The Historical Philosophy of W.E.B. Du Bois

Course description: This course will examine the historical philosophy of the towering Black scholar and great freedom fighter of the 20th Century. We shall engage in close readings of Du Bois' classic work, The Souls of Black Folk (1903), as well as subsequent essays in his magisterial corpus, especially his classic autobiography Dusk of Dawn (1940).

Week 1: DuBois and the Catastrophic 20th Century

The Souls of Black Folk, pp 363-371

Dusk of Dawn, pp 551-571

Week 2: Black Education and the Quest for Freedom

The Souls of Black Folk, pp 372-391

Dusk of Dawn, pp 551-571

Week 3: The Crisis of Black Leadership

The Souls of Black Folk, pp 392-404

"The Talented Tenth," pp 842-861

"Marcus Garvey," pp 969-979

Week 4: Science, Empire, and the Meaning of Progress

The Souls of Black Folk, pp 405-438

Dusk of Dawn, pp 590-624

Week 5: Behind the Veil

The Souls of Black Folk, pp 439-474

Dusk of Dawn, pp 625-651, 681-715

Week 6: The White World and Black Subordination

The Souls of Black Folk, pp 475-492

Dusk of Dawn, pp 652-680

"The Souls of White Folk," pp 923-938

Week 7: Du Bois and the Plight of Black Women

"The Damnation of Women," pp 952-968

"So the Girl Marries," pp 1003-1009

Class 8: Black Religion, Rage, and the Absurd

The Souls of Black Folk, pp 506-535

“The Propaganda of History”, pp 1026-1047

“The Conservation of Races”, pp 815-826

“On Being Ashamed of Oneself: An Essay on Race Pride”, pp 1020-1025

Class 9: Revolution, Race, and the American Empire

The Souls of Black Folk, pp 536-547

Dusk of Dawn, pp 750-793