My latest article for 1,000-Word Philosophy, Racism: What Makes Something Racist?, is now up! I was excited to write this one as it’s both relevant to my research interest in dehumanization and on a topic I’ve been teaching in my introductory philosophy classes since I started at Morehouse in 2018. I use 1kwp articles for many of the topics I cover in my intro classes (the design argument, ethical egoism, Clifford’s “The Ethics of Belief,” etc.), so I’m looking forward to having another relevant 1kwp article to teach in the Fall 2026 semester.
This one took a bit longer to get to publication than some of my other articles, which I think is a good thing given the sensitive nature of the topic and how easy it is for people to misunderstand what you’re really saying when you write about it. Thanks to the many folks who provided comments on earlier drafts, and to the Morehouse HSSMA Division for hosting monthly faculty “Writing Rooms” this term since I wrote the first draft of this article at January’s!
Daniel J. Peterson 