Advice from Martha Nussbaum
I love Martha Nussbaum. Its not only because we share similar philosophical interests (value of the emotions, philosophy of law, political theory, and cosmopolitanism) but because I also think that she combines brilliance, class, grace, and confidence in a very beautiful way. James Harmon has a book out called “Take My Advice” and has included […]
Foucault and Stop and Frisk
I recently finished Foucault’s “Discipline and Punish” and I believe I deserve an award. I will not go into detail why that is a victory for someone like myself who loves the analytical tradition of philosophy, universal definitions, and normative claims; I will save that for another post in which I will take time […]
SCOTUS, Kerry Washington, Myths, and Affirmative Action
Yesterday Supreme Court Justices began hearing arguments against and in support of affirmative action as an ethical necessity in achieving the goal of diversity in higher education. While this is not a new issue in public policy or within philosophy (Bernard Boxill & Howard McGary has written great articles about this issue), affirmative action is […]
Let My People Vote: What You Should Know and Do About Voter Suppression
I hear people all the time who are disillusioned by the political process say “my vote don’t matter”. My initial response is always “If it didn’t mater, then why have “they” and why do “they” try to stop you from voting”. The logical reason is because it does matter! Your vote matters. Forget the jargon […]
South Africa’s New BankNotes Featuring Nelson Mandela
You know when you have really made an impact in the world? NO, its not by the money that is thrown at your feet, its when the world creates money with your face on it in appreciation. South Africa has just released bank notes with the face of former South African president and political prisoner, […]
New Angela Davis Documentary Trailer & Free Essays Too
I love Dr. Angela Davis. As a black, woman philosopher I look up to her. As a human who wants to see change in the world, I admire her. Early this summer we got a peak into her infamous case through the Black Power MixTape, but soon we will see a documentary devoted fully to […]
The Truth About Brilliant Thinking
By the video above by Steven Johnson, I guess you have figured out that I do not agree with the myth of the arm chair philosopher, a person one sits and receives ideas and produce great philosophical thought all by his lonesome. No, I think differently. I believe that ideas are never self created. They […]
Attica Uprising Anniversary (Info & Resources)
41 years ago, the Attica Uprising came to an end when Governor Rockefeller (the same governor whose excessive drug laws would increase mass incarceration at astounding rates in NY) ordered State Troopers into the prison to kill and humiliate prisoners and the hostages, thereby ending three days of negotiations. Why many may say that it […]
Prisoner Art For Social Justice
John Jay College of Criminal Justice CUNY (university where I teach), is hosting a wonderful exhibit in their new art gallery called “Prisoner Art For Social Justice”. The exhibit comes from an organization called art for justice, that encourages prisoners to create art as well as promote ways to prevent crime and improve the criminal […]
Intellectuals & Activists To Speak Out Against Prisons 9/14 Harlem, Ny
To Commemorate the 41st Anniversary of the Attica Uprising and to discuss the current state of prisons, mass incarceration, prison industrial complex and more, intellectuals and activists will come together in Harlem this Friday. Come out and Hear Angela Davis, Michelle Alexander, Cornel West, Marc Lamont Hill, and others as they take part in a […]
5 Things Academics Can learn From Bill Clinton’s 2012 DNC Speech
Former President Bill Clinton gave a speech at the 2012 DNC that, by social media standards, rocked the nation. By the look of the articles I’ve read , it appears that pundits and writers think the same thing. For almost 50 minutes, Bill Clinton explained policy (not an interesting thing), but the people got it and the […]
How Sensitivity to Disgust Affects Your Moral and Political Views
A.J. Ayer in “Critique of Ethics” argues that moral judgments are not objective. He denies that they are even propositions at all. So for Ayer, when we say Fornication is wrong it is meaningless because there is no way to verify its truth or falsity. Ayer argues that moral judgments are simply expressions of disapproval […]
Socrates Vs. St. Paul: A Brief Response to Cornel West & Simon Critchley Conversation on Love
