Critical Reads: Power in the Aftermath of War

We are proud to partner with the Seminary Co-op, whose series “Reading is Critical” proposes:

Reading is critical, in both senses of the word. Crucial, of course, insofar as it is a cornerstone of communication, a primary means by which we receive information. But it is also an active form of resistance, a tactic in the struggle against ignorance, misinformation, and manipulation. To read is to become knowledgeable; to become knowledgeable is to become powerful.

With Seminary staff, we’ve curated some highlights from their Reading is Critical Series to address some of the big questions underpinning the 2019 theme, Power.

“Warfare, it turns out, is political,” writes critical theorist and social justice advocate, Bernard E. Harcourt. The “principle objective” of those in power is to “gain the allegiance of [the] passive majority.” Passivity is often the byproduct of political uncertainty: in our government, in the media, in where power truly lies. When apathy is encouraged by corrupted power, it is radical to be certain. In the wake of conflicts such as the Civil War, World War II, the “War on Terror,” and the militarization of Ferguson, the authors below argue for power reimagined, as predicated on the certain vision of active people.

So, how does one reject passivity? How does one become certain? Can social justice movements reimagine power when people become protestors? How can we change the way nations think, talk, and act in the aftermath of conflict? And is it possible to eradicate war?

“Counterinsurgency warfare has become our new governing paradigm in the United States, both abroad and at home. It has come to dominate our political imagination.” —Bernard E. Harcourt, The Counterrevolution

Professor Bernard E. Harcourt’s Critical Reads scrutinizes post 9/11 modes of governing “in our punitive and surveillance society,” counterinsurgency warfare, counterrevolution, and how power circulates.

“Emotional political attachments or affective states are not simply an abdication of reasoning.” —Conor, Bookseller at Seminary Co-Op

In the era of “post-truth” politics Conor’s reading list stresses the “productivity of emotion or affect in generating political understanding” and the importance of deepening our knowledge “of what certainty is.”

“In diplomacy, as in life itself, one often learns more from failures than from successes.” —Diplomat Richard Holbrooke, introduction to Paris 1919

From Paris peace talks post WWII to global conflicts around oil, Political Science professor, Paul Poast’s book recommendations chronicle the relationship between transitional democracies and international organizations, as well as global struggles for peace, wealth, and power.

“It was a time when the unthinkable became the thinkable and the impossible really happened.” —Author and political activist Arundhati Roy, The God of Small Things

A compilation of books, essays, interviews, and profiles written by and about Arundhati Roy discuss contemporary India, inequality, systems of government, and public power in the age of empire.

We are proud to partner with the Seminary Co-op as our bookselling partner.

Header Image by Simone Montgomery