{"id":{"repo_id":"vt","oai_identifier":"oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/132463"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/vt/oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/132463","repository":{"repo_id":"vt","name":"Virginia Tech","base_url":"https://vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"\"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.","abstract_html":""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.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Wong, Jason Takashi"],"institution":"Virginia Tech","degree_name":"Master of Arts","degree_level":"masters","degree_discipline":"Philosophy","degree_department":"Philosophy","school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":["Yaure, Philip Christopher"],"committee_members":["Hoek, Daniel","MacKenzie, Jordan"],"year":2025,"date_issued":"2025-05-13","date_published":"2025-05-13","updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:18:50Z","subjects":["W. E. B. 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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."]},{"key":"dc:description.abstractgeneral","label":"General Abstract","values":["Many non-White Americans report experiencing a conflict between their American and racial identities. In this paper, I shed light on the nature of this conflict by engaging with the early writings of Black American scholar and activist W. E. B. Du Bois (1868–1963). In particular, I focus on his concept of \"two-ness,\" which he introduces alongside the more famous concept of \"double-consciousness\" in his 1903 book The Souls of Black Folk. The concept of two-ness helps us see that the challenge 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 this challenge involves non-White Americans reshaping their identities into ones that they can embrace without disrespecting themselves. This has important upshots for anti-racist politics."]},{"key":"dc:description.degree","label":"Dc Description Degree","values":["Master of Arts"]},{"key":"dc:format.medium","label":"Dc Format Medium","values":["ETD"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["\"Two-ness,\" Identity, and Agency in Du Bois's Souls"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor.committeechair":["Yaure, Philip Christopher"],"dc:contributor.committeemember":["Hoek, Daniel","MacKenzie, Jordan"],"dc:contributor.department":["Philosophy"],"dc:creator":["Wong, Jason Takashi"],"dc:date.accessioned":["2025-05-14T08:03:34Z"],"dc:date.available":["2025-05-14T08:03:34Z"],"dc:date.issued":["2025-05-13"],"dc:description.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."],"dc:description.abstractgeneral":["Many non-White Americans report experiencing a conflict between their American and racial identities. In this paper, I shed light on the nature of this conflict by engaging with the early writings of Black American scholar and activist W. E. B. Du Bois (1868–1963). In particular, I focus on his concept of \"two-ness,\" which he introduces alongside the more famous concept of \"double-consciousness\" in his 1903 book The Souls of Black Folk. The concept of two-ness helps us see that the challenge 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 this challenge involves non-White Americans reshaping their identities into ones that they can embrace without disrespecting themselves. This has important upshots for anti-racist politics."],"dc:description.degree":["Master of Arts"],"dc:format.medium":["ETD"],"dc:identifier.other":["vt_gsexam:43172"],"dc:identifier.uri":["https://hdl.handle.net/10919/132463"],"dc:language.iso":["en"],"dc:publisher":["Virginia Tech"],"dc:rights":["Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International"],"dc:rights.uri":["http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"],"dc:subject":["W. E. B. Du Bois","Two-ness","Double Consciousness","Social/Political Philosophy","Identity"],"dc:title":["\"Two-ness,\" Identity, and Agency in Du Bois's Souls"],"dc:type":["Thesis"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Philosophy"],"thesis:degree_level":["masters"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Arts"],"thesis:institution_name":["Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:18:50Z"}