SOAS Students Call For White Philosophers To Be Dropped From Curriculum' - The Independent

09/01/2017
SOAS students call for white philosophers to be dropped from curriculum | The Independent
News
Voices
Culture
Lifestyle
News UK Home News
SOAS students call for white philosophers to

be dropped from curriculum
If white philosophers are required, then teach their work from a critical
standpoint
Lucy Pasha-Robinson | @lucypasha | 8 hours ago | 19comments
2K
shares
Like
Click to follow
The Independent Online
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/soas-university-of-london-students-union-white-philosophers-curriculum-syllabus-a7515716.html?cmpid=f
1/15
09/01/2017
News
Voices
Culture
Lifestyle
SOAS is the largest European centre for the study of Asia, Africa and the Near and Middle East Rex
StudentsatUniversityofLondonsSchoolofOrientaland
AfricanStudies(SOAS)arecallingforwhitephilosopherstobe
largelyremovedfromthecurriculumtobetterrepresentthe
university'sfocusonAsiaandAfrica.
Aspartofthestudentunionseducationalprioritiesfor2017,
studentsoutlinedwaystoaddressthestructuraland
epistemologicallegacyofcolonialismwithinouruniversityas
partofaninitiativethataimstodecoloniseSOAS.
Onesuggestionwastoensurethemajorityofphilosopherstaught
onuniversitycoursescomefromtheGlobalSouthorits
diaspora.
Rhodes Must Fall founder defends lashing out at white student

One of Britain's most famous academics refuses Israeli award
2/15
09/01/2017
Oxford student boasts about 'making waitress cry white tears' over
tip
News Voices Culture Lifestyle
Putting Harriet Tubman on a banknote is an affront to her memory
Thestudentsalsosaidifwhitephilosopherswererequired,their
workshouldbetaughtfromacriticalstandpoint,to
acknowledgethecolonialcontextinwhichmanyoftheirworks
werewritten.
DrDeborahGabriel,founderofBlackBritishAcademics,said
thestudentswereclearlyseekingtoengageinamoreculturally
diversediscussionthatwasreectiveoftheuniversitysfocus,
andinterrogatethelinkstocolonisationheldbytheinstitution.
Aculturallydemocraticcurriculumissomethingthatall
scholars,regardlessoftheirethnicbackground,shouldbe
teaching,givenglobalandnationalprioritiesinthe21stcentury,
shetoldTheIndependent.
Teachingisoftenbasedonverynarrowcriteriaandoftentends
tobeeurocentric.Thesestudentsarecallingonscholarstomeet
thecriteriaoftheirroletoteachfromdierentculturalcontexts,
itssomethingweallshouldbedoingmoreof.
However,shealsosaiddecolonisingdoesntnecessarilyequateto
removingtheproblematic.
Idontbelievethatnecessitatesremovingwhitescholars
becausenotallwhitescholarsespouseideasthatarenarrowin
context,alotofthemdoengageinanti-racistteaching.Academia
oftendrawsonseriesthataredecadesold,whichiswhatpeople
oftenndproblematic,shesaid.
Ifyouremovethatkindofcontentfromthecurriculum,howare
yougoingtocritiqueit?Thatiswhatchangesattitudesand
thinkingbylookingatpasttheoriesandhowtheyhaveevolved,
andlookingatwhatisconsideredprogressiveandacceptable
now.
TheSOASeducationalprioritiescameamidgrowingcallsfrom
studentsacrosstheUKtoridBritishuniversitiesofassociations
withcolonialism.
3/15
09/01/2017
Lastyear,OxfordUniversityrefusedtoremoveastatueofCecil
RhodesfromOrielCollegeoverhislinkswithBritainscolonial
past,despiteahigh-prolestudent-ledcampaign.
CambridgeUniversitysJesusCollegetookdownabronze
cockerelstatue,whichhadbeenlootedduringaBritishcolonial
expeditiontoNigeriainthe19thcentury,afterstudentsaskedfor
ittoberepatriated.
READ MORE
Yes, Rhodes must fall - because that's the compassionate

stance
SOASisthelargestEuropeancentreforthestudyofAsia,Africa
andtheNearandMiddleEast.
SOASspokespersonDrDeborahJohnston,pro-directorlearning
andteachingtoldTheIndependent:"Oneofthegreatstrengths
ofSOASisthatwehavealwayslookedatworldissuesfromthe
perspectiveoftheregionswestudy-Asia,Africa&MiddleEast.
Informedandcriticaldebateanddiscussionaboutthecurriculum
weteachisahealthyandproperpartoftheacademicenterprise."
TheIndependenthasapproachedSOAS'sstudentunionfor
comment.
More about: | SOAS | Cecil Rhodes |
4/15
09/01/2017
University of Londons School of Oriental and African Studies | Asia |

Britain | Oxford University | Africa | News Voices Culture Lifestyle
Cambridge Universitys Jesus College | Harriet Tubman | Oriel College |
Erica Hunter | Middle East | Global South | founder | MailOnline |
Nigeria
SponsoredLinksbyTaboola
10 Unusual Signs of Osteoporosis

NatureTip.com
Men: How to dress well without trying

Fashion Insider
20 Normal Things We Do Today That Were Totally Not OK 40 Years Ago

Scribol
UK Cheapest Broadband - 8.99 Per Month !

