Summary of Cornel West - The Historical Philosophy of W.E.B. Du Bois - Class

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In this YouTube video titled "Cornel West - The Historical Philosophy of W.E.B. Du Bois - Class," Cornel West covers a wide range of topics related to the life and philosophy of W.E.B. Du Bois. He discusses Du Bois' concern with recognizing individuals as human beings and the importance of institutions in doing so, as well as his focus on paideia or education of the heart, mind, and soul. West also touches on the impact of the culture of mass distractions, weariness, and fatigue, and the dangers of worshiping wealth and money. Finally, he discusses the pivotal moment in Du Bois's life following the lynching of Sam Hose and his rejection of an offer of money from Booker T. Washington's machine. Throughout the video, West emphasizes the importance of critical reflection, the need for recognition in human lives, and the development of one's own voice and questioning of oneself.

00:00:00 In this section, Cornel West discusses the importance of the character Josie in W.E.B. Du Bois' text "Dusk of Dawn". Josie serves as a symbol of Black culture and represents what happens when progress and technology move forward without being able to shed light on certain corners of society. Du Bois begins his analysis of life on the Black side of the veil by accenting a young woman, highlighting not only her gender but also the importance of recognizing those whose humanity is often overlooked. West also delves into the epigraph of the text, which features a quote from Friedrich Schiller's play "The Maid of Orleans" about the historical figure Joan of Arc.
00:05:00 In this section, Cornel West discusses the comparison between Joan of Arc and Josie, a symbol of Black culture. Both figures longed for freedom and were willing to sacrifice for it, while also dealing with patriarchal structures and sexist challenges. Du Bois used this comparison to address the complex relation between science and imperial expansion taking place around the world. West also touches upon the use of clouds in the spirituals as a metaphor for darkness and shadows, contrasting with the European obsession with clear and cloudless skies. Through these comparisons, Du Bois and West grapple with what it means to be human in an age of progress and empire.
00:10:00 In this section of the transcript, Cornel West discusses the importance of institutions in recognizing individuals as human beings. He notes the centrality of family, lodges, and other organizations that create sites of belonging and offer recognition. West emphasizes that race, when discussed in Du Boisian language, is not primarily about policy or politics, but about quality human relationships that affirm individual humanity. He also touches on the importance of recognition in human lives and how it is a deeply human need.
00:15:00 In this section, Dr. Cornel West discusses the importance of paideia, or the education of the heart, mind, and soul, in the life of Josie, a young Black girl in Jim Crow Tennessee. Du Bois's concern with Josie's quest for literacy and education shows that education is not just a means for upward social mobility, but a life and death affair that contributes to the quality of one's character. West emphasizes the need for critical reflection on texts and the development of one's own voice and questioning of oneself, just as Josie studied doggedly and became a freedom fighter amidst oppressive circumstances.
00:20:00 In this section, Professor Cornel West discusses the humanity and sexuality of W.E.B. Du Bois in relation to his autobiographical work. West notes that while Josie, the woman Du Bois fell in love with, is primarily discussed as a symbol of Black perseverance under apartheid US conditions who desires a process of paideia that entails moments of pain and discomfort, she is also the catalyst of Du Bois' own sexual awakening. This understanding of Du Bois as a full human being contributes to our broader understanding of the existential value of education, particularly for marginalized individuals who have to fight to access it.
00:25:00 In this section, Cornel West discusses an excerpt from W.E.B. Du Bois’s "The Souls of Black Folk," where Du Bois talks about the common joys and griefs amongst Black Americans during the post-emancipation era. He discusses the role of religion in shaping Black identities and projecting a paradise beyond history, as well as the distinction between joy and pleasure. West notes that the new generation of Black Americans during this time found the world puzzling and sank into listless indifference, a distance from not just the passions of the time but also a distance from the suffering of others. He updates Du Bois’s text to characterize listless indifference as today’s addiction to one's own ego and narcissistic quest for pleasure.
00:30:00 In this section, Cornel West discusses the impact of the culture of mass distractions on society and how it can lead to apathy and indifference towards important things. He digresses into discussing the television show "Games of Thrones" as an example of this phenomenon. He also talks about how the severing of our relation to our past can lead to a repetition of the same in the present and disconnect us from the story and narrative that connects the past, present, and future. West points out that this disconnection is what distinguishes our present-day from Du Bois's time, where paideia or education was a way of connecting to one's past and inspiring a vision for the future.
00:35:00 In this section, Cornel West discusses the issue of weariness and fatigue in the face of spiritual and moral catastrophe. He references the concept of Prometheus in Kafka's writings, which explore the different stages of weariness, from being forgotten to being too tired to move. West then uses Du Bois's work to examine how to deal with this kind of weariness in the face of progress, which can be positive in some ways but detrimental in others. He argues that technological and economic progress can sometimes undermine structures of meaning and produce existential weariness, which can be difficult to overcome.
00:40:00 In this section, Cornel West discusses W.E.B. Du Bois' concern with what happens when the Black side of the veil is seduced by the gospel of wealth and money, resulting in the worship of the golden calf and the golden rule of he or she who has the gold rules. Du Bois sees this as a danger penetrating the Black side of the veil, leading to the loss of spirituality and morality. West explains the difference between critical nostalgia, which recovers the best to confront the present, and uncritical nostalgia, where one wants to live in a golden age.
00:45:00 In this section, Cornel West discusses the critique of commodification and marketization brought forth by W.E.B. Du Bois, who came from a highbrow humanist tradition. Du Bois believed in the importance of education and culture, seeing it as the pathway to the renaissance of paideia and critical consciousness. He envisioned the coming universities of the south as the wings of Atalanta, which would cultivate broadly cultured men and women. Du Bois believed that the best of the white community and the Black community should have close relations to sustain a legacy of paideia. West emphasizes the importance of internationalism and roots, stating that it is impossible to aspire to excellence without being conversant with various cultures.
00:50:00 In this section, Cornel West discusses the importance of literary allusions and references, specifically those made by W.E.B. Du Bois in The Souls of Black Folk. Du Bois emphasizes the importance of paideia, which allows for the quest of excellence without scorn or condescension. He talks about a life above the veil where individuals such as Shakespeare, Dumas, and Aristotle, among others, can commune without cultural or racial differences. West highlights the concept of possibility and utopian energy in paideia, tying this to Du Bois' call for scientific investigation to cure and build knowledge around ignorance and race.
00:55:00 In this section, Cornel West discusses the pivotal moment in W.E.B. Du Bois' life following the lynching of Sam Hose. It leads Du Bois to rethink his vocation, particularly his scientific work, and his thin enlightenment understanding of race. Du Bois realized that the topic of race goes way beyond mere ignorance or lack of information. Instead, it involves irrational fears, deep-seated prejudices, and unreasonable anxieties. To fight this vicious legacy of white supremacy, the Black Freedom Movement, according to Du Bois, required plain speaking, which he used to found the NAACP. Plain speaking did not only target the white side of the veil but also the Black side, making the critique universal in character. In the end, Du Bois refused to sell out, rejecting an offer of any amount of money by Booker T. Washington's machine.

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Cornel West discusses W.E.B. Du Bois's rejection of compromising his values and integrity for financial gain. Du Bois criticized the lack of honest criticism and proposed a conference to combat these methods. He viewed the history of empire as the domination of white Europe over Black Africa and Yellow Asia, leading to Black people's exclusion from American democracy in 1910. While Du Bois was a reformist, he emphasized science, empire, paideia, and collective organizing to resist and reform.