"Two-ness," Identity, and Agency in Du Bois's Souls

Abstract

"Double-consciousness" is arguably W. E. B. Du Bois's most famous contribution to social thought and has generated a staggering amount of philosophical debate. However, in The Souls of Black Folk, Du Bois introduces not just double-consciousness but the distinct concept of "two-ness." And two-ness is philosophically interesting independent of its relation to double-consciousness. Du Bois commentators, though, have paid little attention to two-ness, either (a) identifying it with double-consciousness or (b) distinguishing the two concepts but focusing almost solely on double-consciousness.

In this paper, I will argue that two-ness is distinct from double-consciousness and that once we clearly distinguish two-ness from double-consciousness, we gain an important insight from analyzing two-ness on its own terms in Du Bois's early thought. The concept of two-ness helps us see that the challenge that many non-White Americans face in attempting to embrace their American identity is a challenge to their self-respect: they can neither embrace nor reject their American identity without disrespecting themselves. Du Bois's solution to two-ness involves non-White Americans contesting, negotiating, and reinterpreting their racial identities so that they can reshape problematic American ideals into ideals they can endorse without disrespecting themselves. My interpretation has important ramifications for Du Bois exegesis, political philosophy, and anti-racist politics.