The Critical Race Theory of Kwame Anthony Appiah

This essay is a critical exploration of Kwame Anthony Appiah's race theory. I examine the two distinct projects that make up this theory. The first project is an analytical project in which he utilizes methods from the philosophy of language to examine our beliefs about race. Furthermore, he attempts to discover whether there is anything that corresponds to these beliefs about race. The second project is normative. In this project, he asserts based on the analysis from his first project that there are no human races. He offers solutions on how to approach race, racial identity, and racism given the fact that races do not exist. Several criticisms of Appiah's theory are also examined as well as the liberal foundations that undergird his analysis.