Saving Central
Why Trump Doesn't Discuss His Daughter Tiffany

Wizzed
21 War Photos They Won't Show In History Books

USA Social Condition
The Length Of Your Finger Reveals A Few Surprises About Your Personality.
Daily Leap
Man Protects His Dog From Wolf - Then This Happens

Detonate
[Quiz] Guess the 70s Hit From the First Line!

Zoo.com
New Dorset records ? Are You Descended From Pirates?

5/15
09/01/2017
Ancestry
News
Voices
Culture
Lifestyle
22 Things You Should Never Reheat in the Microwave

Food Network
Can We Guess Your Highest Education Level?

Topix Offbeat
Log in or register to comment
19 Comments
terrydor
Subscribe RSS
1 hour ago
ithinkstudentsaretryingtosaythatphilosophyasastudy
shouldbemorediversiedbyincludingthoughtsofothernonwesternphilosopherslikeChandrakirtiandconfuciousetcin
theirphilosophysubjectbecauseatpresentphilosophytaught
inmostoftheuniversitiesareinessenceaeuro-centric
tradition.Assomeonewiselysaid,'thereisnothing
intrinsicallywrongwithphilosophylaiddownbyEuropean;
butphilosophyhasalwaysbecomericherasitbecomemore
diverseandpluralistic'.
6/15
09/01/2017
Reply Share 1 reply

News
Voices
0 likes
Culture Lifestyle
Spadedust
1 hour ago
shouldwealsodisregardIsaacNewton,hewasawhite
man...ThePrincipiaisthereforeacolonial,racisttext
maybeweshouldstopteachingGeneralRelativityin
physicsclassbecauseEinsteinwasacisheterowhite
male...
doyouunderstandthelackoflogicinyourpost
Reply Share
0 likes
Whetstone4Ever
2 hours ago
TheLiberalElite,andthewannabeliberalelite,hateWhite
people
Reply Share
+1 likes
GB
2 hours ago
That'srightleaveouttheclassicphilosophersandletthe
studentsclimbintoapitofdebt,theywon'tgetjobsanyway
soletthemcombustundertheirownhotair.
Reply Share
0 likes
Sceptic
3 hours ago
HowveryAmerican...that'slikesaying"howstupid".
Iblametheintroductionoffees.Seemsanythickpillockcan
buytheirwayintoeducationthesedays.
Whogivesayingferkabouttheethnicityofaphilosopher...
eithertheideasstanduportheydon't.Evenwheretheydon't
learningaboutthemisvaluable...eventheideasoftheracists
(justtohelpusavoidfallingforanyofthatcrapagain...waita
minute,whoisitAmerican'selected...likeIsaid,stupid
Reply Share
_edermaus_
+1 likes
4 hours ago
Let'sseethenamesofthese"non-White"philosophers,then,
please?
(NOTE:TheGautamadoesnotcount,nordoesConfucius,as
theyaresupposedlyqualiedasRELIGIOUSleaders&
thinkers,oops.)
Reply Share
0 likes
7/15
09/01/2017
GraceDalton
News
Voices
Culture
4 hours ago
Lifestyle
Insanity.Divisive,illogical,racistinsanity.Aperson's
ethinicityandancestryisinteresting,butnomore.Nooneis
denedbywhatotherpeopledid,evenifthey'rerelated-but
it'sunlikelythatthesewhiteSOASstaarerelatedtothe
individualsresponsiblefortheatrocitiesofcolonialisation.
WhatwasdonebysomefromtheWesternworldin
colonialisationisindescribablyhorric.Butnowhiteperson
alivetodayisresponsibleforthosethingsorcanbeassumedto
thinkthatthosethingswereinanywayOK.WhatweDO
have,isaresponsibilitytotackleracism,andtogivemoreto
helpthepoorestcountriesdevelop.Intermsofthehuman
race,almosteveryoneintheUKisrich-becauseofinjusticeandit'sexcitingthatwecanhelpthosewhoaresuering.
Todeliberatelychoosesta(atSOASorelsewhere)the
ethnicityofirrational,immoral,andwillonlyperpetuateracial
division.
Reply Share
0 likes
samuel smith
4 hours ago
Theirsyllabuswillbeabitthinwithoutwhitephilosophers.
Anyway,therearelesswhiteysthananyotherracesoshouldn't
webeclassedasanethnicminority?
Reply Share
+2 likes
sweet
6 hours ago
TimefortheBritishtaxpayertostopsubsidisingthisshed.
Reply Share
+2 likes
Cullers
6 hours ago
"FounderofBlackBritishAcademics"lol.....Hmm....howcanI
getmynameinthepapersandachievesomefame?Letshavea
replyfromthefounderoftheAsianBritishAcademicsanda
retortfromthefounderoftheMiddleEasternBritish
Academics!
Reply Share
+1 likes
MsBarnes
6 hours ago
Marxistfruitcakes.Defundthewholething.
Reply Share
+4 likes
Show more comments

