Lewis Gordon facts for kids

Lewis Ricardo Gordon (born May 12, 1962) is an American philosopher. A philosopher is someone who studies big questions about life, knowledge, values, and how we should live.

Gordon teaches at the University of Connecticut. He focuses on many interesting areas, including:

• Africana philosophy (ideas from African and African diaspora thinkers)
• Existentialism (thinking about human existence, freedom, and responsibility)
• Phenomenology (studying how we experience the world)
• Social and political ideas
• Postcolonial thought (looking at the effects of colonialism)
• Ideas about race and racism
• Philosophy of liberation (how to achieve freedom)
• Aesthetics (the study of beauty and art)
• Philosophy of education (ideas about learning)
• Philosophy of religion (ideas about faith)

He has written a lot about Africana and black existentialism, how colonialism affects our experiences, and the ideas of important thinkers like W. E. B. Du Bois and Frantz Fanon. His newest book is called Fear of Black Consciousness.

Lewis Gordon's Career

Lewis Gordon finished his first degree (Bachelor of Arts) in 1984 from Lehman College, a part of CUNY. He did very well, graduating with high honors.

He then went to Yale University where he earned his Master's degrees in philosophy in 1991. He completed his PhD (Doctor of Philosophy) there in 1993.

After his studies, Gordon taught at several universities, including Brown University, Yale, Purdue University, and Temple University. At Temple, he was a special professor of philosophy.

Currently, he is a professor of Philosophy and Africana Studies at the University of Connecticut. He also teaches as a visiting professor in France and South Africa.

At Temple University, Gordon led the Institute for the Study of Race and Social Thought (ISRST). This center focuses on understanding the many different aspects of race and racism. He also helped edit a philosophy journal and a series of books on Africana philosophy. He is also the President of the Caribbean Philosophical Association.

Gordon started the Center for Afro-Jewish Studies. This is a unique research center that provides reliable information about Jewish people of African descent. Gordon believes that there is no "pure" Jewish blood, and that Jewish people have always been a mix of different cultures and backgrounds.

He also created the Second Chance Program at Herbert H. Lehman High School in the Bronx, New York. Lewis Gordon is married to Jane Anna Gordon.

His Ideas and Work

Black Existentialism

Lewis Gordon is a leading expert in black existentialism. This way of thinking looks at human existence, freedom, and responsibility, but specifically through the experiences of Black people.

He became well-known for his first book, Bad Faith and Antiblack Racism (1995). This book explored anti-Black racism using ideas from existentialism and phenomenology.

Gordon explains "bad faith" as when people deny reality or try to avoid their freedom and responsibility. It's like pretending not to know something or choosing not to make a choice. He says that racism often involves this kind of bad faith, where people deny the reality of others.

Instead of just being "sincere," Gordon suggests "critical good faith." This means being honest about facts and taking responsibility for your actions in the world.

Understanding Racism

Gordon argues that racism is when someone refuses to see another person's humanity. Since all people are human, this is a contradiction. A racist tries to deny reality, especially the social reality where people can communicate and connect.

He explains that racism attacks people's physical existence and their unique viewpoints. It tries to make people seem like bodies without thoughts or thoughts without bodies.

Gordon also says that racism treats certain values as if they are fixed parts of the world, rather than choices made by humans. For example, racism might say that certain "races" have specific qualities built into them. He agrees with Frantz Fanon that racists are not necessarily irrational; instead, they are often using a "racist logic" that makes sense within their own biased way of thinking.

Theology and Ethics

Gordon points out that in Western ethical thought, people often assume that you can only respect or love someone if they are similar to you. However, he argues that the fight against anti-Black racism isn't about finding similarities between Black and white people. Instead, it's about respecting the humanity of Black people simply because they are human, even if they are different.

In his book Existence in Black, Gordon explains that black existentialism explores many of the same themes as European existentialism, like anguish, freedom, and death. But it does so through the real-life experiences of anti-Black racism and colonialism.

He highlights that Black existentialism shows that not all Black people are the same. It also addresses the idea of "black invisibility," which is a paradox because Black people are often hyper-visible (noticed a lot) but their experiences and humanity are ignored.

Phenomenology and Colonialism

Gordon is also known for creating "postcolonial phenomenology." This approach looks at how colonialism affects our experiences and understanding of the world.

He developed a method called "ontological suspension." This is like pausing our usual way of seeing things to better understand how meanings are created in the social world. He believes that this approach helps us resist "epistemological colonization," which means not letting others' ways of thinking control how we understand reality.

