Anti-colonialism refers to two interconnected concepts: a series of historical events and a critical analytic. As a historical event, anti-colonialism means the struggle against imperial rule in colonized countries, mostly during the first half of the twentieth century. As a theoretical and analytic tool, anti-colonialism generally argues for the benefits of ending colonial rule, but not without complication. Many anti-colonial philosophers engage with European philosophy to reveal the contradictions between Europe’s optimistic vision for itself and the horrors of its colonial project. Courses in this cluster will engage with anti-colonialism both as historical reality and philosophical project.

Associated Course Pairings:

Course Descriptions

CC100: Anti-Colonialism

Instructor: Yogesh Chandrani
Learning Across the Liberal Arts Designation: Historical Perspectives
CRN# 12503
Block: 1

Colonialism figures in one of two ways in contemporary narratives. On the one hand, we are urged to think of it as a problem situated in the past, a problem that is said to have been swept away in the twentieth century by the great wave of decolonization after World War II. On the other hand, colonialism features as an object of nostalgia. It is celebrated for the benefits (parliamentary democracy, the market economy, rule of law, modern infrastructures, modern education, etc.) it brought to the colonized.

This course, however, asks different questions: has the problem of colonialism disappeared? How are we to think about the legacies of colonialism in the postcolonial states and societies (many of them three generations old) that have emerged from the great wave of decolonization that followed in the wake of World Warr II? Almost everywhere in the postcolonial world the project of building independent states, economies and societies has faltered and sometimes run aground. Indeed, one might argue that the anti-colonial dream of emancipation has evaporated. In this course, we will carefully explore the works of key anti-colonial thinkers from Asia, Africa and the Caribbean (Mahatma Gandhi, CLR James, Aimé Césaire, Albert Memmi and Frantz Fanon) in order to inquire into colonialism as a structure of domination and into their visions of its anticipated aftermaths: What were the perceived ill-effects of colonial power? What harms did colonialism do to the colonized that required repair and rectification? In what ways did the critique of colonial power that these thinkers elaborated shape the longing for emancipation and ideas of freedom? How do these thinkers help us better understand contemporary struggles for social and economic justice in the United States and abroad?

CC120: Jews, Christians, and Christian Anti-Judaism

Instructor: Pamela Reaves
CRN# 12552
Block: 3

This course introduces students to disciplinary modes of research, analysis, and writing in religious studies through a study of key moments in the history of relations between
Jews and Christians, with particular attention to expressions of anti-Judaism and antisemitism within Christian traditions. The initial half considers the origins of Christianity within early Judaism and the many facets of Christianity’s progressive distinction from Judaism, including intra-religious debate, Christian claims regarding Jewish scriptures, and supercessionist ideology. The second half of the course traces the legacies of these Christian foundations by examining a series of subsequent historical moments in which Christian perspectives and power advance, or otherwise contribute to, anti-Jewish and antisemitic ideologies and acts; this involves a study of the recent escalation of antisemitism in the U.S. Along the way, we consider how religious, ethnic, and racial categories and identities are variously constructed and contested. As a CC120, the course highlights the interdisciplinary nature of the field of religious studies, orients students to how scholars understand the development of religious identity and related conflicts, and demonstrates how religion operates in wider social, political, and cultural contexts.

CC100: The Empire Strikes Back

Instructor: Danielle Sanchez
Learning Across the Liberal Arts Designation: Historical Perspectives
CRN# 12561
Block: 1

This course focuses on the history of anti-colonial revolutions. Students will watch Star Wars films, engage with anti-colonial theorists and intellectuals like Frantz Fanon, Aimé Césaire, and Amilcar Cabral, and analyze the philosophies and politics of resistance movements in both the Star Wars Universe and conflicts like the anti-apartheid struggle in South Africa, the Congo Crisis, the Algerian War, and the struggle for independence in Lusophone Africa. By engaging with a range of works by historians, film studies scholars, journalists, and political scientists, students will develop critical thinking and writing skills, understandings of epistemological and methodological cultures, and an appreciation for the practice of scholarly inquiry in a liberal arts environment. This class will hold the historical perspectives and global equity and power designations.

CC120: Introduction to Political Philosophy

Instructor: John Grace
CRN# 12533
Block: 2

Investigates the foundation and aims of political rule as well as fundamental debates over the meaning of justice, liberty, power, authority, law and rights through an examination of basic but competing perspectives drawn from ancient, medieval, and modern texts. Thinkers include, but are not limited to, Aristotle, Aquinas, Machiavelli,and Locke.

CC100: African Culture Through Cinema

Instructor: Ibrahima Wade
Learning Across the Liberal Arts Designation: Analysis & Interpretation of Meaning
CRN# 
Block: 1

This block will focus on exploring and interpreting the African experience from the cinematic perspective. The course will focus mainly on the visual representations of Africa and Africans. We will explore the contemporary dialectical interactions between the indigenous traditions on the one hand and colonialism, Arabo-Islamization, Westernization and Modernization on the other. Topics such as slave trade, roots and ancestry, diaspora, colonial dynamics, stereotypes, and Independence, will be approached through the viewing and discussion of important films by directors such as Ousmane Sembène, Moussa Touré, Jean-Marie Teno, and others.

CC120: Food and the Nation

Instructor: Tyler Cornelius
CRN# 
Block: 3

One of the best windows into the values of a society is by looking at what they eat – where the food comes from, how it is prepared and consumed, and what it can tell us about the larger forces shaping the past and present. In this course students will use environmental history to ask and answer questions about social, political, and environmental change. To explore this topic the course will engage a broad range of historical materials - including dairies, menus, recipes, documentary film, photography, advertisement, government legislation/regulation, architecture, and… food itself. This class will be both interesting and delicious!