The Powers of Dignity

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Frederick Douglass's political philosophy, developed from his slave experience, critiques antebellum America's liberal-republican democracy for inadequately addressing anti-Black racism. Nick Bromell reveals how Douglass challenged the founders' racist views by proposing a more inclusive definition of humanity based on the concept of "powers." He argued that the conscious exercise of these powers affirms human dignity, linking human rights and democracy to this dignity. Douglass's philosophy seeks to address complacency and racism in US democracy, advocating for an activist model of citizenship.