The Racial Contract: Chapter 1 Flashcards

Questions and Answers

What is the state of nature?

pre-civil society

Who was in the state of nature according to John Locke?

Native Americans

What is a Social Contract?

A voluntary agreement among individuals to secure their rights and welfare by creating a government and abiding by its rules.

The Social Contract requires two factors: industry and _____

rationality Signup and view all the answers

What is white supremacy?

A particular power structure of formal or informal rule, socioeconomic privilege and norms for the differential distribution of resources. Signup and view all the answers

What resources does white supremacy allocate differentially for the benefit of white people?

Material wealth and opportunities, benefits and burdens, rights and duties Signup and view all the answers

What is a political system?

A form of domination Signup and view all the answers

What is the Racial Contract?

The set of formal or informal agreements between the members of one subset of humans (white) to categorize the remaining subsets of humans as 'nonwhite' and of different and inferior moral status. Signup and view all the answers

What are nonideal contracts supposed to do?

Explain and expose inequities, counter justifications for nonideal society Signup and view all the answers

What are the advantages of nonideal contractarianism?

Does not analyze through the values of the nonideal society, enables us to understand actual history of how we have rationalized oppression Signup and view all the answers

What are the three claims made by Mills?

Existential, conceptual, methodological Signup and view all the answers

What is an existential claim?

White supremacy exists Signup and view all the answers

What is a conceptual claim?

White supremacy should be taught as a political system Signup and view all the answers

What is a methodological claim?

White supremacy can be based on a contract between whites, the Racial Contract Signup and view all the answers

What are the three types of contracts that the Racial Contract establishes?

Political, moral, epistemological Signup and view all the answers

What does the Racial Contract's political contract establish?

Establishes racial polity and state and a racial judicial system in which laws are applied differently Signup and view all the answers

What does the Racial Contract's moral contract restrict?

Natural freedom and equality to white men Signup and view all the answers

What does the Racial Contract's epistemological contract prescribe?

Prescribes the norm for cognition in which a misinterpretation of the world is the epistemic foundation Signup and view all the answers

What is epistemological ignorance?

Whites 'go blank' when dealing with racial issues Signup and view all the answers

What are the two strategies for epistemological ignorance?

Evasion, denial Signup and view all the answers

What is the purpose of the Racial Contract?

The differential privileging of whites as a group with respect to nonwhites as a group Signup and view all the answers

What is historical actuality?

Something that can be claimed to have actually occurred in the past at actual points Signup and view all the answers

What are the markers of the Racial Contract as a historical actuality?

Papal bills and other theological pronouncements, European discussion about colonialism, 'discovery' and international law, pacts, treaties and legal decisions, the establishment of formalized legal structures of differential treatment Signup and view all the answers

What are the two interdependent histories of the Racial Contract?

Colonization of Americas (1492 - 1714), occupation of Asia, Africa, and the Pacific from the 1730s-WW2 Signup and view all the answers

What are the three actual Racial Contracts?

Expropriation contract, slavery contract, colonial contract Signup and view all the answers

What is the expropriation contract?

An RC used to regard territory as inhabited by nonpersons Signup and view all the answers

What is the slavery contract?

An RC that allowed the enslavement of nonwhites because they are nonpersons Signup and view all the answers

What is the Dred Scott Decision?

Supreme Court ruling that declared slaves were not viewed as citizens but as property Signup and view all the answers

What is the colonial contract?

Legitimized conquest by the conviction of superiority over native peoples Signup and view all the answers

What is the purpose of the social contract in terms of economics?

Leaves the state of nature to secure a stable environment for the industrious appropriation of the world Signup and view all the answers

What is the purpose of the racial contract in terms of economics?

Economics is the most salient dimension of the RC because the RC is aimed at economic exploitation; the globally color-coded division of wealth is a result of the RC Signup and view all the answers

What is the metamorphosis for the social contract?

Natural man > civil man Signup and view all the answers

What is the metamorphosis for the racial contract?

Human populations > white and nonwhite Signup and view all the answers

Why is the state of nature considered permanent for nonwhites?

Nonwhites lack rationality and industry Signup and view all the answers

What two philosophies does the racial contract bridge?

Mainstream ethics (abstract), non-European thought that deals with the reality of social justice Signup and view all the answers

What is normative theory?

How things ought to be Signup and view all the answers

What is descriptive theory?

Theory used to explain the genesis of society, structure of society, moral psychology of the people Signup and view all the answers

Give an example of normative theory for contractarianism.

John Rawls' theory of justice in an ideal society Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Key Concepts of the Racial Contract

State of Nature: Refers to a pre-civil society condition.
John Locke's View: Identified Native Americans as belonging to the state of nature.
Social Contract: A voluntary agreement which aims to secure individuals' rights and welfare through government formation and rule adherence.
Requirements for Social Contract: Industry and rationality are essential for its establishment.

White Supremacy and Resource Allocation

White Supremacy: Defines a power structure that privileges white individuals socioeconomically while distributing resources unequally.
Differential Resource Allocation: White supremacy leads to unequal distribution of material wealth, opportunities, benefits, burdens, rights, and duties.

Racial Contract Framework

Racial Contract: A formal or informal agreement among whites that categorizes nonwhites as inferior by moral status.
Purpose of Racial Contract: Facilitates the differential privileging of whites over nonwhites.
Types of Racial Contracts: Encompasses political, moral, and epistemological dimensions.

Claims and Principles

Mills' Three Claims: Existential (white supremacy exists), conceptual (should be taught as a political system), methodological (based on a contract among whites).
Epistemological Ignorance: Whites exhibit "going blank" behavior when confronting racial issues, facilitated by evasion and denial.

Historical Context

Historical Actuality: Refers to verifiable historical events, such as papal proclamations and colonial treaties.
Interdependent Histories: Involve the colonization of the Americas and the occupation of Asia, Africa, and the Pacific from the 1730s to WWII.
Actual Racial Contracts: Examples include the expropriation contract, slavery contract, and colonial contract, each justifying racial inequities.

Specific Examples

Expropriation Contract: Justified treating territories as inhabited by nonpersons (e.g., "Doctrine of Discovery").
Slavery Contract: Allowed for the enslavement of nonwhites, exemplified by the Dred Scott Decision, which deemed slaves as property.
Colonial Contract: Rationalized conquest through perceived superiority, as seen in the "Contract of Association".

Economic Dimensions

Social Contract's Economic Purpose: Aims to create a stable environment for industrious appropriation of resources.
Racial Contract's Economic Purpose: Focuses on economic exploitation, contributing to global disparities in wealth.

Metamorphosis Concept

Metamorphosis in Social Contract: Transitions individuals from natural man to civil man.
Metamorphosis in Racial Contract: Categorizes humanity into white and nonwhite populations.

Philosophical Bridges and Theoretical Frameworks

Permanent State of Nature for Nonwhites: Presumed due to the perceived lack of rationality and industry among nonwhites.
Bridging Philosophies: Connects mainstream ethics with non-European thoughts related to social justice.
Normative vs. Descriptive Theory: Normative theory expresses how things ought to be, while descriptive theory explains the origins, structure, and psychology of society.

Contractarianism Example

Normative Theory Example: John Rawls' theory of justice serves as an ideal model within contractarianism.

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Test your knowledge of key concepts from Chapter 1 of 'The Racial Contract' with these flashcards. This quiz covers important terms such as 'state of nature' and 'social contract', providing definitions and context to enhance your understanding.