Imperialism, Colonialism, and War
A. DuBois shared Lenin's belief that IMPERIALISM basically represented the global reach of capitalist exploitation, focusing on how various European powers had carved up and where exploiting Africa for its raw materials and cheap labor.
1. Imperialism and colonialism sort of go hand-in-hand. And in Africa this gets rationalized by appealing to race theory -- notions of the racial inferiority of Blacks. See bottom paragraph, p. 295.
2. This is also linked to war -- "central to imperialist capitalism is war." (p. 296). He recognizes Veblen's point on sabotage and destruction of resources. And the cause of war (especially WW I)? See middle paragraph p. 296.
3. Nonehteless, he did not believe colonialism was here to stay. He predicted the emergence of independence movements in Africa and elsewhere as the major powers exhausted themselves in war.
Social Organization and Culture
A. "DuBois argued that the basic element in social organization is oppression,..." Referred to this as the MANURE theory of social organization. "By this, he meant the dregs of humanity are considered fit only to do tasks that no human being ought to have to do." Which leads into his "Theory of Exclusiveness" -- "...a feeling that the world progresses by a process of excluding from the benefits of culture the majority of men, so that a gifted minority may blossom." (blossom from the manure, that is) (p. 297)
B. Nonetheless, he certainly believed darker peoples had contributed to civilization development -- it is just that these contributions had been obscured by the ideology of white supremacy. (eg., regarding Egyptian civilization as a prime example of black African contributions, which I would add is a controversial claim even today.)
Leadership and Power
A. Nothing significant here, although when he talks about leaders mirroring the values and attributes most prized by their society, note the values and attributes he identifies as American -- "wealth, show, impudence." -- not very flattering and again sounding like Veblen.
B. "DOUBLE-CONSCIOUSNESS" -- this is a key concept for DuBois, which has resonated throughout African American history. As he describes it -- see bottom p. 298 - 299.
NATURE OF SOCIETY, HUMANS, AND CHANGE
A. Notes that DuBois exposed HISTORY AS IDEOLOGY -- how historians had unanimously argued that Blacks were responsible for the failure of Reconstruction and their subsequent inferior status. But DuBois strongly challenged this mainstream view in his book, "Black Reconstruction in America," which documents the many positive things that were accomplished during Reconstruction due black legislators, among others. (But the text does not go into any of the detail DuBois does in his book.)
B. DuBois did not believe that human nature was inherently good or bad, but malleable. Similarly, he did not see racial prejudice as ineradicable.
1. Makes an interesting point about this as regards the newly freed slaves. See first paragraph, p. 300.
2. However, he did not see progress (on the racial front or otherwise) as inevitable. Note what the authors say about DuBois's optimism -- see last paragraph, p. 300.
CLASS, GENDER, AND RACE
A. DuBois clearly saw class and race as intertwined. He makes an interesting point how class seems to trump race when you're talking about the black middle class. Nonetheless, he felt (like himself) that the black middle class had an obligation to try to uplift the masses of Black poor. See last two paragraphs, p. 301.
B. He "...argued that no scientific definition of race is possible. Physical differences fade into each other almost imperceptibly." (p. 302) Talks about the "race construct" -- which I believe is what is meant today by the concept of the "social construction of race."
1. In this context, DuBois contended that racial discrimination preceeded prejudice and could reinforce it.
C. DuBois recognized the uplift of women as the next great movement (after racial uplift, that is). And he spoke forcefully on issues of women's suffrage and education for women. Other progressive points noted.
OTHER THEORIES AND THEORISTS
A. The authors make an intersting point with respect to DuBois's take on William Graham Sumner's Social Darwinist perspective. See middle paragraph, p. 304.
B. And in commenting on DuBois's drift toward Marxism, they quote from a letter Marx wrote to Abraham Lincoln in 1865. See bottom, p. 304 (a passage which suggests Marx was right on the money with this prediction, even if he was way off on some others.)
CRITIQUE AND CONCLUSIONS & FINAL THOUGHTS
A. The authors acknowledge his potential to have been a great national leader, if he had been white (as Gunnar Myrdal observed). DuBois's politics, especially his sympathy for communism, also marginalized him.
B. And he clearly was a committed scholar. DuBois clearly belongs in the research tradition of CRITICAL THEORY.
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That brings us up to Chapter 13. I'll probably be blogging those notes over this weekend, and certainly before next Tuesday's (4/26) class.
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