Kwame Anthony Appiah Will Speak February 4
Events
Published January 14, 2020
Kwame Anthony Appiah—a British-Ghanaian philosopher, cultural theorist and novelist well known for his contributions to political and moral theory, the philosophy of language and mind, and African intellectual history—will deliver a Presidential Colloquium, “Identity and Identities,” at 5 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 4, in the Campus Center Carroll Room at Smith College.
The event is open to the public at no charge, and no tickets are required.
In his talk, Appiah will first explore the idea of identity philosophically, and then discuss the psychology of identity and the challenges of managing identities in a humane way. He will then talk in more detail about how one particular identity—social class—works in our own society today. He’ll conclude by discussing the role of identities across the world, defending the continuing relevance of a cosmopolitanism that he says is very much under attack.
About Kwame Anthony Appiah
Kwame Anthony Appiah is a British-Ghanaian philosopher, cultural theorist and novelist whose interests include political and moral theory, the philosophy of language and mind, and African intellectual history. Appiah was the Laurance S. Rockefeller University Professor of Philosophy at Princeton University before moving to New York University in 2014. He currently holds an appointment at the NYU Department of Philosophy and NYU's School of Law. He has taught at Yale, Cornell, Duke and Harvard universities and lectured for institutions across the world.
About Smith’s Presidential Colloquium Series
The Presidential Colloquium regularly features influential thought leaders in a wide range of fields—from poets and writers to economists and policy experts—to share their expertise, offer insights and inspire discourse on key social, political and global topics that call for our attention. Lectures are free and open to the public.
Upcoming Presidential Colloquium speakers are environmental scholar Regina McCarthy and Bryan Stevenson, founder and executive director of the Equal Justice Initiative.