Research and Published Books
Packing his case with moral argument and relevant facts, Angelo Corlett offers the most comprehensive defense to date in favor of reparations for African Americans and American Indians. As Corlett see it, the heirs of oppression are both the descendants of the oppressors and the descendants of their victims. Corlett delves deeply into the philosophically related issues of collective responsibility, forgiveness and apology, and reparations as a human right in ways that no other book or article to date has done. He recommends specific policies and tests the basic arguments of this book with a lengthy chapter considering several objections to the line of reasoning grounding the project.
“Too many Americans (laypersons and scholars) have historical amnesia when it comes to racial oppression. J. Angelo Corlett’s new text, Heirs of Oppression, does not suffer this shortcoming. Corlett skillfully draws on some of the best thinking by historians, legal scholars, social scientists, and philosophers to construct a novel theory of reparations in response to a history of racial injustice. The book will stand as the canonical defense of a rights-based account of reparations. Heirs of Oppression is a rich and rewarding book. Anyone working on race, social justice, and political philosophy in general will benefit from it. This book is a must-read for anyone who is genuinely interested in issues of moral repair.”
- Howard McGary, Distinguished Professor of Philosophy, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, author of Race and Social Justice
“This book presents a thorough examination of the idea of reparation and a powerful defense of the case for reparation for blacks and American Indians. It is also a ringing demonstration that utilitarian, forward-looking accounts of corrective justice are indefensible and enfeeble the meaning of reparation.”
-Bernard R. Boxill, Pardue Distinguished Professor of Philosophy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, author of Blacks and Social Justice
This work fills the gap for a much needed analytical philosophical work articulating and defending agnosticism as a critique of both theism and atheism. The Errors of Atheism is a response to the glaring gap that exists in the analytical philosophical literature on the problem of whether or not God exists. While on the one hand there is the large body of work by orthodox Christian theists such as Alvin Plantinga and Richard Swinburne, and relatively few atheists like Kai Nielsen who challenge certain orthodox Christian theistic arguments and analysis, there is on the other hand a lack of analytical philosophical work articulating and defending agnosticism as a critique of both theism and atheism. Corlett argues that the conceptual depths of theism must be explored beyond orthodoxy in order to re-open the debate about whether or not God exists. The Errors of Atheism is a piece of analytical philosophy of religion that seeks to disrupt the prevalent way of thinking about the problem of God amongst atheists and theists alike. Philosophy of religion has been dominated by well-intentioned analytical philosophers, most all of whom presuppose various traditional Christian doctrines and thus do not take non-orthodox theism seriously, and by a few atheists who also presume that orthodox Christian theism is the only theism worth addressing. Professor Corlett, however, argues that the truth lies somewhere between these two positions.
“This book is a provocative presentation of Corlett’s own version of theism, and it also plausibly criticizes many stereotypes and exposes numerous errors. Corlett achieves extraordinary comprehensiveness in discussing a great deal of literature in philosophy of religion and theology, but the book should be accessible to general readers and of interest to many.”
- Robert Audi, John A. O’Brien Professor of Philosophy, University of Notre Dame, USA, and Editor of The Cambridge Dictionary of Philosophy
“This book contains a sustained and systematic critique of many of the ‘new atheists,’ such as Dawkins, as well as a critique of traditional orthodox theology. Corlett develops an innovative hybrid of process theology and liberation theology, and he argues that it is not rational to reject this view out of hand. In this age of rabid fundamentalism and increasingly ‘in-your-face’ atheism, Corlett offers an alternative picture with considerable appeal. It is a book of breathtaking intellectual scope, and it stakes out an important, but thus far under-appreciated, religious orientation.”
- John Martin Fischer, Distinguished Professor of Philosophy, University of California, Riverside, USA
“An important contribution to the current debate about God. Both theologians and philosophers should read this book.”
- James H. Cone, Charles Augustus Briggs Distinguished Professor of Systematic Theology, Union Theological Seminary, USA
In light of today's problems of global concern, Race, Rights and Justice is a timely philosophy book that addresses contemporary problems of the nature of law, international law and global justice, and individual and group rights. It introduces readers to different conceptions of the nature of law, and argues that the best theory of law is a Dworkinian - based one that sees law as in part what judges say it is, at least in hard cases, as judges must sometimes interpret the law. But unlike Ronald Dworkin's theory, Race, Rights and Justice places no restrictions on which laws, in principle, might be questioned for their validity. It also addresses leading theories of global justice within the framework of rights-based theories, and concludes that cosmopolitan criticisms of John Rawls' Law of Peoples are unfounded as they rely both on a problematic notion of equality and a dubious idea of rights. This book also provides analysis of both individual and group rights, and addresses from an indigenous perspective the growing problem of humanitarian intervention. It is highly recommended reading both for specialists in philosophy and law, as well as their students. Race, Rights, and Justice explores questions of the nature of law and constitutional interpretation, international law and global justice, and the nature, function, and importance of rights each from a perspective that takes seriously the realities of race and racism. After a critical assessment of various contemporary theories of law is provided, a new theory of legal interpretation is set forth and defended. The respective words of Immanuel Kant and H. L. A. Hart on the possibility and desirability of international law are carefully explicated. Following this, Race, Rights, and Justice defends John Rawls' Law of Peoples from the cosmopolitan liberal critique of it. The nature and importance of rights, both individual and collective, are clarified while correcting some political philosophies that have propagated confused rhetoric about rights. And the collective right to humanitarian intervention is investigated philosophically in terms of the recent problems in Colombia, with surprisingly original results. While the methodology of this book is thoroughly analytical, philosophically speaking, some of the conclusions drawn are substantially original, infusing the facts of race and racism into mainstream matters of philosophy of law.
“In this collection of essays, J. Angelo Corlett continues his important work of bringing the perspective of indigenous peoples, and more generally of race, into mainstream philosophical debates about justice and rights. Corlett's book also has very valuable insights into the nature of international law that will greatly enrich our contemporary debates.”
- Larry May, W. Alton Jones Professor of Philosophy and Professor of Law, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN USA
“Angelo Corlett is a prolific writer whose work is invariably stimulating, provocative, and insightful. Race, Rights, and Justice is an important addition to the oeuvre. Corlett is not afraid to tackle big problems, and big names. See, for example, his scathing criticisms of Bork and Scalia on constitutional interpretation.”
- Burleigh T. Wilkins, Professor of Philosophy, University of California, Santa Barbara, USA
This book introduces readers to some key problems in understanding Plato’s writings, and explores in-depth and critically the various ways of approaching Plato. The problem of how to interpret Plato’s dialogues dates back to Plato's Academy, and Plato’s interpreters ought not to forego this important discussion. For how one approaches texts will inevitably influence how one interprets their contents. This is especially true of Plato’s writings, as they are, with few exceptions, dialogues. For the sake of historical accuracy, then, it is crucial that the most plausible interpretation of Plato’s works is articulated and well defended. And this is precisely what this book provides: an articulation and critical evaluation of the various ways to approach Plato’s dialogues, along with the articulation and defense of a plausible new way to interpret Plato. This new way of approaching Plato neither sees Plato’s words as doctrines according to which the dialogues are to be interpreted, nor does it reduce Plato’s dialogues to dramatic literature. Rather, it seeks to interpret the aim of Plato’s writings as being influenced primarily by Plato’s respect for his teacher, Socrates, and the manner in which Socrates engaged others in philosophical discourse. It places the focus of philosophical investigation of Plato’s dialogues on the content of the dialogues themselves, and on the Socratic way of doing philosophy. This book contains a comprehensive bibliography of philosophical sources on the interpretation of Plato’s corpus of writings, as well as some important works in the field of classical studies and philology. Interpreting Plato’s Dialogues provides both an analytical, scholarly, and thorough treatment of what is perhaps the most long-standing problem in Plato studies. The book serves quite well as a companion text to Plato’s dialogues and is of special interest to philosophers, classicists, and philologists.
