On Cruelty and Politics

Date and Time: Wednesday 12th February at 10am EST/3pm UK (75 minutes via Zoom)
Cost: Free

In "Putting cruelty first" (1982), Judith Shklar argued that cruelty – or its absence – should be the primary criterion through which we judge political systems. What is the role of cruelty in politics today? As the international order proves powerless to stop the worst atrocities developing in front of our very eyes, can opposition to cruelty serve as the foundation for ethics — and what are the implications?

1. What kind of acts do we see as cruel?
2. Should cruelty be banned only towards humans?
3. What is the relationship between cruelty and injustice?

In this masterclass led by social theorist Jana Bacevic, we will be addressing the work of Judith Shklar, Avishai Margalit, Judith Butler, and Hannah Arendt, but no prior knowledge of all or any of these thinkers is necessary. Come with your ideas and reflections!

Jana Bacevic is Associate Professor in the Department of Sociology at the University of Durham. She is an interdisciplinary social and political theorist whose interests lie at the intersection between knowing about and acting in the world. Dr Bacevic's research combines philosophy, sociology and anthropology, and addresses questions of sociology of knowledge, inequality and injustice, and political economy.
Website: https://janabacevic.net