Skip to main content
UMass Collegiate M The University of Massachusetts Amherst
  • Visit
  • Apply
  • Give
  • Search UMass.edu
College of Humanities & Fine Arts College of Humanities & Fine Arts

Main navigation

  • Academics
    Undergraduate programsGraduate programsCertificate programsCourses
    See all academic programs
    UMass AdmissionsFinancial aid and scholarshipsCornerstone InitiativeAcademic advisingWhy HFA?
  • Research
    Research centers and institutesResearch newsFunding Opportunities and AwardsResearch Areas
  • Campus & Outreach
    Community EngagementFaces of HFADiversity, Equity, and InclusionStudent Leadership GroupSupport HFAHFA Days
  • Advising & Careers
    Exploratory TrackOpportunity ScholarsFinancial Aid and Scholarships
    Academic AdvisingHFA Career Services
  • About
    NewsEventsDirectoryMeet the LeadershipAlumni and Friends
    Resources for current studentsResources for faculty & staff Communications Support2025 Senior Recognition CeremonyContact

Breadcrumb

  1. Home
  2. News

Philosophy's Julia Jorati Releases New Book, "Slavery and Race: Philosophical Debates in the Eighteenth Century"

November 28, 2023 Academics

Content

Julia Jorati

A new book from Professor of Philosophy Julia Jorati called, "Slavery and Race: Philosophical Debates in the Eighteenth Century," was published on Nov. 22. 

It explores philosophical ideas and arguments, with a focus on the role race played in discussions of slavery. The book examines the philosophical importance of debates about slavery in the eighteenth century; introduces readers to many intriguing texts that are rarely studied by historians of philosophy; and prompts a reevaluation of the philosophical canon by examining how several well-known philosophers from the eighteenth century view slavery and race.

Jorati reveals how closely associated Blackness and slavery were at that time and how many white people viewed Black people as naturally destined for slavery. In addition to examining well-known authors like David Hume, Immanuel Kant, and Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Jorati also discusses less widely studied philosophers like Quobna Ottobah Cugoano, Lemuel Haynes, and Olympe de Gouges. By revealing important aspects of debates about slavery in North America and Europe, this book and its companion volume on the sixteenth and seventeeth centuries are valuable resources for readers interested in a more complete history of early modern philosophy.

Jorati received a master's degree from the University of Göttingen in Germany in 2008 and a PhD from Yale in 2013. She taught at The Ohio State University for six years before coming to UMass in 2019.

The main focus of Jorati’s research is the history of early modern philosophy. At present, she is particularly interested in philosophical debates about slavery and race in the 17th and 18th centuries. She has also published extensively on the philosophy of Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz.

Article posted in Academics for Faculty

Related programs

  • Philosophy

Site footer

College of Humanities & Fine Arts
  • Find us on Facebook
  • Find us on YouTube
  • Find us on LinkedIn
  • Find us on Instagram
Address

150 Hicks Way
Amherst, MA 01003-9274
United States

Academics

  • Explore our programs
  • Undergraduate
  • Graduate
  • Continuing and professional education

Research

  • Research news
  • Research areas
  • Research centers & institutes

The School

  • About HFA
  • News
  • Events
  • Directory
  • Contact

Info for...

  • Current students
  • Faculty & staff

Global footer

  • ©2025 University of Massachusetts Amherst
  • Site policies
  • Privacy
  • Non-discrimination notice
  • Accessibility
  • Terms of use