Charles Mills left important reflections on the nature, scope and perniciousness of racism. One of his most important works is The racial contract, in which he sought to introduce the concept of white supremacy into the social contract theory of Western Political philosophy. The contractarian tradition, he claimed, could be useful in explaining the exclusionary character of Western societies and institutions that systematically oppress racial minorities if one took racism as a constitutive element of the agreement. Accordingly, he proposed to understand the political institutions of Western societies as embodiments of a racial contract for the establishment and maintenance of a political system: white supremacy. Throughout the seminar, we will intend to grasp and discuss the main arguments put forward in the book, and to consider their implications for current normative questions related to racism and discrimination. The seminar will include not only weekly discussion sessions, but also a workshop towards the end of the semester (date and details will be announced).
- Kursleiter/in: Reza Mosayebi
- Kursleiter/in: Marco Antonio Toche Zevallos
- Kursleiter/in: Martina Tomczak