Books & ideas

Philosophy as a feminist triumph

Martine Storti — 2024-10-17T08:08:00Z

Under the French Third Republic, the gender of “citizenship” and “philosophy” was masculine. Yet women pioneers managed to obtain university degrees and rise to positions of responsibility
from which they had been excluded.

What is a republican?

Alain Policar — 2024-03-07T09:30:00Z

According to Jean-Fabien Spitz, republicanism's foundational ideals have been betrayed by the very people who purport to defend them against liberalism. An overemphasis on questions of identity makes it possible to forget that the republic was, from the outset, a principle of social justice.

Implicit gender bias

Sélima Kebaïli — 2023-11-03T08:31:00Z

Whether at work, at school, or in personal relationships, implicit gender biases are still very much alive and well. What is more, despite numerous attempts to prevent stereotypes and their effects, they continue to affect people's performance, preferences, and opinions.

Toward Equality

Quentin Deluermoz — 2023-09-26T11:15:09Z

Inequality has a history that is always complex and often contradictory. The story needs to be told, because it is this story, enriched by the contributions of all the social sciences, that can help to shape realistic proposals for greater social justice.

Thinking in Common

Justine Lacroix — 2021-07-05T07:00:00Z

Is the project of deliberative democracy unrealistic? Against the cynical assimilation of democracy to a set of voting procedures aimed at satisfying the interests of the greatest number, Charles Girard argues that deliberation is a relevant ideal for a society of equals.

The Neglected Rights of the Disabled

David Le Breton — 2021-04-12T07:00:00Z

Despite the many measures designed to promote inclusiveness, it is a struggle for disabled people to exercise their rights. In the face of these vulnerable rights, individuals protest and seek solutions to escape the feeling that they are treated as second-class citizens.

Against Hereditary Rights

Rafe Blaufarb — 2020-09-21T07:00:00Z

How did the French Revolution, after abolishing privilege, also become the foundation of modern inequality? Thomas Piketty's latest book focuses on the evolving ideological constructions of property across the ages and offers ways to solve the problem of inequality without challenging to the individual right to private property.

Gender and Politics

Editorial Team — 2020-08-10T07:00:00Z

Books & Ideas is slowing down for the summer and will be offering weekly selections of reviews and essays published over the last year. This week's selection questions the relationship between gender and politics.

Building a Society That Values Care

Kathryn Cai — 2020-06-22T07:00:00Z

With the population aging in the US as in many Western countries, COVID-19 has only revealed an increasingly urgent need for care. But the lack of support for caregiving is an ongoing and increasingly shared struggle. How can we care for the caregivers, and build a society that values care?

Why Has Racial Justice Still Not Been Achieved?

Editorial Team — 2020-06-08T07:00:00Z

As protests against racism break out all over the world following the murder of George Floyd, Books & Ideas gathers a selection of texts examining the history of these multifaceted discriminations and of the struggles for racial justice.