Collected Papers of Leonard Harris

Leonard Harris is a distinguished philosopher and the Joyce and Edward E. Brewer Chair in Applied Ethics at Purdue University, where he has also led the Philosophy and Literature PhD program and the African American Studies and Research Center. Earlier in his career, he taught at Morgan State University in Baltimore, where he founded a philosophy for children center and brought this work to public schools in Washington, D.C. His experiences there are described in his book Children in Chaos (1991). Harris is widely recognized as a leading figure in critical pragmatism and one of the most original voices in contemporary American philosophy. His “struggle philosophy” expands beyond traditional analytic methods and Socratic dialogue to emphasize resistance, creative expression, and an understanding of racism as a deeply dehumanizing force. He has also played a key role in helping to reintroduce the philosopher Alain Locke to new generations of scholars. Harris has written and edited numerous influential books, including A Philosophy of Struggle (2020) and Racism: Key Concepts in Critical Theory (1999). His many honors include major awards from the Society for the Advancement of American Philosophy, the Caribbean Philosophical Association, Howard University, and the American Philosophical Association.