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Instructor: Jeanine Weekes
Office: 1414 University Hall
Office Hours: Tuesday & Thursday 1 - 1:30pm and by appointment
Contact Me: By email—weekes@uic.edu or by phone—996-2382

This class will explore some of the themes that arise in modern philosophy from two perspectives: black and white. We will begin with Descartes, the father of modern philosophy. We will discuss and characterize his project in the Meditations on First Philosophy; his assumptions; his conclusions; as well as some of the consequences of his view. Black philosophy has offered criticism and a contrast to several of the assumptions and conclusions of Descartes view. Among the issues we will consider are: What can we know about the world? Which is more apparent: the truth of ourselves or the truth of the world? Are we free? What is freedom? What is the importance of the debate over freedom? The assumptions of many of the critiques we will read is that the history of modern philosophy is inherently racist (and I would argue sexist and classist as well). We will debate these issues as well.