W. E. B. Du Bois’s Forgotten Sociology of Morality: Contesting the Foundations and Informing the Future of the Sociology of Morality

Du Bois’s work, especially his early work, was explicitly concerned with morality. Yet, the long-overdue revival of Du Bois’s contribution to sociology has given little credence to his work on morality. Likewise, the resurgent sociology of morality has scarcely engaged with Du Bois’s work at all. This chapter firstly aims to introduce and explore Du Bois’s work on morality. In so doing, the chapter sets out the aims of Du Bois’s work on morality, explores his empirical investigations into the topic, and argues that recognition of Du Bois’s ongoing concern for the relationship between racialisation and moral status allows the moral content of his more familiar writings and concepts to come to the fore. It is argued that Du Bois’s writings on morality yield foundational insights mostly overlooked by other foundational figures in the sociology of morality. Furthermore, it is argued that Du Bois’s work on morality anticipates many of the features of contemporary sociologies of morality in its emphasis on moral contestation and power, in its focus on practices, and in its intention to use the study of morality for the purpose of social reform. But his work also goes beyond current approaches in its recognition of the significance of moral judgement to processes of racialisation. How Du Bois’s work contributes to the future of current sociologies of morality is the focus of the conclusion.