A few months back, Cornel West joined Simon Critchley in conversation at BAM. Critchely was there to discuss his new book, Faith of the Faithless:Experiments in Political Theology. (I didn’t make it. I’m just finding out the conversation happened and happened a few block from […]
Tales from Rutgers Summer Philosophy Institute 2012
This past week I had an opportunity to attend the Rutgers Summer Institute for Diversity in Philosophy. The week long institute was founded by Howard McGary as a way to recruit underrepresented students into philosophy and has been going strong for 20 years. Each day students read the work of philosophers and then engaged themselves […]
New York City and Activism
“Every revolution requires its thinkers. Every movement is grounded in a philosophy”- Dr. Anthony Monteiro. The Museum of the City of New York has a wonderful exhibit called “Activist New York”. It is a well informed exhibit that chronologically takes a look at activism since New York City’s inception. It begins with the Quakers fight […]
Schomburg center for research in black culture: A visit
I took a visit to the Schomburg to visit the Gordon Parks Exhibit and Moletta Sleet Jr. Exhibit in Harlem this week. Both were great photographers who documented black life at a time when blacks were fighting but also ascending. There is So much history and inspiration in each picture.
The Writer’s Life and George Orwell
This summer, in addition to teaching a summer course, I’ve been writing. I’ve been working on two papers, one for a chapter for a book and another is my writing sample. My summer has been filled with days and night full of research, writing, editing, rewriting, feedback, and more editing. Writing is not a task […]
Black People And Atheism
No one group is monolithic. That is why I think videos like this are important because they demythologized misconceptions we have about cultures. Usually when we think about people of faith, Blacks some to mind. I will let the Anthropologists explain the myriad of reasons but for one, faith for Blacks, particularly in America, have […]
Important Facts
Superstition and Reason
Today is Friday the 13th and I’m led to think about superstition. We all are somewhat familiar with it. It’s the rituals or the signs we interpret as bringing us good luck or bad luck. Here are some examples: “If your hand itches that means money is coming. If you walk under a ladder or […]
America, The Capitalists
It’s so strange how a rich nation like America can also be a nation that the Same nation that the info pic below describes… Here are some good reads about money, power, respect, and America. Is America more exceptional today than in 1776? by Bernstein and Isenberg SALON The 1 percent’s first fight -by Bernstein […]
The Examined Life: (Full Video)
The Examined Life is by far my favorite philosophy film. Filmmaker, Astra Taylor, takes philosophers’ walks with some of the most renowned figures in philosophy. During the walks they speak on topics such as meaning, our obligation to the poor, disabilities, meaning of philosophy, and the state’s role in the life of the individual. Some […]
Race and Gender In The Philosophy Field: A Free Collection of Essays
Hypatia has just released a free online collection of essays that focuses on gender and race issues in the field of philosophy. The Purpose of the collection is to … bring together essays published by Hypatia over a twenty year timespan that address the question of women’s place in the profession of philosophy. It includes […]
The 10 Commandments Of Good Thinking
KungfuHobbit prefers to call critical thinking; ‘How to think, not what to think’. That’s just fine with me. And if critical thinking is that, than I guess I am #TeamCritical. It would be great if our culture were not closed minded and instead less obsessed with collecting facts and open to learning how to think […]
Religion and Sex
It seems that all religions have something to say about sex. The Torah tells with whom and when not to have sex. Other religions have integrated their beliefs into law and therefore one can be killed for their sexual encounters. Some suggest that religions attempt to prohibit sexual practices has to do with a focus […]
This Week In Thought
Happy Friday. This week there has been some interesting ideas floating around the net from religion, same sex marriage, women and history. Im happy to share some things I believe you will find interesting. 1. Does Anayltical Thinking Erode Religious Belief (Religious DisPatches) 2. The Meaning of Same Sex Marriage (NY Times) 3. Guilty but […]
A Public Service Announcement to Whites on Behalf of the New Majority and other questions
