New Books in Critical Theory

Brazilian poet, historian, artist, and political leader Beatriz Nascimento's radical thought on gender, space, politics, and spirituality across the Black diaspora is discussed. Topics include Black womanhood, race and Brazilian society, Black freedom, and Black aesthetics and spirituality. The podcast features Betânia Gomes, Archie Davies, and Christen A. Smith and offers personal insights from Betânia Gomes as Nascimento's daughter.

Elizabeth Anderson, author of 'Hijacked: How Neoliberalism Turned the Work Ethic against Workers and How Workers Can Take It Back,' explores the history of the work ethic and its impact on workers. The podcast discusses how neoliberalism has perverted the work ethic to benefit the One Percent, rather than ordinary people. It also delves into the consequences of negative attitudes towards the poor, the vision of the progressive work ethic, understanding neoliberalism, the burden of neoliberalism on society, and the controversial topics of participation trophies and the division of labor.

David Myer Temin, author of Remapping Sovereignty: Decolonization and Self-Determination in North American Indigenous Political Thought, discusses the unique contributions of Indigenous societies to anticolonial thought and activism. Topics include Indigenous conceptual approaches to decolonization, self-determination against sovereign states, visionary politics of decolonization as care for the earth, and the interplay between anticolonial thought and practice. The podcast also explores Indigenous political thought during the 1960s, indigenous projects compared to nation states, and the connection between Indigenous decolonization efforts and decarbonizing the global political economy.

Musab Younis, author of a book about the formation of Black Anticolonial Thought, discusses the global resonance of Black intellectual contributions during the interwar years. They delve into reclaiming the global scale for anti-colonial thought, Marcus Garvey's ideology and the symbolism of the Garvey flag, the historical context and global impact of exploitation on Africa, and the exploration of time in racialization and anti-racism efforts.

Cecilia Márquez, a historian studying the Latinx experience in the American South, discusses the racial logics that have shaped Latinx identity in the region. Topics include the racialization of non-black Latinos, the role of Pedro at South of the Border in asserting power and identity, the experiences of Latino civil rights activists, the connections between the carpet industry and Latino migration, and the shift in perception of Latinos and racial formation.

Caroline Levine, an activist humanist, discusses the form and method in the climate crisis. Topics include the potential impact of attention to social forms within aesthetic criticism, the inclusion of a workbook in the book on political action, the impact of climate change on water systems, designing social worlds for collective continuance, building political will and the role of routines, the depiction of healthcare infrastructure in 'The Midwife' TV series, movies as a model for political action, and the effects of divestment and the disconnect between economists and climate scientists.

Kathleen Mcphillips and Naomi Goldenberg discuss their book 'The End of Religion: Feminist Reappraisals of the State'. They challenge the assumption that religion is natural and universal, exploring how it perpetuates oppressive systems. They introduce the concept of 'schedule state theory', discuss examples of the vestigial state in different contexts, and consider the potential policy implications of their theory.

Anthropologists Dr. Nancy Lindisfarne and Dr. Jonathan Neale challenge the idea of hierarchy and violence as inherent to human nature. They discuss topics such as bad science in evolutionary psychology, unique human childcare practices, the roots of sexism, the mystery of female orgasms, love as a prison and a prison break, and the connection between men's history and climate change.

Daniele Lorenzini, author of a groundbreaking examination of Michel Foucault’s history of truth, explores his project of the force of truth and new ethics and politics of truth-telling. They discuss Foucault's perspective on truth, the distinction between games and regimes of truth, subjects of critique in Foucault's genealogies, the mechanism of truth, Parisia as the act of truth-telling, and challenging normativity and shifting perspectives.

Dr. Claire Jean Kim explores the relationship between anti-Asian racism and structural anti-Blackness. The guest discusses the field of studying Asian Americans and race, emphasizing the importance of understanding the interconnectedness of discrimination. The chapter also explores the landmark Supreme Court decision in 1927 that ruled against a Chinese American schoolgirl's right to attend a white school. Examining the treatment of Chinese and Japanese immigrants in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, highlighting the erasure of Supreme Court cases and the distinction made between the two groups. The chapter explores the concept of solidarity and the failure of the Asian American critique of white supremacy to address anti-black persecution.