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This document is an introduction to a special issue of the Journal of Speculative Philosophy. The articles in this issue were selected from papers presented at the sixty-first annual meeting of the Society for Phenomenology and Existential Philosophy (SPEP) in Toronto, Canada. The plenary addresses by Rahel Jaeggi and Olúfẹmi O. Táíwò are not included in this issue. The articles are organized into four groups: "Varieties of French Philosophy," "Varieties of Phenomenology," "Variations of Political Philosophy," and "Putting Marx to Work." Each group explores different themes and philosophers within these fields. The editors express their gratitude to the authors and participants of the conference. [Extracted from the article]

The article presents the response of William James, the author of the book "Revealing Whiteness: The Unconscious Habits of Racial Privilege, on the several comments from the authors including Charles Mills, Paul Taylor, and Cynthia Willett. James mentions the prime objective of his book which is to bring American philosophy into conversation with psychoanalytic theory on the issues of racism as well as white privilege. James provides various explanations and elaboration on the critics.

Comments on the paper by George Yancy about the African-American dialect and its role as a form of black resistance to white domination. Recognition of the inherent risks for white scholars and philosophers to venture into the semiotic space of the Afro-American experience through the use of language; Explanation of why letting white people into the code of linguistic understanding among Blacks also risks reinforcing a particular habit of white privilege, that of ontological expansiveness.

Comments on the article "Racial Prejudice and Friction," by John Dewey. Reaction on Dewey's definition of racial prejudice; Discussion of the problematic details of Dewey's solution to racial friction; Focus on Dewey's presentation of habit as structure that provides stability.