Intimate Strangers

Arendt, Marcuse, Solzhenitsyn, and Said in American Political Discourse

Nonfiction, Religion & Spirituality, Philosophy, Political, Social & Cultural Studies, Political Science, Politics, History & Theory
Cover of the book Intimate Strangers by Andreea Ritivoi, Columbia University Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Andreea Ritivoi ISBN: 9780231537919
Publisher: Columbia University Press Publication: August 26, 2014
Imprint: Columbia University Press Language: English
Author: Andreea Ritivoi
ISBN: 9780231537919
Publisher: Columbia University Press
Publication: August 26, 2014
Imprint: Columbia University Press
Language: English

Hannah Arendt, Herbert Marcuse, Alexander Solzhenitsyn, and Edward Said each steered major intellectual and political schools of thought in American political discourse after World War II, yet none of them was American, which proved crucial to their ways of arguing and reasoning both in and out of the American context. In an effort to convince their audiences they were American enough, these thinkers deployed deft rhetorical strategies that made their cosmopolitanism feel acceptable, inspiring radical new approaches to longstanding problems in American politics. Speaking like natives, they also exploited their foreignness to entice listeners to embrace alternative modes of thought.

Intimate Strangers unpacks this "stranger ethos," a blend of detachment and involvement that manifested in the persona of a prophet for Solzhenitsyn, an impartial observer for Arendt, a mentor for Marcuse, and a victim for Said. Yet despite its many successes, the stranger ethos did alienate many audiences, and critics continue to dismiss these thinkers not for their positions but because of their foreign point of view. This book encourages readers to reject this kind of critical xenophobia, throwing support behind a political discourse that accounts for the ideals of citizens and noncitizens alike.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

Hannah Arendt, Herbert Marcuse, Alexander Solzhenitsyn, and Edward Said each steered major intellectual and political schools of thought in American political discourse after World War II, yet none of them was American, which proved crucial to their ways of arguing and reasoning both in and out of the American context. In an effort to convince their audiences they were American enough, these thinkers deployed deft rhetorical strategies that made their cosmopolitanism feel acceptable, inspiring radical new approaches to longstanding problems in American politics. Speaking like natives, they also exploited their foreignness to entice listeners to embrace alternative modes of thought.

Intimate Strangers unpacks this "stranger ethos," a blend of detachment and involvement that manifested in the persona of a prophet for Solzhenitsyn, an impartial observer for Arendt, a mentor for Marcuse, and a victim for Said. Yet despite its many successes, the stranger ethos did alienate many audiences, and critics continue to dismiss these thinkers not for their positions but because of their foreign point of view. This book encourages readers to reject this kind of critical xenophobia, throwing support behind a political discourse that accounts for the ideals of citizens and noncitizens alike.

More books from Columbia University Press

Cover of the book Pilgrims to Jerusalem in the Middle Ages by Andreea Ritivoi
Cover of the book The Dawn That Never Comes by Andreea Ritivoi
Cover of the book Unspeakable Histories by Andreea Ritivoi
Cover of the book The Global and the Intimate by Andreea Ritivoi
Cover of the book Killer Images by Andreea Ritivoi
Cover of the book Getting Biodiversity Projects to Work by Andreea Ritivoi
Cover of the book Engaged Journalism by Andreea Ritivoi
Cover of the book Light and Dark by Andreea Ritivoi
Cover of the book Fixing the Sky by Andreea Ritivoi
Cover of the book Early Medieval China by Andreea Ritivoi
Cover of the book Friends and Other Strangers by Andreea Ritivoi
Cover of the book The Philosophy of Qi by Andreea Ritivoi
Cover of the book The Cinema of Steven Spielberg by Andreea Ritivoi
Cover of the book The Columbia History of Post-World War II America by Andreea Ritivoi
Cover of the book Talking About Torture by Andreea Ritivoi
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy