant to consider that Mesoamerican cultures do not conceive of personhood as bounded to an individual body to study perception?
    5. What is the relation, in Aztec culture, between orality and literacy? Based on this, what is the role of Aztec pictographic writing system?
      How is the discourse of the Mapa mostly expressed?
    6. How does the Mapa achieve communicating non-propositional meaning?
    7. In light of López-Austin’s view of Nahuatl perception and the Houston & Taube’s idea that communication is multi-modal, how would you articulate the expressive potential of Nahuatl pictographic communication?
    1. What are the methodological challenges faced by sensorial studies?
      In what sense is sight active? How does the Nahua view of sight compare to that of Classical antiquity?
    2. How would you articulate the features that make sound relevant?
      What are the features of smell? What is the connection between the sense or smell and synesthetic experiences?
    3. What does Newman mean by ‘sensorial assemblages’? Why is it methodologically relevant for sensorial studies?
    4. Why is it relevant to consider that Mesoamerican cultures do not conceive of personhood as bounded to an individual body to study perception?
    5. What is the relation, in Aztec culture, between orality and literacy? Based on this, what is the role of Aztec pictographic writing system?
      How is the discourse of the Mapa mostly expressed?
    6. How does the Mapa achieve communicating non-propositional meaning?
    7. In light of López-Austin’s view of Nahuatl perception and the Houston & Taube’s idea that communication is multi-modal, how would you articulate the expressive potential of Nahuatl pictographic communication?
    MAYAN PHILOSOPHY

    Week 7. The Mayan conception of the soul

    What is the Mayan conception of human beings, their vital force, and their place in the universe? To address these topics, this session includes the reading of a section of the Popol Vuh, that tells the story of the Quiché people, a Mayan group in Guatemala, starting off from the creation. This story was kept through oral narration and was recorded in writing in the sixteenth century. The sections recommended for review focus on the creation of human beings, the several attempts at creating humans, how they were finally created perfect and how they were later changed so as not to be as gods. To accompany the reading of the Popol Vuh, a section of chapter 2 of the book Maya Cosmos has also been recommended. Here, Freidel, Schele & Parker (1995) contextualize the creation of human beings in the wider context of the Quiché creation myth.

    To further into the question about the Mayan conception of human beings, we have also recommended the first part of chapter 4 of Maya Cosmos. Here, the authors introduce the reader to the Mayan notion of k’ul (ch’ul), essence or vital force. As the authors note, k’ul is used to denote a sacred aspect of human that is not identical with their bodies but is inserted into them. According to some conceptions, however, this vital force, however, is not unique to human beings but has some kind of universality. The authors also discuss the notion of chanul (also kanul) which is a supernatural guardian that accompanies a person and shares with them their vital force. As a third concept of soul, the authors discuss the notion of the ‘white flower’ and the idea that the soul is created and abandons the body in the moment of death. Finally, to discuss the materiality of the soul, the authors introduce the K’awil, a god that “symbolizes the embodiment of spiritual force in material objects”. It is also suggested to take a look at the suggested pages of Houston’s The Life Within to see some pictorial representations of k’uh.

    As further reading, the section ‘Terms of embodiment’ of the introduction to Embodied Lives by Meskell & Joyce has been suggested. In this section, the authors discuss the materiality of the Mayan conception of human beings.

    What is the Mayan conception of human beings, their vital force, and their place in the universe? To address these topics, this session includes the reading of a section of the Popol Vuh, that tells the story of the Quiché people, a Mayan group in Guatemala, starting off from the creation. This story was kept through oral narration and was recorded in writing in the sixteenth century. The sections recommended for review focus on the creation of human beings, the several attempts at creating humans, how they were finally created perfect and how they were later changed so as not to be as gods. To accompany the reading of the Popol Vuh, a section of chapter 2 of the book Maya Cosmos has also been recommended. Here, Freidel, Schele & Parker (1995) contextualize the creation of human beings in the wider context of the Quiché creation myth.

    To further into the question about the Mayan conception of human beings, we have also recommended the first part of chapter 4 of Maya Cosmos. Here, the authors introduce the reader to the Mayan notion of k’ul (ch’ul), essence or vital force. As the authors note, k’ul is used to denote a sacred aspect of human that is not identical with their bodies but is inserted into them. According to some conceptions, however, this vital force, however, is not unique to human beings but has some kind of universality. The authors also discuss the notion of chanul (also kanul) which is a supernatural guardian that accompanies a person and shares with them their vital force. As a third concept of soul, the authors discuss the notion of the ‘white flower’ and the idea that the soul is created and abandons the body in the moment of death. Finally, to discuss the materiality of the soul, the authors introduce the K’awil, a god that “symbolizes the embodiment of spiritual force in material objects”. It is also suggested to take a look at the suggested pages of Houston’s The Life Within to see some pictorial representations of k’uh.

    As further reading, the section ‘Terms of embodiment’ of the introduction to Embodied Lives by Meskell & Joyce has been suggested. In this section, the authors discuss the materiality of the Mayan conception of human beings.

    On DRL Full text
    Unknown. Popol Vuh: The Mayan Book of the Dawn of Life
    1996 1996, Dennis Tedlock (trans.). Simon & Schuster.
    Part 1 pp. 73 – 74, and Part 4 pp. 145 - 151
    Expand entry

    Adapted from the preface: The Popol Vuh tells the story of the emergence of light in the darkness, from primordial glimmers to brilliant dawns, and from rain¬ storms as black as night to days so clear the very ends of the earth can be seen. A revised edition of this translation of the Popol Vuh has become necessary because the world of Mayan studies is itself a constantly brightening one. Advances in the understanding of Mayan languages, literature, art, history, politics, and astronomy have required changes in the introduction, notes, commentaries, glossary, and illustrations. There are also changes in the translation itself, some of them subtle refinements and others that readers of the previous edition may find surprising. And finally, an index has been added.”

    On DRL Full text Read free
    Houston, Stephen. The Life Within: Classic Maya and the Matter of Permanence
    2014 2014, Yale University Press.
    pp. 81-84
    Expand entry

    Publisher’s note: For the Classic Maya, who flourished in and around the Yucatan peninsula in the first millennium AD, artistic materials were endowed with an internal life. Far from being inert substances, jade, flint, obsidian, and wood held a vital essence, agency, and even personality. To work with these materials was to coax their life into full expression and to engage in witty play. Writing, too, could shift from hieroglyphic signs into vibrant glyphs that sprouted torsos, hands, and feet. Appearing to sing, grapple, and feed, they effectively blurred the distinction between text and image.In this first full study of the nature of Maya materials and animism, renowned Mayanist scholar Stephen Houston provides startling insights into a Pre-Columbian worldview that dramatically contrasts with western perspectives. Illustrated with more than one hundred photographs, images, and drawings, this beautifully written book reveals the Maya quest for transcendence in the face of inevitable death and decay.”

    On DRL Full text
    Freidel, David, Schele, Linda, Parker, Joy. Maya Cosmos: Three Thousand Years on the Shaman’s Path
    1995 1995, William Morrow.
    Chapter 2 (section ‘Creation in the Popol Vuh’) and Chapter 4, pp. 107-112 and 173-207
    Expand entry
    Abstract:

    The ancient Maya, through their shamans, kings, warriors, and scribes, created a legacy of power and enduring beauty. The landmark publication of A Forest of Kings presented the first accessible, dramatic history of this great civilization, written by experts in the translation of glyphs. Now, in Maya Cosmos, Freidel, Schele, and Parker examine Maya mythology and religion, unraveling the question of how these extraordinary people, five million strong, have managed to preserve their most sacred beliefs into modern times. In Maya Cosmos, the authors draw upon translations of sacred texts and histories spanning thousands of years to tell us a story of the Maya, not in our words but in theirs.

    Comment: The book contextualises the Mayan Popol Vuh. Chapter 2 contextualizes the creation of human beings in the wider context of the Quiché creation myth. Chapter 4 introduces the Mayan notions of k’ul (ch’ul), essence or vital force, used to denote a sacred aspect of human that is not identical with their bodies but is inserted into them; chanul (also kanul) which is a supernatural guardian that accompanies a person and shares with them their vital force; and the ‘white flower’ and the idea that the soul is created and abandons the body in the moment of death.

    On DRL Full text
    Meskell, Lynn M., Joyce, Resemary A.. Embodied Lives: Figuring Ancient Maya and Egyptian Experience
    2003 2003, Routledge.
    pp. 23-29

    Further reading

    Expand entry

    Publisher’s note: Examining a wide range of archaeological data, and using it to explore issues such as the sexual body, mind/body dualism, body modification, and magical practices, Lynn Meskell and Rosemary Joyce offer a new approach to the Ancient Egyptian and Mayan understanding of embodiment. Drawing on insights from feminist theory, art history, phenomenology, anthropology and psychoanalysis, the book takes bodily materiality as a crucial starting point to the understanding and formation of self in any society, and sheds new light on Ancient Egyptian and Maya cultures.

    The book shows how a comparative project can open up new lines of inquiry by raising questions about accepted assumptions as the authors draw attention to the long-term histories and specificities of embodiment, and make the case for the importance of ancient materials for contemporary theorization of the body. For students new to the subject, and scholars already familiar with it, this will offer fresh and exciting insights into these ancient cultures.

    Comment: pp. 23-29 offer a useful discussion of the materiality of the Mayan conception of human beings.

    Study Questions

    1. Think of the different ways in which human creation failed, what was missing at each attempt?
    2. What were the features of human beings when they were finally successfully made? What capacities did they have?
    3. How were human beings changed and why?
    4. What was the aim of the gods in creating humanity?
    5. In what sense can it be said that objects have a sacred quality? And what role can they fulfil in the relation between human and gods?
    6. What are the features of each of the notions of the soul discussed by Freidel, Schele & Parker?
    7. Who is K’awil and in what other ways is the term k’awil (or similar) used?
    8. What is the relation between k’awil and the vital force? How does this relate to sacrifices?
    9. How would you articulate the Mayan view of the relation between the soul, understood as a vital force, and the body?
    1. Think of the different ways in which human creation failed, what was missing at each attempt?
    2. What were the features of human beings when they were finally successfully made? What capacities did they have?
    3. How were human beings changed and why?
    4. What was the aim of the gods in creating humanity?
    5. In what sense can it be said that objects have a sacred quality? And what role can they fulfil in the relation between human and gods?
    6. What are the features of each of the notions of the soul discussed by Freidel, Schele & Parker?
    7. Who is K’awil and in what other ways is the term k’awil (or similar) used?
    8. What is the relation between k’awil and the vital force? How does this relate to sacrifices?
    9. How would you articulate the Mayan view of the relation between the soul, understood as a vital force, and the body?
    Week 8. Personhood

    McLeod begins by asking whether, for ancient Mayans, the name of rulers or gods is a case of proper names or of function names, i.e. a description of a role. He is interested in a Mayan view discussed in previous chapters according to which the attributes of e.g. an exemplary ruler are attached to the role they fulfilled. For McLeod, the Mayan view is partly supported by their metaphysical views on the self. As preamble to his discussion of the Mayan notion of personhood, McLeod provides some comparison between the Mayan view of the self to that of other traditions. He refers, too, to the sacrality of objects discussed in the previous session. McLeod, then, moves on to discuss the ideas that Mayan personhood can be collective and that someone’s essence can extend to material artifacts. The text also includes a discussion of the Mayan notion of substitution (k’ex), the act in which someone took the essence of a god.

    In light of McLeod’s remarks on the relevance of performance for Mayan understanding of personhood and substitution, it is worth considering here that the Popol Vuh was orally transmitted. It is also worth reading the prayer recommended by Andrés Xiloj Peruch to Dennis Tedlock when he was working on the translation of the Popol Vuh.

    As further reading, it is also suggested to review the short paper by Evon Vogt where he discusses the concept of souls of the Mayan people from Zinacanteco, a municipality in Chiapas, Mexico. It might also be interesting to compare McLeod’s view with Gillespie’s.

    McLeod begins by asking whether, for ancient Mayans, the name of rulers or gods is a case of proper names or of function names, i.e. a description of a role. He is interested in a Mayan view discussed in previous chapters according to which the attributes of e.g. an exemplary ruler are attached to the role they fulfilled. For McLeod, the Mayan view is partly supported by their metaphysical views on the self. As preamble to his discussion of the Mayan notion of personhood, McLeod provides some comparison between the Mayan view of the self to that of other traditions. He refers, too, to the sacrality of objects discussed in the previous session. McLeod, then, moves on to discuss the ideas that Mayan personhood can be collective and that someone’s essence can extend to material artifacts. The text also includes a discussion of the Mayan notion of substitution (k’ex), the act in which someone took the essence of a god.

    In light of McLeod’s remarks on the relevance of performance for Mayan understanding of personhood and substitution, it is worth considering here that the Popol Vuh was orally transmitted. It is also worth reading the prayer recommended by Andrés Xiloj Peruch to Dennis Tedlock when he was working on the translation of the Popol Vuh.

    As further reading, it is also suggested to review the short paper by Evon Vogt where he discusses the concept of souls of the Mayan people from Zinacanteco, a municipality in Chiapas, Mexico. It might also be interesting to compare McLeod’s view with Gillespie’s.

    On DRL Full text
    McLeod, Alexus. Philosophy of the Ancient Maya: Lords of Time
    2018 2018, Lexington Books.
    pp. 131-160
    Expand entry

    Publisher’s note: This book investigates some of the central topics of metaphysics in the philosophical thought of the Maya people of Mesoamerica, particularly from the Preclassic through Postclassic periods. This book covers the topics of time, change, identity, and truth, through comparative investigation integrating Maya texts and practices — such as Classic Period stelae, Postclassic Codices, and Colonial-era texts such as the Popol Vuh and the books of Chilam Balam — and early Chinese philosophy.

    Comment: McLeod begins by asking whether, for ancient Mayans, the name of rulers or gods is a case of proper names or of function names, i.e. a description of a role. He is interested in a Mayan view discussed in previous chapters according to which the attributes of e.g. an exemplary ruler are attached to the role they fulfilled. For McLeod, the Mayan view is partly supported by their metaphysical views on the self. As preamble to his discussion of the Mayan notion of personhood, McLeod provides some comparison between the Mayan view of the self to that of other traditions. He refers, too, to the sacrality of objects discussed in the previous session. McLeod, then, moves on to discuss the ideas that Mayan personhood can be collective and that someone’s essence can extend to material artifacts. The text also includes a discussion of the Mayan notion of substitution (k’ex), the act in which someone took the essence of a god.

    On DRL Full text Read free
    Unknown. Popol Vuh: The Mayan Book of the Dawn of Life.
    1996 1550 1600 1650 1700 1729, Dennis Tedlock (trans.). Simon & Schuster.
    pp. 18-19
    Expand entry

    Adapted from the preface: The Popol Vuh tells the story of the emergence of light in the darkness, from primordial glimmers to brilliant dawns, and from rainstorms as black as night to days so clear the very ends of the earth can be seen. A revised edition of this translation of the Popol Vuh has become necessary because the world of Mayan studies is itself a constantly brightening one. Advances in the understanding of Mayan languages, literature, art, history, politics, and astronomy have required changes in the introduction, notes, commentaries, glossary, and illustrations. There are also changes in the translation itself, some of them subtle refinements and others that readers of the previous edition may find surprising. And finally, an index has been added.

    On DRL Full text
    Vogt, Evon Z.. Zinacanteco ‘Souls’
    1965 1965, Man, 65: 33 - 35.
    Further reading
    Expand entry
    Abstract:

    In this paper, Vogt describes the notion of the soul of the people from Zinacateco, Mexico, by drawing on Tzotzil concepts. He specifically focuses on two notions that can be assoacied with the soul, namely ch’ulel and chanul. He briefly discusses the social relevance of these notions.

    On DRL Full text
    Gillespie, Susan D. The Extended Person in Maya Ontology
    2021 2021, Estudios Latinoamericanos, 41: 105 – 127.
    Further reading
    Expand entry
    Abstract:

    For the Maya reality is a unified whole within which every entity shares in the same fundamental animating principle. This is a relational ontology whereby no phenomenon is self-contained but emerges from relations with others, including humans and non-humans, in various fi elds of action. Th is ontology correlates with a more encompassing “process metaphysic” in which reality is in constant flux, continually “becoming.” The process metaphysic envisioned by philosopher Alfred North Whitehead provides a technical language for analyzing the composition and extension of Maya persons, using the model of personhood developed by anthropologist Marcel Mauss. In life individual Maya persons assembled divergent components endowed by their maternal and paternal ancestors, which were subsequently disassembled upon their deaths. They also assembled non-corporeal components–souls and names–that linked them to existences beyond the physical boundaries and timelines of their bodies. Aspects of personhood were also shared by objects worn or manipulated by humans. Persons were thus extended in space and in time, outliving individual human beings. Maya belief and practice reveals the fundamental process known as k’ex, “replacement” or “substitution,” accounts for much of the flux and duration of the universe as a Maya-specific mode of “becoming.”

    Study Questions

    1. Why would it be unintuitive for the Mayans to accept a view of the self as an entity distinct from its community and that retains its identity over time?
    2. What is the Mayan understanding of an entity that contains another entity? What is the connection between this idea and the relevance of performance, ritual, and repetition in Mayan thought?
    3. In what sense did material artifacts (e.g. stelae and monuments) contained the essence of the person they memorialized?
    4. What is the way of an individual? How is it different from their ch’ul? In what sense is way collective?
    5. How can someone’s essence extend beyond the boundaries of their body?
    6. What is, according to McLeod substitution (k’ex)? How is this exemplified in sacrifices? What does this tell us about individual and collective essences?
    7. What is the relation between the self (baah) and the body?
      How does the Mayan view of the soul compare to that of the Nahuas? In what sense is the notion of baah similar to that of tonalli, and that of ch’ul to that of teyolia?
    1. Why would it be unintuitive for the Mayans to accept a view of the self as an entity distinct from its community and that retains its identity over time?
    2. What is the Mayan understanding of an entity that contains another entity? What is the connection between this idea and the relevance of performance, ritual, and repetition in Mayan thought?
    3. In what sense did material artifacts (e.g. stelae and monuments) contained the essence of the person they memorialized?
    4. What is the way of an individual? How is it different from their ch’ul? In what sense is way collective?
    5. How can someone’s essence extend beyond the boundaries of their body?
    6. What is, according to McLeod substitution (k’ex)? How is this exemplified in sacrifices? What does this tell us about individual and collective essences?
    7. What is the relation between the self (baah) and the body?
      How does the Mayan view of the soul compare to that of the Nahuas? In what sense is the notion of baah similar to that of tonalli, and that of ch’ul to that of teyolia?
    Week 9. Mayan experience of time

    What is the Mayan conception of time and of the experience of time? To illustrate the Mayan conception of time as cyclical, it is suggested to read some sections of the introduction the Chilam Balam of Tizimin edited and translated by Munro S. Edmonson. As explained here by Edmonson, the Chilam Balam constitute a set of books that have been shaped over centuries by Yucatecan Maya people. According to Edmonson, the Chilam Balam of Tizimin is the most historical of the books. It contains the history of Yucatan, Mexico, from the seventh to the nineteenth century, covering each katun (k’atun) or period of approx. 20 years. The task of recording each katun and predicting upcoming events fell on the shoulders of priests. As an introduction, Edmonson begins by explaining the Mayan view of history as cyclical and predictable. He also provides a summary of the history told by this book.

    While it has been typically argued that the Mayan view of time is cyclical, the suggested paper by Markus Eberl puts pressure to this view. His aim is to change the focus from the conception of time to the experience of time. To this end, Eberl draws on the phenomenological views of Edmund Husserl and Merleau-Ponty to argue that Mayan perception of time is experienced spatially.

    As further reading, it is suggested to review the sections ‘Time as a construct of human-nature cooperation’ and ‘Calendars and ordering’ in McLeod’s Philosophy of the Ancient Maya. Here, McLeod discusses the sense in which time was, for Ancient Mayans, both a human and a natural phenomenon. He also discusses the idea that the ordering of time has a crucial political component.

    What is the Mayan conception of time and of the experience of time? To illustrate the Mayan conception of time as cyclical, it is suggested to read some sections of the introduction the Chilam Balam of Tizimin edited and translated by Munro S. Edmonson. As explained here by Edmonson, the Chilam Balam constitute a set of books that have been shaped over centuries by Yucatecan Maya people. According to Edmonson, the Chilam Balam of Tizimin is the most historical of the books. It contains the history of Yucatan, Mexico, from the seventh to the nineteenth century, covering each katun (k’atun) or period of approx. 20 years. The task of recording each katun and predicting upcoming events fell on the shoulders of priests. As an introduction, Edmonson begins by explaining the Mayan view of history as cyclical and predictable. He also provides a summary of the history told by this book.

    While it has been typically argued that the Mayan view of time is cyclical, the suggested paper by Markus Eberl puts pressure to this view. His aim is to change the focus from the conception of time to the experience of time. To this end, Eberl draws on the phenomenological views of Edmund Husserl and Merleau-Ponty to argue that Mayan perception of time is experienced spatially.

    As further reading, it is suggested to review the sections ‘Time as a construct of human-nature cooperation’ and ‘Calendars and ordering’ in McLeod’s Philosophy of the Ancient Maya. Here, McLeod discusses the sense in which time was, for Ancient Mayans, both a human and a natural phenomenon. He also discusses the idea that the ordering of time has a crucial political component.

    On DRL Full text
    Unknown. The Ancient Future of the Itza: The Book of Chilam Balam of Tizimin
    1982 1600 1650 1700 1750, Munro S. Edmonson (ed. and trans.). University of Texas Press.
    pp. xi – xiii and xvi – xx
    Expand entry

    Publisher’s note: The title of Edmonson's work refers to the Mayan custom of first predicting their history and then living it, and it may be that no other peoples have ever gone so far in this direction. The Book of Chilam Balam was a sacred text prepared by generations of Mayan priests to record the past and to predict the future. The official prophet of each twenty-year rule was the Chilam Balam, or Spokesman of the Jaguar—the Jaguar being the supreme authority charged with converting the prophet's words into fact.

    This is a literal but poetic translation of one of fourteen known manuscripts in Yucatecan Maya on ritual and history. It pictures a world of all but incredible numerological order, slowly yielding to Christianity and Spanish political pressure but never surrendering. In fact, it demonstrates the surprising truth of a secret Mayan government during the Spanish rule, which continued to collect tribute in the names of the ruined Classic cities and preserved the essence of the Mayan calendar as a legacy for the tradition's modern inheritors.

    The history of the Yucatecan Maya from the seventh to the nineteenth century is revealed. And this is history as the Maya saw it—of a people concerned with lords and priests, with the cosmology which justified their rule, and with the civil war which they perceived as the real dimension of the colonial period.

    A work of both history and literature, the Tizimin presents a great deal of Mayan thought, some of which has been suspected but not previously documented. Edmonson's skillful reordering of the text not only makes perfect historical sense but also resolves the long-standing problem of correlating the two colonial Mayan calendars. The book includes both interpretative and literal translations, as well as the Maya parallel couplets and extensive annotations on each page. The beauty of the sacred text is illuminated by the literal translation, while both versions unveil the magnificent historical, philosophical, and social traditions of the most sophisticated native culture in the New World.

    The prophetic history of the Tizimin creates a portrait of the continuity and vitality, of the ancient past and the foreordained future of the Maya.

    On DRL Full text Read free
    Eberl, Markus. ‘To Put in Order’: Classic Maya Concepts of Time and Space
    2015 2015, In The Measure and Meaning of Time in the Americas, A. Aveni (ed.). Dumbarton Oaks Research Library and Collection.
    pp. 79–104
    Expand entry
    Abstract:

    Summary adapted from the introduction: The ancient Maya shouldered the burden of time. J. Eric S. Thompson (1950) opens his Maya Hieroglyphic Writing: An Introduction with a collage of god-numbers who carry time units with their mecapal, or head strap. This iconic image has defined our understanding of classic Maya time as cyclical. (…) In the following, I shift the perspective from the “burden of time” to “burdened with time” in order to move from an abstract understanding of time to a study of its practice and bodily experience. I adapt Edmund Husserl’s work to develop a cognitive model of time that I apply to classic Maya culture.

    On DRL Full text Read free
    McLeod, Alexus. Philosophy of the Ancient Maya. Lords of Time
    2018 2018, Lexington Books.
    Sections ‘Time as a construct of human-nature cooperation’ and ‘Calendars and ordering’

    Further reading

    Expand entry

    Publisher’s note: This book investigates some of the central topics of metaphysics in the philosophical thought of the Maya people of Mesoamerica, particularly from the Preclassic through Postclassic periods. This book covers the topics of time, change, identity, and truth, through comparative investigation integrating Maya texts and practices — such as Classic Period stelae, Postclassic Codices, and Colonial-era texts such as the Popol Vuh and the books of Chilam Balam — and early Chinese philosophy.

    Study Questions

    1. Based on Edmonson’s account of the Mayan view of history, why and how can priests predict the fate of a katun?
    2. What was the disagreement between the Itza and the Xiu about?
    3. What was the relation between katun cycles and ruling rights?
    4. In what sense can the Mayan conception of time be thought of as a mechanical clock?
    5. According to Eberl reconstruction of Husserl’s position, what are retentions and protentions? What is the difference between reproduction and retention? Based on these notions, how would you articulate the idea that time is a feature of perceptual experience?
    6. How do the inscriptions in Copan Altar Q. and Zoomorph P. illustrate the Husserlian view of the experience of time? In what sense do each of these narrations create a different cognitive image of the narrated events?
    7. How does Eberl articulate the notion of tz’ak or time-ordering?
    8. In what sense do tz’ak counts allow rulers to stake a future claim?
    9. How does the ordering of time relate to the manipulation of space?
    10. How do Mayan rulers “embody time”?
    1. Based on Edmonson’s account of the Mayan view of history, why and how can priests predict the fate of a katun?
    2. What was the disagreement between the Itza and the Xiu about?
    3. What was the relation between katun cycles and ruling rights?
    4. In what sense can the Mayan conception of time be thought of as a mechanical clock?
    5. According to Eberl reconstruction of Husserl’s position, what are retentions and protentions? What is the difference between reproduction and retention? Based on these notions, how would you articulate the idea that time is a feature of perceptual experience?
    6. How do the inscriptions in Copan Altar Q. and Zoomorph P. illustrate the Husserlian view of the experience of time? In what sense do each of these narrations create a different cognitive image of the narrated events?
    7. How does Eberl articulate the notion of tz’ak or time-ordering?
    8. In what sense do tz’ak counts allow rulers to stake a future claim?
    9. How does the ordering of time relate to the manipulation of space?
    10. How do Mayan rulers “embody time”?

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