Radical Universalism - by Omri Boehm (Paperback)

About the Book

"The entire political spectrum of our day, from left to right, reflects the politics of identity. The left speaks of race and gender; the right of blood and soil, homeland and people: the animosity between them is only the difference between the two sides of the same coin. As to universalism? Of that great cause all that seems to remain is an empty shell of legalism and proceduralism. Modern liberalism's prejudicial focus on the rights of individual citizens comes at the expense of a larger commitment to the richness and variety of the human, a focus that can seem as narrow and hidebound as the nationalisms with which it seeks to do battle. In Radical Universalism, Omri Boehm presents a startling and revelatory new reading of Kant as heir to the Biblical prophets and as progenitor of the revolutionary commitment to freedom and equality that is modernity's moral lodestone. His book offers a powerful plea to put this much misunderstood and long forsaken tradition of humanistic universalism at the heart of political life"-- Provided by publisher.

Book Synopsis

A compelling philosophical exploration of the concept of universalism and its role--or lack thereof--in contemporary politics. This accessible study challenges the prioritization of identity politics over universal equality, using Kant as a lens through which to understand our present moment.

Winner of the 2024 Leipzig Book Award for European Understanding

The entire political spectrum of our day, from right to left, reflects the politics of identity. The right speaks of blood and soil, of homeland; the left of gender and race. To the observant eye, the similarity between the holders of the two positions stands out as much as their animosity. And as to the purported humanism and universalism of the liberal center? It has shrunk to an empty husk. Far from recognizing and proclaiming a fundamental duty to humanity, contemporary liberalism now chiefly serves to protect the right of the individual citizen to turn a deaf ear to that call.
Omri Boehm's Radical Universalism: Beyond Identity offers new readings of three controversial texts that have shaped the concept of modern humanism: the Declaration of Independence, Immanuel Kant's "What Is Enlightenment?," and the biblical story of the Binding of Isaac. Through these texts--"monuments of a tradition that stands near to us but...in which the moral idea of humanity...was still living"--Boehm grapples with the ideological failures of the moment while presenting a powerful plea to place humanistic universalism at the heart of political life.

Review Quotes

"An invigorating and timely new book . . . [Boehm] has persuaded me that universalism could be more profoundly transformative than anything offered by the self-styled 'radicals' on either end of the political spectrum." --Jennifer Szalai, The New York Times

"[Boehm] calls his [vision] radical for a reason. Boehm's idea is hard to realize--almost impossibly hard, I would say. But that's why reading this cogent, succinct book felt like such a cold plunge, painful but reinvigorating . . . Boehm channels Kant when he writes, 'It is because human beings are open to the question of what they ought to do that they themselves are subjects of absolute dignity.' For the radical universalist, this truth about who we are trumps all else, all borders and constitutions and written laws." --Gal Beckerman, The Atlantic

"In this sharply argued and passionate book, Boehm positions himself outside of all conventional categories. It is above all a deeply humanistic attempt to recommit people to the principle of an 'absolute love of humanity.'" --Süddeutsche Zeitung

"Boehm raises the flag of universalism, that of the Kantian tradition born of a specific transformation of biblical texts into secular terms...For Boehm, Kant's radical contribution is to establish for the first time 'the idea of humanity...as a moral concept.'" --El País

"Democratic visions such as Boehm's [are] essential to frame a practical discourse of shared liberation." --Steve France, Monodweiss

About the Author

Omri Boehm is an associate professor and the chair of the Department of Philosophy at the New School for Social Research in New York City. He is the author of Haitfa Republic (New York Review Books), The Binding of Isaac: A Religious Model of Disobedience, and Kant's Critique of Spinoza. His writings have appeared in The New York Times, Die Zeit, El País, and Haaretz, among other publications.