Gordon's work has introduced important ideas like:

• His unique way of understanding "crisis."
• His idea of "epistemic closure" (when people stop learning or considering new ideas).
• His thoughts on "disciplinary decadence" (when academic fields become too rigid).

He also made a significant contribution to understanding the work of Steve Biko, a famous anti-apartheid activist.

Essentialism and Race

Some scholars believe that you can't properly study race and racism because they aren't "fixed" or "essential" qualities. Gordon argues that even though humans are always changing and don't have fixed "laws of nature," we can still study and understand them accurately.

He says that racism and colonialism are everyday parts of life for many people. They are lived as "normal" experiences, even though they are unfair. He explains that some groups are allowed to live ordinary lives, while others are forced to live under extraordinary, difficult conditions. This creates "double standards."

Gordon also offers an answer to those who say race is only a "social construct." He points out that society itself is also "constructed," meaning it's made by people.

In his book Her Majesty's Other Children: Sketches of Racism from a Neocolonial Age, he explores how racism affects daily life. He argues that to create a truly free society, we need to make space for everyday joys and pleasures, not just focus on rules and economics.

Reason and Rationality

Gordon believes that Western thought has often linked "reason" too closely with "rationality" (being logical) and has created a biased view of where reason comes from. He argues that "reason" is actually broader than just "rationality." Reason can help us decide if something logical is also sensible or fair.

His recent work explores these ideas. In books he co-edited with Jane Anna Gordon, like Not Only the Master's Tools: African-American Studies in Theory and Practice, he discusses how African-American philosophy can build new ideas instead of just using existing ones. They argue that "the master's tools" (old ways of thinking) are not the only tools available, and we can build new ways of understanding the world.

They also introduce the idea of "the pedagogical imperative." This means that teachers have a duty to keep learning and to share the most accurate and complete understanding of reality with their students.

Gordon's Contributions to Sociology and Philosophy

Lewis Gordon sees all his work as part of a humanist tradition. Humanism focuses on human values and dignity. He believes that thinkers should challenge what we know and help humanity progress. He summarizes his view by saying that "one 'achieves' as a human being for humanity but one always fails alone."

His work is also seen as a type of existential sociology, which studies how people live and interact in society. His book Disciplinary Decadence: Living Thought in Trying Times is considered important not just in philosophy but also in education and the study of how academic fields are formed.

Published Works

Lewis Gordon has written about 400 articles, book chapters, and reviews. Here are some of his books:

• Fear of Black Consciousness (2022)
• Freedom, Justice, and Decolonization (2021)
• Geopolitics and Decolonization: Perspectives from the Global South (edited with Fernanda Frizzo Bragato) (2018)
• What Fanon Said: A Philosophical Introduction to his Life and Thought (2015)
• An Introduction to Africana Philosophy (2008)
• Disciplinary Decadence: Living Thought in Trying Times (2006)
• A Companion to African American Studies (edited with Jane Anna Gordon) (2006)
• Not Only the Master's Tools: African-American Studies in Theory and Practice (edited with Jane Anna Gordon) (2005)
• Existentia Africana: Understanding Africana Existential Thought (2000)
• Her Majesty's Other Children: Sketches of Racism from a Neocolonial Age (1997)
• Existence in Black: An Anthology of Black Existential Philosophy, (edited) (1997)
• Fanon and the Crisis of European Man: An Essay on Philosophy and the Human Sciences (1995)
• Bad Faith and Antiblack Racism (1995)

Online Articles by Lewis Gordon

• Du Bois's Humanistic Philosophy of the Human Sciences, 2000
• A Philosophical Account of Africana Studies: An Interview with Lewis Gordon by Linda Martin Alcoff, 2003
• New Introduction to Steve Biko's I Write What I Like, 2005
• Africa-America Philosophy, Race and the Geography of Reason, 2006
• Through the Hellish Zone of Non-Being: Thinking Through Fanon, Disaster, and the Damned of the Earth, 2007
• The Market Colonization of Intellectuals,Truthout, 2010
• Of Illicit Appearance: The L.A. Riots/Rebellion as a Portent of Things to Come, Truthout, 12 May 2012
• Manifesto of transdisciplinarity. Lewis Gordon, "To not become slaves of knowledge of others", 2011

See also

• Africana philosophy § List of Africana philosophers