{"product_id":"democracy-and-beauty-the-political-aesthetics-of-w-e-b-du-bois-9780231220033","title":"Democracy and Beauty: The Political Aesthetics of W. E. B. Du Bois","description":"\u003cp\u003eWhat is beauty, and what is its political function? In what ways might it help undermine white supremacy and cultivate a more democratic political culture? \u003ci\u003eDemocracy and Beauty\u003c\/i\u003e shines a light on W. E. B. Du Bois's attempts to answer these questions during the decade surrounding the First World War and, in so doing, offers a groundbreaking account of the philosopher's aesthetics. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eRobert Gooding-Williams reconstructs Du Bois's defense of the political potential of beauty to challenge oppressive systems and foster an inclusive democracy. White supremacy is a powerful force that defies rational revision, Du Bois argued, because it is rooted in the entrenched routines of its adherents. Beauty, however, has a distinctive role to play in the struggle against white supremacy. It can strengthen resolve and ward off despair by showing the oppressed that they can alter their social world, and it can unsettle and even transform the pernicious habits that perpetuate white supremacy. Gooding-Williams also explores Du Bois's account of the interplay among white supremacy, Christianity, capitalism, and imperialism as well as key tensions in his work. A rich engagement with Du Bois's philosophy of beauty, this book demonstrates the relevance of his social thought and aesthetics to present-day arguments about Black pessimism, Black optimism, and the aesthetic turn in Black studies.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Robert Gooding-Williams\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBinding Type:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Columbia University Press\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 06\/03\/2025\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSeries:\u003c\/b\u003e Leonard Hastings Schoff Lectures\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 272\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.7lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 8.50h x 5.50w x 0.61d\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN:\u003c\/b\u003e 9780231220033","brand":"Columbia University Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44134343868553,"sku":"9780231220033","price":28.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0636\/9240\/6921\/files\/img_d3f43943-75d1-49a4-8040-238f0624f59c.jpg?v=1748392988","url":"https:\/\/sonsanddaughtersbooks.com\/products\/democracy-and-beauty-the-political-aesthetics-of-w-e-b-du-bois-9780231220033","provider":"Sons and Daughters Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}