Urban American Philosophy: An Introduction

Urban American Philosophy explores topics related to marginalized members of society and uses this exploration as a new way to enter into the study of philosophy. Within the anthology, the city serves as both a microscope through which to examine the metaphor of urban in America and as a frame through which to view philosophical thinking and matters of race, gender, poverty, and the environment. The philosophical perspective is used to consider issues often thought of as political, psychological, or sociological, such as policing and punishment, racial profiling, the rhetoric of slavery, white guilt and shame, racial aesthetics, self-deception, urban renewal, objectification, environmental degradation, and treatment of the poor.

By approaching these urban issues as hitherto hidden topics in philosophy, Urban American Philosophy teaches readers what philosophers do, how they do it, and why it is important. It creates a space in which to consider critical social dilemmas from a thoughtful, reflective point of view informed by more than statistics, policies, procedures, and institutions. This thoughtful space is American urban philosophy.

Urban American Philosophy can be used for introductory courses at universities or specialized courses at the high school level.

Chris Keegan is an assistant professor, chair of the department of philosophy, and affiliated faculty in Africana and Latino studies at The State University of New York, Oneonta. He teaches courses in Black and Latin American political thought, citizenship and immigration theory, ethics and evolutionary morality, and the philosophy of protest. Dr. Keegan’s research interests include the evolution and nature of morality, the moral and political boundaries of democracy, and political and social philosophy for the marginalized.