Philosophy For Our Times Should we be transgressive? The limits and potential of transgressiveness | Catherine Liu, Rowan Williams, Josh Cohen
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Jan 6, 2026 
In this thought-provoking discussion, guests include Rowan Williams, a former Archbishop of Canterbury and theologian; Josh Cohen, a literary theory professor and psychoanalyst; and Catherine Liu, a cultural theorist and film studies professor. They explore transgression's dual nature—its potential for creativity versus its risks of totalizing chaos. Liu critiques the fetishization of norm-breaking, while Williams emphasizes context and moral development. Cohen warns against oversimplifying transgression, linking it to guilt and political backlash, urging a thoughtful approach to societal change.
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Transgression Needs Purpose And Context
- Rowan Williams warns transgression can mean mere unconventionality and must be judged by purpose and context.
- He argues virtue requires struggle but not self-destructive breaking of conscience.
Transgression And Obedience Are Complicit
- Josh Cohen highlights that transgression and obedience are often complicit and not pure opposites.
- He warns extreme transgression can become authoritarian, citing Adorno on Sade.
Contextualize Transgression Across Frames
- Catherine Liu situates transgression across frames: psychology, culture, politics, economics, and religion.
- She cautions the post-1968 sacralization of norm-breaking became hubristic in liberal academia.
