MACMILLAN Philosophy of African American Studies: Nothing Left of Blackness (African American Philosophy and the African Diaspora)

In this ground-breaking book, Stephen C. Ferguson addresses a seminal question that is too-often ignored: What should be the philosophical basis for African American studies? The volume explores philosophical issues and problems in their relationship to Black studies. Ferguson shows that philosophy is not a sterile intellectual pursuit, but a critical tool to gathering knowledge about the Black experience.   Cultural idealism in various forms has become enormously influential as a framework for Black studies. Ferguson takes on the task of demonstrating how a Marxist philosophical perspective offers a productive and fruitful way of overcoming the limitations of idealism. Focusing on the hugely popular Afrocentric school of thought, this book’s engaging discussion shows that the foundational arguments of cultural idealism are based on a series of analytical and historical misapprehensions. In turn, Ferguson argues for the centrality of the Black working class―both men and women―to Black Studies. Review “Stephen C. Ferguson II convincingly presents a fivefold argument, focusing his critique on Afrocentricity as articulated by Dr. Molefi Kete Asante … . Philosophy of African American Studies is essential and significant reading for persons deeply committed to overcoming the bourgeois specifications and ideological weaknesses Ferguson analyzes, and to moving the field forward.” (Charisse Burden-Stelly, Science & Society, Vol. 83 (1), 2019) From the Back Cover In this ground-breaking book, Stephen C. Ferguson addresses a seminal question that is too-often ignored: What should be the philosophical basis for African American studies? The volume explores philosophical issues and problems in their relationship to Black studies. Ferguson shows that philosophy is not a sterile intellectual pursuit, but a critical tool to gathering knowledge about the Black experience.   Cultural idealism in various forms has become enormously influential as a framework for Black studies. Ferguson takes on the task of demonstrating how a Marxist philosophical perspective offers a productive and fruitful way of overcoming the limitations of idealism. Focusing on the hugely popular Afrocentric school of thought, this book’s engaging discussion shows that the foundational arguments of cultural idealism are based on a series of analytical and historical misapprehensions. In turn, Ferguson argues for the centrality of the Black working class―both men and women―to Black Studies. About the Author Stephen C. Ferguson II is Associate Professor in Liberal Studies at North Carolina A & T State University, USA. He is the co-author of Beyond The White Shadow: Philosophy, Sports and the African American Experience with John McClendon. He has written for Socialism & Democracy, Cultural Logic, and The Black Scholar, among other journals.