On Settler Colonialism: Ideology, Violence, and Justice
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Book Talk
Admission: Free Registration is required. |
Since Hamas’s attack on Israel last October 7, the term “settler colonialism” has become central to public debate in the United States. A concept new to most Americans, but already established and influential in academic circles, settler colonialism is shaping the way many people think about the history of the United States, Israel and Palestine, and a host of political issues.
By critiquing the most important writers, texts, and ideas in the field in his book On Settler Colonialism: Ideology, Violence, and Justice, Adam Kirsch shows how the concept emerged in the context of North American and Australian history and how it is being applied to Israel. He examines the sources of its appeal, which, he argues, are spiritual as much as political; how it works to delegitimize nations; and why it has the potential to turn indignation at past injustices into a source of new injustices today.
This program is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, in partnership with the City Council.
About the Speaker
Adam Kirsch is a poet and literary critic whose books include "The People and the Books: 18 Classics of Jewish Literature" and "The Revolt Against Humanity: Imagining a Future Without Us." A regular contributor to The New Yorker, The Atlantic and other publications, he is an editor at the Wall Street Journal's weekend Review section.