Walter Benjamin’s Radio Years Walter Benjamin’s Radio Years
After the faculty of philosophy in Frankfurt rejected his dissertation and dashed his hopes for an academic career, the Marxist critic found work as a radio broadcaster.
Aug 8, 2023 / Books & the Arts / Peter E. Gordon
What Are Rules For? What Are Rules For?
A conversation with historian Lorraine Daston about her recent book on the history of rules and how they have structured life across centuries.
May 23, 2023 / Books & the Arts / Ishan Desai-Geller
Alasdair MacIntyre and Richard Rorty’s Lifelong Argument Alasdair MacIntyre and Richard Rorty’s Lifelong Argument
While in many ways their careers ran parallel to each other, the two philosophers disagreed about whether liberalism could—and should—be saved.
May 2, 2023 / Books & the Arts / George Scialabba
Was the True Meaning of Capitalism Forgotten? Was the True Meaning of Capitalism Forgotten?
A conversation with historian Michael Sonenscher about the tricky task of defining capitalism and his new book, Capitalism: The Story Behind the Word.
Jan 18, 2023 / Books & the Arts / Daniel Steinmetz-Jenkins
Hannah Arendt Was Really a Prophet Against Conformity Hannah Arendt Was Really a Prophet Against Conformity
To the question of how totalitarian methods could ever draw the compliance of free citizens, she replied: through the enchantment of success.
Jan 9, 2023 / Column / David Bromwich
Reading Judith Butler’s “Gender Trouble” in the Age of Ron DeSantis Reading Judith Butler’s “Gender Trouble” in the Age of Ron DeSantis
More than 30 years after it was published, the seminal queer theory text still has some things to say.
Dec 14, 2022 / Feature / Naomi Gordon-Loebl
Nancy Fraser’s Lessons From the Long History of Capitalism Nancy Fraser’s Lessons From the Long History of Capitalism
She talked to The Nation about capitalism's evolutions and what the left can do to better prepare for the next political crisis.
Nov 29, 2022 / Q&A / Rhoda Feng
The Democrats Have a Crypto Problem The Democrats Have a Crypto Problem
The high costs of taking money from Sam Bankman-Fried.
Nov 18, 2022 / Jeet Heer
How Saidiya Hartman Changed the Study of Black Life How Saidiya Hartman Changed the Study of Black Life
A conversation with writer about her pathbreaking book Scenes of Subjection and how our understanding of race has changed in the last two decades.
Nov 3, 2022 / Books & the Arts / Elias Rodriques
How Useful Is Theory In Moments of Crisis? How Useful Is Theory In Moments of Crisis?
A conversation with sociologist Dylan Riley about the state of left politics, defending social theory as a political tool, and his new book Microverses.
Oct 28, 2022 / Books & the Arts / Ishan Desai-Geller