Kwame Anthony Appiah Delivers Berggruen Prize Lecture at the APA’s 97th Pacific Division Meeting

The Berggruen Institute and the American Philosophical Association (APA) co-presented the Berggruen Prize Lecture, “What Is Racism?”, delivered by world-renowned philosopher, ethicist, and cultural theorist Kwame Anthony Appiah at the 97th meeting of the APA Pacific Division in Portland, Oregon. The event attracted a large audience of philosophers, academics, and intellectuals.

Appiah’s lecture explored the complexities surrounding the history and concept of racism, calling for a precise and nuanced understanding of it. Appiah emphasized that in order to effectively combat racism–manifest in systems, policies, behaviors, attitudes, and individuals alike–it is crucial to have an accurate account and definition of racism. He urged for continued philosophical inquiry into racism as an ideology and tool of oppression. Appiah underscored, “The fundamental wrong in racism is the oppression of one racial group to the advantage of some other or several. What makes people, beliefs, feelings, institutions and practices racist is that they contribute to that wrong.”

Philosopher of mind and consciousness David Chalmers, who is also Professor of Philosophy and Neural Science at New York University (NYU) and a current member of the Berggruen Prize Jury, provided opening remarks and introduced his colleague and former Berggruen Prize Jury Chair. Appiah served as the inaugural chair of the Berggruen Prize Jury from 2016-2021 and as juror in 2022. An author, philosopher, public intellectual, and Professor of Philosophy and Law at NYU, he is widely regarded for his contributions to literary and cultural studies, particularly African and African-American studies, as well as to the fields of ethics, moral philosophy, psychology, political philosophy, and the philosophy of the social sciences.

An ongoing collaboration between the Berggruen Institute and the APA, the Berggruen Prize Lecture serves as a platform for distinguished thinkers to share their ideas and contribute to the public discourse in various locales. This special lecture series celebrates a shared commitment to the discipline of philosophy and its role in addressing pressing societal concerns.