The “N-word” is used as a term of art in the readings for this class, and it will be analyzed in class discussions.
In our time together, we will discuss and critically evaluate Critical Race Theory, the Black Lives Matter movement, the relationship between the N-Word controversy and ordinary language philosophy (Wittgenstein, J. L. Austin, George Lakoff), the moral luck phenomenon in law and everyday life, unconscious bias, the social construction of black criminals, law and literature, legal philosophy, political theory, and art and justice. To underscore the relevance and urgency of these issues, we will constantly relate them to current events such as the coronavirus crisis and contemporary social, legal, and political controversies. Because the relationship between art and justice in a central theme of my latest book titled “N*gga Theory: Race, Language, Unequal Justice, and the Law,” Leila Steinberg and artists from Microphone Sessions and Aim4TheHeart will participate in our seminar. Speakers from the ACLU and other social justice organizations will also regularly join us.