“In this highly original book, Angelo Corlett treats the most fundamental and controversial issues in Plato scholarship, namely that of Plato’s authorial intentions and his reasons for using the dialogue form...Corlett’s thoughtful and clear engagements with and criticism’s of others’ views deserve our attention; and his presentation of his own proposed interpretative methodology is cogent and plausible. I recommend this book to you with confidence and enthusiasm.”
- Nicholas D. Smith, James F. Miller Professor of Humanities, Lewis & Clark College
“Interpreting Plato’s Dialogues makes a timely and important contribution to contemporary platonic scholarship... it provides an extended discussion of the vexed, yet vitally important question of why Plato wrote philosophy in the way he did. Not only does Angelo Corlett offer the reader careful analyses of the major competing approaches to Plato, explaining in what way each is attractive and in what each is flawed, he develops his own novel and insightful view of how we ought to read Plato. This penetrating discussion of what Plato took himself to be doing puts the entire platonic corpus in a new light.”
- Thomas C. Brickhouse, John Franklin East Professor of the Humanities, Professor of Philosophy, Lynchburg College
What is terrorism? Can it ever be the right thing to do? Who is really responsible for terrorism? Should governments never negotiate with terrorists? And how can terrorism be stopped? Terrorism: A Philosophical Analysis is a unique book on terrorism that openly, rationally and passionately delves into what underlies terrorism, what in some cases justifies it on ethical grounds, and how terrorism might be dealt with successfully. Rather than assuming from the start a particular point of view about terrorism, this book uniquely engages the reader in a series of critical discussions that unveil the ethical problems underlying terrorism. A must-read for everyone interested in understanding the depths of terrorism.
“What terrorism demands, from Americans in their power above all, is moral intelligence. Corlett’s book provides nothing else. It applies an articulated morality to terrorism and to civil disobedience. It links these, originally, with secession. It makes philosophy work in the world we now know. It is clear, scholarly, reflective and argued thinking, essential to all of us. It seeks truths in passions. You do not have to agree with all of it to know it's value.”
- Ted Honderich, Grote Professor Emeritus of Philosophy of Mind and Logic, University College London, UK
“Terrorism: A Philosophical Analysis is an unusually thorough, careful treatment with some rather surprising tentative conclusions about terrorism and secession. This is a book that will challenge the serious reader, indeed. Corlett goes in for careful analysis, and doesn't flinch at conclusions that might be unwelcome to some. He’s owed an answer, for sure.”
- Jan Narveson, Distinguished Professor of Ethics and Political Philosophy Emeritus, University of Waterloo, Canada
If affirmative action and other ethnicity-based social programs are justified, then J. Angelo Corlett believes it is important to come to an adequate understanding of the nature of ethnicity in general and ethnic group membership in particular. In Race, Racism, and Reparations,Corlett re-conceptualizes traditional ideas of race in terms of ethnicity. As he makes clear, the answers to the questions "What is a Native American?" or "What is a Latino/a?" have important implications for public policy, especially for those programs designed to address historic injustices and economic and social imbalances among different groups in our society.
Having supplanted “race” with a well-defined concept of ethnicity, the author then analyzes the nature and function of racism. Corlett argues for a notion of racism that must encompass not only racist beliefs but also racist actions, omissions, and attempted actions. His aim is to craft a definition of racism that will prove useful in legal and public policy contexts.
Corlett places special emphasis on the broad questions of whether reparations for ethnic groups are desirable and what forms those reparations should take: land, money, social programs? He addresses the need for differential affirmative action programs and reparations policies—the experiences (and oppressors) of different ethnic groups vary greatly. Arguments for reparations to Native and African Americans are considered in light of a variety of objections that are or might be raised against them. Corlett articulates and critically analyzes a number of possible proposals for reparations.
“Until now, most philosophy texts on race have focused narrowly and monochromatically on the black experience. This challenging new book broadens the traditional spectrum to include the neglected browns and reds, Latino and Native American colors, of the American racial palette. The result is a much richer picture of the moral complexities of the ethnic and racial landscape, from the subtleties of how best to analyze Latino identity to the highly contentious issue of reparations to Native Americans.”
