The Soul as the Seat of Aspiration: A Philosophical-Historical Approach

1000 Cady Mall,Tempe AZ 85281

21 March, 2022

Description

The talk will recover and trace the importance of the soul in early African American political thought. Abstract The talk will recover and trace the importance of the soul in early African American political thought. The aim is to tease out how the soul functioned, its importance in the fight against white supremacy, and the role it was intended to serve in transforming the American polity into a racially justice society. I shall insist that much of what African American thinkers said during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries about the soul is still relevant to our challenges today. Bio Melvin Rogers (Ph.D., Yale) is serving as this year's Maxine and Jonathan Marshall Speaker on Religion and Conflict at Arizona State University. An associate professor and director of graduate students of political science at Brown University. His wide-ranging interests fall primarily within contemporary democratic theory and the history of American and African-American political and ethical philosophy. His first book, "The Undiscovered Dewey: Religion, Morality, and the Ethos of Democracy" (Columbia University Press, 2009/pb 2012) explored these issues through an interpretation of John Dewey's writings and the theme of human responsiveness central to his work. That book was haunted by the unpursued theme of racial injustice and its place in American democracy. Rogers' current project—"The Darkened Light of Faith: Race, Democracy, and Freedom in African American Political Thought"—is devoted to figures within American and African-American political thought. Under contract with Princeton University Press, it combines close readings of figures and historical contextualization to think through the themes of democratic responsiveness, redemption, and faith amid racial injustice. The book is currently under contract with Princeton University Press. Rogers' articles appear in major academic journals as well as popular venues such as Dissent, the Atlantic, Public Seminar, and Boston Review. He is also the editor of two major volumes, "John Dewey, The Public and its Problems" (2012/2016) and "African American Political Thought: A Collected History" (2021, co-edited with Jack Turner). Rogers is currently serving as the co-editor of Oxford University Press' "New History of Philosophies" series, which attends to the unstudied resources in the history of philosophy. Prior to joining Brown, he was the Scott Waugh Associate Professor of Political Science and African American Studies at UCLA. Maxine and Jonathan Marshall Speaker Series of Religion and Conflict This talk is part of the Maxine and Jonathan Marshall Speaker Series on Religion and Conflict, an endowed lecture series that honors the life-long commitment of Maxine Besser Marshall ('76) and Jonathan Marshall to education, civil liberties, and world peace. Past Marshall speakers have included Philip Gorski, Rene Girard, Anthea Butler, Shaun Casey, Jonathan Walton, Eliza Griswold, Daisy Khan, Jeffrey Kripal, and Elizabeth Shakman-Hurd. COVID 19 Guidelines: Please keep in mind the CDC recommendations as well as ASU Community of Care health protocols on how to keep yourself and others healthy. Consistent with ASU’S current guidelines, face coverings are required during this event and negative COVID tests prior to attending are highly recommended. Face coverings will be available upon entry for those who may have forgotten them.