If we honestly take a look at the “History of White People” as Historian Neil Painter calls it, we will witness that with their discovery of the world has also come domination and colonialism of the world. With their power have come white privilege. With their civilized perceptions have come superiority propaganda. With their large […]
Pastor Otis Moss III Speaks In Support Of Marriage Equality, Proving That the Black Church Doesnt Have Just One Voice
My Brother: Tell your brethren who are part of your ministerial coalition to “live their faith and not legislate their faith” for the Constitution is designed to protect the rights of all. We must learn to be more than a one-issue community and seek the beloved community where we may not all agree, but […]
Animals and Their Sense of Morality
I know there is something about our human species that makes us believe that we are special and superior. In his GroundWork for the Metaphysics of Morals, Immanuel Kant believed that the thing that points to our personhood is our ability to reason. With that rationality, he suggest that ethics has more to do with […]
How Men Are Trained to Hate Women
This Article by David Wong at cracked.com is simply Brilliant. It’s a humorous yet solid argument of how men are trained to hate women. He provides five reasons how that happens: 1) men are taught they are owed a beautiful woman, 2) men are trained at birth to see women as decorations, 3) men are […]
Scientific Case Against Racism
Throughout the centuries, people have found justification for the mistreatment of others by pointing to the differences among each other. The point is that if what justifies equality and proper treatment is humanness and rationality, that to deny someone of such mistreatment is to deny their humanness. Therefore, those of the past justified slavery with […]
Philosophy is Not a Science
When I fell in love with philosophy I did not perceive it as a science but as a part of the humanities. Matter of fact, I did not like what I believed to be the uncreative world of empirical research and knowledge. Although I knew that chemistry and biology helped our lives, I did not […]
The Cheat Song and Other Thoughts On Academic Integrity
After watching the cheating song video above it bought back memories of cheating instances while I was in school. At this point, I do not remember ever cheating while I was in school but I will not say that I have never done it. Matter of fact, I think I did provide a few […]
Newsweek Cover: Forget the Church, Follow Jesus
Arresting cover from Newsweek. Check out the article here from Andrew Sullivan. In the article he discusses what he calls “Christianity in Crisis”. This is a topic I often discuss and debate about nonstop with my theist and atheist friends. Here’s a brief excerpt. I have no concrete idea how Christianity will wrestle free of […]
Do I Look Suspicious and Other Essays On The Trayvon Martin Case
The above video is a PSA of sorts created by my alma mater Howard University. The students are a part of the Students For Justice Organization on campus and here they focus on addressing the erroneous stereotyping of black males in the United States. As one gentlemen shares, he is a graduate of the school […]
Gender, Sexuality, and Other Terms You Should Know
I think notions of sexuality, gender, and orientation needs to be discussed and explained. I think the pic below provides a good beginners lesson.
What if Dr. Seuss Studied Social Philosophy?
What if Dr. Seuss studied social and political philosophy? I’m pretty sure these would be some of the books we would be left with.
My New Article: Our Obsession, Love, and Need for Satan (HuffPost)
I have a new article at the HuffPost Religion about our Obsession and Need for Satan. Here is a little excerpt. To read the rest, please visit here. In the beginning of every semester I discuss ancient Jewish monotheism with my students in the World Religions and Western Civilization college courses I teach. In the […]
What Philosophers Do–The Philosophers’ Response to the “What I Really Do” Meme
I think this meme really describe the perceptions about and reality of philosophers. My friends really do believe that I have the best job ever. They think that my classes are filled with adult students so that means at least they listen to me. They think my classes are just cafe style meetings where we […]
Your Brain in Love, Lust, and Breakup Mode
I love the philosophy of love and sex. Love and sex is what makes the world go round,( I think), so reflecting and theorizing about it is something I truly adore. And I mean intellectually reflecting and theorizing about it!!!! It is also something that the world is extremely scared of talking about, engaging in, […]