8/15
09/01/2017
News
Voices
Culture
Lifestyle
This couple's Star Warsthemed wedding is

better than bullseye-ing
a womp rat in your T-16
Here's everything
Theresa May revealed in
today's interview on
Brexit
This musician covered
My Heart Will Go On
with two recorders. And
his nose.
This Facebook extension
shows you just how
9/15
09/01/2017
SOAS students
call for white philosophers to be dropped from curriculum | The Independent
This Facebook
extension
shows you just how
smart their image
recognition is
This man claims to have

built a supersized
mechanised robot
SponsoredLinks
20 Giant Animals That Are Completely

Real
LifehackLane
What Annalise From 'Neighbours'

Looks Like Today Is Insane
DailyDisclosure
DIY Expert? Test Yourself with the

Basic Plumbing Quiz!
HowStuffWorks
She Vanished Hiking the Appalachian

Trail. Then 2 Years on They Found Her
Scribol
Cruise Ship Images That Will Give You

Nightmares
Mozo Motors
byTaboola
ADVERTISEMENT
The sales are coming

Promoted by Bing
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/soas-university-of-london-students-union-white-philosophers-curriculum-syllabus-a7515716.html?cmpid=
10/15
09/01/2017
News
May dodges four Brexit

questions in a row
Voices
Culture
Lifestyle
Morecambe boss
Bentley reduced to
tears as fans pay
1,000 FA charge
Sky News cuts short

interview after
Murdoch criticised live
on air
8 cities worth the ight

time
Spotlight on: Hard Rock

Hotel Maya Riviera,
Mexico
Moroccos best coastal
resorts
Beat the winter blues in
Barbados: where to stay,
eat and explore
7 ways to make yourself
more employable
11/15
09/01/2017
News
Voices
Culture
Lifestyle
12/15
09/01/2017
News
Voices
Culture
Lifestyle
13/15
09/01/2017
News
Voices
Culture
Lifestyle
Follow us:
User Policies
Cookie Policy
Privacy Policy
Code of Conduct
14/15
09/01/2017
Complaint Form
Contact Us
News
Subscriptions
Voices Culture Lifestyle
Advertising Guide
Contributors
Syndication
All Topics
Evening Standard
Archive
Novaya Gazeta
Newsletters
Install our Apps
Jobs
15/15

SOAS Students Call For White Philosophers To Be Dropped From Curriculum' - The Independent

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

SOAS Students Call For White Philosophers To Be Dropped From Curriculum' - The Independent

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

09/01/2017

News UK Home News

SOAS students call for white philosophers to

Rhodes Must Fall founder defends lashing out at white student

Yes, Rhodes must fall - because that's the compassionate

University of Londons School of Oriental and African Studies | Asia |

10 Unusual Signs of Osteoporosis

Men: How to dress well without trying

20 Normal Things We Do Today That Were Totally Not OK 40 Years Ago

UK Cheapest Broadband - 8.99 Per Month !

Why Trump Doesn't Discuss His Daughter Tiffany

21 War Photos They Won't Show In History Books

Man Protects His Dog From Wolf - Then This Happens

[Quiz] Guess the 70s Hit From the First Line!

New Dorset records ? Are You Descended From Pirates?

22 Things You Should Never Reheat in the Microwave

Can We Guess Your Highest Education Level?

Log in or register to comment

Reply Share 1 reply

Show more comments

This couple's Star Warsthemed wedding is

This man claims to have

20 Giant Animals That Are Completely

What Annalise From 'Neighbours'

DIY Expert? Test Yourself with the

She Vanished Hiking the Appalachian

Cruise Ship Images That Will Give You

The sales are coming

May dodges four Brexit

Sky News cuts short

8 cities worth the ight

Spotlight on: Hard Rock

Install our Apps

You might also like