- Charles Mills, John Evans Professor of Moral and Intellectual Philosophy, Northwestern University, author of The Racial Contract
“In his provocative book, J. Angelo Corlett brings the debate over reparations for the victims of gross injustices to a new level. Using the skills that are characteristic of a good analytical philosopher, he provides reasons in support of reparations programs that should appeal to sensitive and thoughtful human beings. This book is the most lucid account of this important subject that I have encountered.”
- Howard McGary, Distinguished Professor of Philosophy, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, author of Race and Social Justice
This volume provides discussions of both the concept of responsibility and of punishment, and of both individual and collective responsibility. It provides in-depth Socratic and Kantian bases for a new version of retributivism, and defends that version against the main criticisms that have been raised against retributivism in general. It includes chapters on criminal recidivism and capital punishment, as well as one on forgiveness, apology and punishment that is congruent with the basic precepts of the new retributivism defended therein. Finally, chapters on corporate responsibility and punishment are included, with a closing chapter on holding the U.S. accountable for its most recent invasion and occupation of Iraq. The book is well-focused but also presents the widest ranging set of topics of any book of its kind as it demonstrates how the concepts of responsibility and punishment apply to some of the most important problems of our time.
“This is one of the best books on punishment, and the Fourth Edition continues its tradition of excellence. The book connects punishment importantly to moral responsibility and desert, and it is comprehensive in its scope, both addressing abstract, theoretical issues and applied issues as well. The topics treated include collective responsibility, apology, forgiveness, capital punishment, and war crimes. Highly recommended.”
―John Martin Fischer, Distinguished Professor of Philosophy, University of California, Riverside, author of Responsibility and Control.
Analyzing Social Knowledge argues for both socialized and naturalized epistemology. J. Angelo Corlett takes social epistemology in a new direction, applying the findings of experimental cognitive psychology to theories of social knowledge. Corlett analyzes social knowledge in terms of group belief, individual belief, truth, justification, coherence, and reliability and responsibility. He provides a critique of leading theories of social knowledge and defends his analysis against respected criticisms of naturalized epistemology. The far-reaching implications of Analyzing Social Knowledge will interest epistemologists, philosophers of the mind, and cognitive psychologists.
“Corlett tackles a topic that needs more attention within analytic epistemology, our ascriptions of knowledge and belief to groups of people as opposed to individuals. It is to be hoped that the book will stimulate further discussion of a topic germane to many disciplines.”
- Margaret Gilbert, Abraham I. Melden Chair in Moral Philosophy, University of California, Irvine, author of On Social Facts.
“Corlett has provided an account of analytic social epistemology that should meet the objections of most analytic philosophers without losing the interest of the sociologists and psychologists who have made social epistemology such a vibrant enterprise. This is probably the best primer in analytic social epistemology currently available.”
- Steve Fuller, Professor of Sociology, University of Warwick, U.K., and founding Editor of Social Epistemology
Edited Works: Equality and Liberty: Analyzing Rawls and Nozick
Selected Articles:
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1."Forgiveness, Apology, and Retributive Punishment,” American Philosophical Quarterly, 43 (2006), pp. 25-42
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2."Evil,” Analysis, 64 (2004), pp. 81-84
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3. "The Morality and Constitutionality of Secession,” Journal of Social Philosophy,XXIX (1998), pp. 120-128
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4."What is Civil Disobedience?" Philosophical Papers, XXVII (1997), pp. 241-259
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5."Can Terrorism Be Morally Justified?" Public Affairs Quarterly, 10 (1996), pp. 163-184
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6."Making Sense of Retributivism," Philosophy (Royal Institute of Philosophy, London), 76 (2001), pp. 76-110
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7.“Making More Sense of Retributivism: Desert as Responsibility and Proportionality,” Philosophy (Royal Institute of Philosophy, London), 78 (2003), pp. 277-285
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8.“Interpreting Plato’s Dialogues,” The Classical Quarterly, 47 (1997), pp. 423-437.
Partial listing of J. Angelo Corlett’s articles