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In this course we will study philosophical issues concerning oppression. Students will take up questions about how we should understand social categories such as race and gender: for instance, what does it mean to belong to a certain race, or to be a man or woman? Students will consider the nature and explore the hallmarks of oppression. In particular, significant attention will be devoted to three specific forms of oppression: racism, sexism, and sizism. The class will also consider questions of responsibility—such as whether victims of oppression have a responsibility to resist the oppressive circumstances they face—and questions concerning what forms of civil disobedience might be justified to combat oppression, and on what basis. Writing proficiency is required for a passing grade in this course. A student who does not write with the skill normally required of an upper-division student will not earn a passing grade, no matter how well the student performs in other areas of the course.