African American Philosophy - Essay Example

Order 323577 Topic: African American Philosophy Introduction: The pages of human history daubed in bloodshed due to serious conflicts and wars in the name of religion, race, color and territorial aggrandizement, etc ask the crying question. How to make this Planet Earth now heaven-like? The answer is simple and straight forward. Eyes full of understanding, hearts full of love and the life that refuses conflicts-enough! These alone are enough! The worst part of the situation is when all these calamities strike a particular section of the society, they strike together, in collaboration, to cause misery and untold oppression to the suffering community—and to add to the woes, it is economically weak. To cause intentional pain to others physically and psychologically is the greatest sin. The psychological wounds are transmitted through generations, and their healing process is extremely difficult. This is the issue with the black people throughout the world, especially in America. They say, ‘God condemns for life, by giving those a broken heart.’ The process of rejuvenating the psychologically broken minds and hearts is extremely slow and with certain individuals, it may not be possible at all! These are the issues Charles Mills, Lucius T Outlaw and other black thinkers and authors are concerned with. They write with varying emphasis, but the sum and substance of their writing and conclusions are almost identical. Paper agreements and constitutional guarantees are not going to mitigate the suffering of the black people and bring them on par with the whites. The whites know how to rule, when the law is on their side; when the law is not on their side, they still cleverly rule and exploit the black people, socially and economically. The Book Racial Contract by Charles W Mills begins with a strong dedication: He writes, “This book is dedicated to the blacks, reds, browns and yellows that have resisted the Racial Contract and the white renegades and race traitors who have refused it.” Mills minces no words, he has a clear-cut agenda right from the beginning of the book- which he does with a very confident note and his anguish against the motivated designs of the whites is showing. He opines, “The Racial Contract is political, moral, and epistemological the Racial Contract is real; and economically, in determining who gets what, the Racial Contract is an exploitations contract.”(Mills, 1999, p.9) At the first reading of the chapters, the discerning reader comes to the conclusion that reconciliation between the blacks and whites is impossible, and they should be permanently at ‘war’ with each other. Lucius Outlaw’s findings and convictions over the black issue are identical, but he says it in a sober manner; his views are scientific. But he calls spade a spade and says it with conviction. The Blacks were discriminated, and are discriminated and going by the present trends, they will be continued to be discriminated, may be to a lesser degree. He writes with the confidence of a visionary, “We must not be guilty of a premature leap into universal peace and brotherhood without the historical realization of the same for all Black people are still an oppressed racial group in this society and are still struggling against colonialism and neo-colonialism in other parts of the world.”(Outlaw, 1966, p.26) In Chapter 3 of his book, “Deconstructive and Reconstructive Challenges” the observations made by Outlaw sets the tone for further discussion on the subject. As he puts it, “When read in the context of the history of Western Philosophy as narrated by predominant voices and practiced by predominant figures in general, and against the explicit derogations of African peoples by a number of these figures in particular, the advent of discussions about “African P/philosophy is, by the force of historical contingencies, necessarily deconstructive.”(Outlaw, 1966, p.65) One need not be an expert in political theory to understand the concerns to get lots of information about the white-black duel. Those who think that this combat is going to end soon are mistaken. It may be dormant in certain areas. The issue is boiling from within. Mills tenders evidence from history and from the western political tradition, how race is at the heart of political theory. The Social Contract is intelligently drafted but hidden suppositions provide the green signal to whites to exploit the lands, labors and bodies of nonwhites. It has not ignored the legitimated 500 years of Western atrocities and exploitations of peoples of color. The popular idea that racism is merely a misguided worldview has deliberately swept under the carpet, the important issue of discrimination. Mills emphatically says that the West is aware of the ground realities, and racism is solidly entrenched within the political, moral and epistemological understandings. Mills takes a holistic view of the race. He takes race on a higher pedestal of the social patterns. His studied approach permits to see the systemic nature of the problem. He proves why racism exists and how difficult it is to reverse the existing trends and how everyone one, black and white play their roles dancing to the tune of the system. He provides the appropriate example of the fish that lives in water, yet it can’t see water. White men are so obvious to the state of affairs in America, they fail to locate the area of discrimination against the blacks; or make light of it when they happen to see discrimination against the blacks. In the absence of perfect social discipline, they carry on with the available discipline, and think that it is the best. White supremacy is taken for granted by them. If one makes an impartial study, one will have to make changes in the understanding of governance, and about the need to make positive changes in the existing political system. The Racial Contract is the first milestone in the long and arduous journey for securing tangible equality for blacks in every segment of the social structure. The observations on the black issue by Mills and Outlaw, in many respects, run like a train that speeds on two parallel tracks. They are like the two arms of the same scale. Lamenting on the plight of the blacks, Outlaw observes, “Every other ethnic group in America, a “nation of nations,” has accepted the fact of its separateness and used it to its own social advantage. But the Negro’s conditioning steered him in to that perpetual state of suspended tension wherein ninety-five percent of his time and energy is expended on fighting prejudice in whites.”(Outaw, 1996, p.28) Mills says the truth, and says it bluntly. While attacking the problem, Mill seems to cross decency of writing at times, but one can not dub it as indecent either. He is no apologetic at all and never hesitates to call a spade a spade! He seems to gives message to the blacks, ‘do strike; and strike hard, so that there is no need to strike again and again.’ The whites must understand the implications of the wake-up call ingrained in the writings of Mill, and how the Eurocentric civilization is treating the blacks even in this modern internet age! Race is a desperate issue for the blacks, and is ‘one of those issues’ for the whites. The patience of blacks has been tested for too long a time. Even though Mills writes tough in the opening parts of the book, he is aware that as a responsible writer to serve the cause of the blacks, the contents must be systematic, logical and must stand the test of scrutiny by the social scientists. Therefore, he places his theory firmly within the liberal conception of rights and how they have been methodically trampled upon by the whites. How the democratic rights of nonwhites have been crushed. With this view, this work does not advocate “deconstruction” or anti-Enlightenment. He argues, “Though it may appear to be such, the Racial Contract is not a deconstruction of the social contract.... The Racial Contract is really...pro-Enlightenment...and anti postmodernist" (Mills, 1999, p.129). One knows the wise saying, ‘the devil quoting the Bible.’ He further says ethical norms have been systematically denied to nonwhites. An unnamed white dominated system exists in all the countries, which give it de-facto supremacy over the nonwhites. Outlaw makes the statement of a visionary when he avers, “The different strategies grouped together as ideological-nationalist philosophy—especially those of the Negritude authors—have been most concerned with addressing the question of the meaning of “African,” especially through efforts directed a reconstructing and rehabilitating “African” while forging identities and notions of authenticity thought to be appropriate to the exigencies of modern existence.”(Outlaw, 1996, p. 69-70) Mill elaborates the above views more explicitly by analyzing them threadbare. He is aware of the limitations of a policy statement or an emotional speech by the most learned and acceptable leader like Martin Luther King Jr. –“I have a dream.” Such events may work as a healing balm but will not provide even temporary “solutions.” The Racial Contracts rejects such half-hearted approaches. Unless there is an agency, medium that also has the legal sanctity enabling the blacks to actively engage in the current injustices regarding racial tensions, the so-called big exercises will not serve any tangible purpose. The whites have to boldly come out of their protective shell wherein they visualize their superiority. The torch has to be passed on to the new, bold hands, which are capable of thinking, and acting different. The responsibility for this change rests with the whites. Pigeon-holed-ideas that have been nurtured up till now, have to be Given up once for all. One needs to be a rebel against those ideas, wherever they hold up progress of blacks. The blacks must be brought on par with the whites in all areas, more prominently in political power and administration. What is required is not toleration, but willing acceptance by the whites. There should be matching actions by the blacks, they need to come forward dynamically, and should know that self help is the best help. The ambit of deconstruction and reconstruction is large. Some areas may tender dire situations when an attempt is made in that direction. For example, take theological deconstruction. Christianity as is practiced in America has failed to mitigate the hardships of blacks. Deconstruction provides an opportunity for re-building. The present dynamics in the traditional theology needs to be specifically identified and strong efforts need to be made to termination of hierarchies. In an area where God is the subject matter of investigation, extreme care is needed in redefining the black interests. European domination and white supremacy is not restricted to USA, it is the phenomenon in the European countries. Apart from the once actual division, the psychological division into colonizer and colonized, men and natives, continues even now. . "Although no single act literally corresponds to the drawing up and signing of a contract, there is a series of acts...which collectively can be seen...as its conceptual, juridical, and normative equivalent." (Mills, 1999, p.20-21) Mill writes, “Thus, any discussion of African philosophy involves, necessarily, confronting this privileged self-image. It is this confrontation that problematizes “African” and forces its deconstruction/reconstruction in its relations of difference with “European.”(Mills,1999,p.72) among all the identities of the human beings like gender, class, religion, intelligence level, race etc. the identity of race has been most important and great exploitation has been carried out on blacks by the whites. Conclusion Throughout the book Mills has stuck to his central idea stated in the very beginning of the book. “The Racial Contract is political, moral, and epistemological; the Racial Contract is real; and economically, in determining who gets what, the racial contract is an exploitation contract.”(Mills, 1999, p.9) Mill categorically states that whites consider non-whites as subpersons of inferior legal and moral status in relation to whites. This thing is primitive and derogatory to the essential dignity of blacks. The mentioned “contract” provides the right to exploit non-whites and deny them opportunities provided to whites. It pictures non-whites are born for servitude to whites just like non-humans are provided by God to serve the welfare of humans. Mill’s arguments highlight the problems and reservations of the whites to accept the legitimate rights and demands of the non-whites. In fine, the assertions of Charles Mill and Lucius T Outlaw are alternative beats of the same heart. Outlaw mentions the issues succinctly; Mills says them boldly, without any reservations. According to Mill, not laws, not contracts can initiate structural changes in the reformation process for the blacks, and get them emancipated from the invisible clutches with which their progressive movements are ‘arrested’ by the whites. Each and every black individual, the basic unit of the black society, should work for the intended change, without intermission. As for the whites, a radical change in their thought processes is needed and that change should reflect through their inner self. This may sound a bit spiritual, but only spirituality (not any particular religion) will lead to the transformation of the society. ************* Works Cited: Mills, Charles W (Author) The Racial Contract: Cornell University Press; 1999 Outlaw, Lucius(Author) On Race and Phiosophy:Routledge;1996 Read More