The Phi Beta Kappa Zeta Chapter of Maryland at St. Mary's College of Maryland is pleased to welcome Henry Rutgers Distinguished Professor of Philosophy at Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey Derrick Darby.
Philosophers Thomas Hobbes and John Locke teach us that a social contract is the origin of political society. To escape the state of nature, which is detrimental to our self-preservation, we must relinquish our natural liberty and submit to the rule of political authority. But what if the government fails to fulfill its responsibilities to safeguard our basic rights and liberties? This lecture draws inspiration from Public Enemy, Queen Latifah, Kendrick Lamar, and other rappers to understand this outcome and ways of responding to a broken social contract. We will listen to rap music in this hip-hop and philosophy lecture. Creative Genius: Unraveling the Mystery
Dr. Darby is a member of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences. He holds degrees from Colgate University and the University of Pittsburgh. In his TEDx talk, “Doing the Knowledge,” he tells the story of discovering his passion for philosophy growing up in New York City. He is a dynamic teacher, accomplished scholar, and passionate speaker. His recent books include Boxed In: Making Identities Safe for Democracy and A Realistic Blacktopia: Why We Must Unite to Fight. He has lectured and taught on five continents. His life and work have been covered by the Atlantic magazine, CNN, and other news outlets. His calling card is to harness the power of hip hop’s fifth element (knowledge) to empower his audiences to think critically and deeply about our world, the problems we face, and about ways in which we can work together to create a better world.
