Books & Ideas
Just Give Me My Equality
A new book explains where egalitarianism went wrong—and what it still has to offer.
Why Policing and Prisons Can’t End Gender Violence
The authors of Abolition. Feminism. Now. discuss why racialized state violence and gender-based violence have to be fought together.
In Search of Foucault’s Last Words
Against the philosopher’s dying wish, the final volume of History of Sexuality has now been published. How should we approach it?
Demanding Justice for the Living
Derecka Purnell discusses her new book Becoming Abolitionists, how she came to join the movement against policing and prisons, and what a just world looks like.
The Changing Same of U.S. History
Two books on the Constitution reflect a vigorous debate about what has changed in the American past—and what hasn’t.
Radical Movements and Political Power
Today’s social movements are grappling once again with a central challenge for the New Left: how to remedy injustice while maintaining vitality and independence from the political system.
The Radical Promise of Human History
A sweeping new history of humanity upends the story of civilization, inviting us to imagine how our own societies could be radically different.
How Domestic Labor Robs Women of Their Love
The glaring omission in recent works depicting the agonies of nannying and housekeeping.
What Health Care Should Be
Physicians have been fighting for health justice for decades. To succeed, we need practical models for collectively remaking our systems of care.
Pornography’s Contradictions
Which forms of oversight enhance erotic flourishing, and which quash it?
Against Incrementalism
Center-left parties should learn that small-bore solutions are a waste of time.
How Not to Fix Gentrification
The community development industry has failed in the fight for fair housing. Despite claiming to involve residents, power and self-interest still have the final say.
The News Is Dead, Long Live the News!
Public interest journalism may not be salvageable. But more than being saved, it needs to be radically rethought.
We Don’t Know, But Let’s Try It
For economist Albert O. Hirschman, social planning meant creative experimentation rather than theoretical certainty.
Beyond Choice
China and the Lure of Global Capitalism
The country’s explosive development has relied on markets—at the cost of earlier ideals.