Things to Learn

We have discussed antiblackness studies and queer theory, but we have yet to analyze the intersection between the two. Like mentioned in the “Black Marxism” post, exploring the intersection between different marginalized groups can be invaluable in influencing our strategies. So in this post, we will talk about black queer pessimism and what black queerness is. “Quare” was a term coined by Patrick E. Johnson to describe the position of the black queer. Johnson argued that black queer men specifically should not be grouped with white queer men because it doesn’t address any underlying reason for why violence occurs in [...]

Karl Marx remains one of the most influential philosophers of all time, theorizing the exploitative nature of capitalism that would require an uprising by the proletariat (working class) against the bourgeoisie (the “owners” of the means of production). However, Marxism suffers from a similar problem to its historical counterparts: the question of race. Thus, Marxism requires an update to account for the racialized aspects of the economy and exploitation in the first place. For Marx, there is a heavy emphasis on economic relations rather than race, stating that racism is not structurally induced but more about prejudice. Yet, an analysis [...]

Another area of philosophical study that is often overlooked in disability studies, specifically critical disability studies. These theories deal with marginalized folk due to their disabilities, which come in a variety of manners and are particular to each individual. However, it’s crucial to consider disability in terms of other areas of violence as well, such as racism and gender, an aspect we will explore a little later. To begin, Fiona Kumari Campbell defines ableism as “a network of ‘beliefs processes and practices that produces a particular kind of Self and body (the corporeal standard) that is projected as the perfect, [...]

Settler colonialism. A complex, vast, and diverse theory that encompasses a wide array of things. But, nevertheless, I’ll try my best to break it down for you, especially since this is such a foundational theory to understand when analyzing Indigenous scholarship. Let’s be clear. Settler colonialism is NOT a thing of the past. It wasn’t simply Christopher Columbus or Jamestown settlers showing up to the Americas and displacing the indigenous. Settler colonialism is a global and transnational phenomenon that is a thing of the present. It differs from “colonialism” in that settlers come to stay, founding a political order that [...]

Coming off our blog post last time about Judith Butler, queer studies, and feminist theory, it’s fitting to understand the history of feminism and how it has evolved through the centuries. People often have the misconception that all feminism is the same, remaining static throughout history. While there are certainly some similarities among the different “waves” of feminism, or movements, there are major differences that characterize the goals and methods utilized by each wave. Let’s go through each one of them, discussing the major figures and desires of each. First Wave Feminism occurred during the late 19th century, characterized by [...]

Philosophy is mistaken for high-level academic work that constructs new concepts and exists only in big, old books that are hard to pick up. However, philosophy goes beyond this limited understanding. Instead, it can be loosely understood as the love for wisdom and development of the brain, which has a multitude of connections to everyday life. Philosophy intersects nearly every aspect of the world, enabling us to better think about how to train our brains. One sector of this is mindfulness. The philosophy of mindfulness begins with the basic premise that we are able to be fully conscious and aware [...]