PHILOS 4W03- Independant Study

Course Topic

This independent study examines the metaphysics of race, focusing on debates between racial realism, anti-realism, and social constructionist accounts. The course examines whether race is best understood as a biologically grounded category, a socially constructed concept, or a term that ought to be eliminated from serious metaphysical and scientific discourse.

Assessment and Deadlines

Meeting Preparation and Participation

Throughout the term20%

Regular preparation for meetings, including completion of assigned readings, submission of discussion notes or questions as required, and active participation in supervisory meetings.

Research Proposal

Midterm20%

A written research proposal (approximately 2-4 pages) outlining the central research question, tentative thesis, methodological approach, and preliminary bibliography. The proposal will guide the direction of the final paper.

Final Research Paper

End of term60%

A final research paper of approximately 15-20 pages, developing an original philosophical argument related to the metaphysics of race. The paper will incorporate feedback received during meetings and from the research proposal stage.

Readings

Readings will be determined in consultation with the supervising professor and may include works by W.E.B. Du Bois, Kwame Anthony Appiah, Paul C. Taylor, and Philip Kitcher, among others.

Possible Research Question:

Is race a biologically grounded category or a socially constructed one, or should it be eliminated altogether?

Why this is strong:

You compare some of the most important positions in contemporary philosophy of race and take a clear stand.

• I am an Afro-Black Palestinian, occupying multiple racialized identities that do not fit neatly into standard racial categories
• My racial classification shifts depending on social, political, and geographic context
• This challenges biological accounts of race that rely on fixed or essential traits
• At the same time, my experience shows race cannot simply be dismissed as unreal, given its real social and political effects
• My positionality motivates the research question, but does not serve as evidence
• Serves as a test case for evaluating realism, anti-realism, and social construction accounts of race
• Highlights the limits of existing metaphysical frameworks in accounting for complex, intersectional identities