February 17, 2023
Lewis Gordon, professor and head of philosophy at the University of Connecticut-Storrs, explores the ways in which philosophy, at least as understood in its Euromodern form, is colonized. After showing, through a reflection from an East African philosopher from 4,000 years ago, that philosophy originated as a liberatory project devoted to knowing as a practice of freedom and love in a courageous relationship with reality, Gordon offers recommendations for exploring the charge of 21st century philosophy. Gordon is the author of "Freedom, Justice, and Decolonization" (Routledge, 2021) and "Fear of Black Consciousness (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2022)."
The lecture is cosponsored with the Department of Philosophy.