Seyla Benhabib on new new book, Exile, Statelessness, and Migration
Mar 1, 2019
auto_awesome
Seyla Benhabib, Eugene Meyer Professor at Yale, discusses her new book on Jewish intellectuals. Topics include global migration crisis, US as non-nation state, judgment in politics, federalism as a solution, and chess as metaphor for exile.
Exile, statelessness, and migration are increasingly prevalent universal human experiences, posing challenges to traditional territorial state systems and giving rise to exclusionary practices in liberal democracies.
The concept of liquid modernity erodes fixed boundaries and stability, raising questions about finding stability in a rapidly changing world and emphasizing the importance of creating a democratic public sphere that provides voice and sanctuary to marginalized individuals through judgment and federalism.
Deep dives
The Personal Experience of Exile, Statelessness, and Migration
Shayla Benavib, the author of the book being discussed, shares her own personal connection to the themes of exile, statelessness, and migration. She comes from a Sephardic Jewish family that was expelled from Spain during the Inquisition. Her family history of displacement and the concept of Galut resonate with her in a deep and personal way.
Exile, Statelessness, and Migration as Universal Experiences
The podcast episode highlights the increasing prevalence of exile, statelessness, and migration as universal human experiences. The number of people moving from their country of birth has been growing faster than the global population, leading to an acceleration of migratory movements across borders. The rise in migration and refugee crises has also exposed the challenges faced by the traditional territorial state system and has given rise to exclusionary and xenophobic practices in many liberal democracies.
Liquid Modernity and the Need for Stability
The podcast delves into the concept of liquid modernity, where everything from money to information flows rapidly and effortlessly across borders. This erosion of fixed boundaries and stability raises the question of how to find something stable in a world characterized by constant change and mobility. Thinkers like Hannah Arendt, Walter Benjamin, and Isaiah Berlin recognized the experience of exile and a sense of not being fully at home as not only historical, but also rooted in a deeper sense of not belonging in a rapidly changing world.
Judgment, Federalism, and Giving Voice to Marginalized Others
The episode explores the central question of how to create a democratic public sphere that can provide voice and sanctuary to marginalized and homeless individuals. It emphasizes the importance of judgment, the ability to properly evaluate the particular when shared universals are no longer present. The principle of federalism is also discussed as a potential solution, with the dynamism and dispersed sovereignty of federal systems offering opportunities for diverse voices to be heard and protected. The episode concludes with a reflection on the metaphor of chess, symbolizing the uncertainty and complex dynamics at play in the movements and interactions of the thinkers being discussed.
Join Roger Berkowitz as he talks with Seyla Benhabib, the Eugene Meyer Professor of Political Science and Philosophy at Yale University. Her new book, Exile, Statelessness, and Migration explores the intertwined lives, careers, and writings of a group of prominent Jewish intellectuals during the mid-twentieth century, including Hannah Arendt, Theodor Adorno, Walter Benjamin, Isaiah Berlin, and many others.
Get the Snipd podcast app
Unlock the knowledge in podcasts with the podcast player of the future.
AI-powered podcast player
Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features
Discover highlights
Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode
Save any moment
Hear something you like? Tap your headphones to save it with AI-generated key takeaways
Share & Export
Send highlights to Twitter, WhatsApp or export them to Notion, Readwise & more
AI-powered podcast player
Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features
Discover highlights
Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode