Race Matters by Dr. Cornel West is one of the most insightful and constructive analyses of racial inequality that I have ever had the privilege of reading. Given that Dr. West is a Christian, it was a good reminder for me that excellent insight can come from religious thinkers and that ignoring them would be to my own detriment. Below is a link to the book, a summary, and a few reviews.
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/643717/race-matters-25th-anniversary-by-cornel-west/
That's true about Race Matters. As for West as a Christian, he's hardly representative--not to suggest you were making that point. Our own Dr. Clarence Jones has written quite finely about West's thought, especially his social justice concern, and the indebtedness of these preoccupations to not only his Christian background but also--moreso?--to his philosophical orientations (e.g. Marxism, pragmatism, etc.)
ReplyDeleteI think West's deep respect for what he sees as the "Black Church" tradition and his affinity for Christian rhetoric, especially its symbols and preaching form, is about as far as he goes. Christian, or more generally, religious supernaturalism is something I struggle to think he'd take seriously. But, you never know!
Dr. Johnson's book:
https://www.google.com/books/edition/Cornel_West_and_Philosophy/XWt9AwAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&pg=PR12&printsec=frontcover
And let me put in a plug for West's highly original "The American Evasion of Philosophy"...
ReplyDelete"imbued throughout with the author’s conviction that a thorough reexamination of American pragmatism may help inspire & instruct contemporary efforts to remake & reform American society & culture."
I do still regret the hard time he gave Pres. Obama, but I think I understand and even share his frustration with our first Pragmatist President's overgenerous tendency to credit the opposition with more goodwill and willingness to compromise than they possessed.
Many in the "black community" are still upset with him and Tavis Smiley for that! I appreciate that he didn't let simplistic notions of race-allegiance and flawed racial reasoning get in the way of him being honestly critical--a point he made years before in his analysis of the Clarence Thomas debacle, which is also in Race Matters.
Deletenever give a Republican politician the benefit of the doubt, that's my (admittedly leftist and probably skewed by recent events) philosophy.
ReplyDelete