philosophy

 

1) In  Letter from Birmingham Jail, King distinguishes between just and unjust laws. Looking at today’s world, what is one law, policy, or social norm you think could be considered “unjust” in King’s terms? Explain why you think so, and how civil disobedience or other forms of activism might be used to address it.

2) W.E.B. Du Bois described “double consciousness” as the struggle of seeing oneself through both one’s own eyes and through the eyes of a prejudiced society. Do you think people today still experience something like “double consciousness”? If so, give a modern example (racial, cultural, gender, or other identity-based). If not, explain what has changed since Du Bois’ time.

3) In  What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?, Frederick Douglass argued that the holiday highlighted freedom for some while ignoring oppression for others. Can you think of a holiday, tradition, or national narrative today that feels inclusive to some groups but excluding or painful to others? How should society handle such tensions?