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Making Space for Justice: Social Movements, Collective Imagination, and Political Hope
Longlist, 2023 Edwards Book Award, Rodel Institute
From nineteenth-century abolitionism to Black Lives Matter today, progressive social movements have been at the forefront of social change. Yet it is seldom recognized that such movements have not only engaged in political action but also posed crucial philosophical questions about the meaning of justice and about how the demands of justice can be met.
Michele Moody-Adams argues that anyone who is concerned with the theory or the practice of justice―or both―must ask what can be learned from social movements. Drawing on a range of compelling examples, she explores what they have shown about the nature of justice as well as what it takes to create space for justice in the world. Moody-Adams considers progressive social movements as wellsprings of moral inquiry and as agents of social change, drawing out key philosophical and practical principles. Social justice demands humane regard for others, combining compassionate concern and robust respect. Successful movements have drawn on the transformative power of imagination, strengthening the motivation to pursue justice and to create the political institutions and social policies that can sustain it by inspiring political hope.
Making Space for Justice contends that the insights arising from social movements are critical to bridging the gap between discerning theory and effective practice―and should be transformative for political thought as well as for political activism.
From nineteenth-century abolitionism to Black Lives Matter today, progressive social movements have been at the forefront of social change. Yet it is seldom recognized that such movements have not only engaged in political action but also posed crucial philosophical questions about the meaning of justice and about how the demands of justice can be met.
Michele Moody-Adams argues that anyone who is concerned with the theory or the practice of justice―or both―must ask what can be learned from social movements. Drawing on a range of compelling examples, she explores what they have shown about the nature of justice as well as what it takes to create space for justice in the world. Moody-Adams considers progressive social movements as wellsprings of moral inquiry and as agents of social change, drawing out key philosophical and practical principles. Social justice demands humane regard for others, combining compassionate concern and robust respect. Successful movements have drawn on the transformative power of imagination, strengthening the motivation to pursue justice and to create the political institutions and social policies that can sustain it by inspiring political hope.
Making Space for Justice contends that the insights arising from social movements are critical to bridging the gap between discerning theory and effective practice―and should be transformative for political thought as well as for political activism.
- GenresPhilosophy
360 pages, Paperback
Published July 5, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
January 31, 2023
Michele Moody-Adams, Making Space for Justice Social Movements, Collective Imagination, and Political Hope, Columbia University Press 2022.
Thank you NetGalley for providing me with this uncorrected proof for review.
This book is so enlightening, beginning with its title, through its chapter headings to the clear way in which Michele Moody-Adams explains the beginnings of her work in the detailed acknowledgements. Here she refers to her long-term interest in moral progress – ‘towards producing a more just social world’. This is a wonderful introduction to a subject with so many complexities!
Moody-Adams has written and presented papers from 1999, providing a well-considered background to a book that argues that of philosophical theory should not supplant progressive social movements as the catalyst to developing understanding and the development of moral progress. I feel as though Moody-Adams is bringing the way in which social reform takes place back to a solid beginning. So often the work of activists has been neglected in favour of theory in so many areas of social reform. The value of people, their actions and beliefs , together with recognition of the immeasurable value of hope burgeons under Moody-Adams’ hand. This book is an invaluable asset in achieving an understanding of achieving social justice.
Social Movements, Collective Imagination, and Political hope is a book that justifies returning to time and again. This is what I have done, and believe that this way of digesting the material has assisted in my understanding as a non-philosopher. Martin Luther King’s belief that theory alone could not resolve racial injustice is one example Moody-Adams draws upon. More recently, the response to the video of George Floyd’s murder demonstrates the value of protests of the active rather than theoretical kind. Another example used is the women’s movement response to sexual harassment.
Moody-Adams questions John Rawls’ concept of social justice and its impact on what actually happens. She is keen to consider and discount the argument that social movements can be identified by irrationality, impulsiveness and susceptibility. Of course, some are – so how do those which are not identify themselves as valuable and different? A definition is provided, and this, together with the evidence that irrationality informs some of the most recent events in American movements, is worthy of debate. Moody-Adams provides the tools to enjoin in such debate.
The sections cover Social Movements and the power of Collective Imagination, and The importance of Political Hope. The latter would strike a particular chord in those who are active in party, as well as movement, politics. The chapters in this section are The Empire of Affect and the Challenge of Collective hope and Hope and History. Even a cursory glance through the bibliography provides an insight into the breadth of this work. The works cover books familiar from feminist texts, texts about racism, and general manifestations of injustice; those concerned with party political behaviour and democracy; fictional texts such as The Handmaid’s Tale; Judith Butler’s Excitable Speech: A Politics of the Performance; Erich Fromm’s The Revolution of Hope; a reference to Thomas Jefferson – A Film by Ken Burns; reference to the act of pulling down statues; and works about philosophy as well as philosophical treatises. At the end of the book are detailed notes on each citation in the chapters.
I particularly liked the hope engendered by the arguments for activism and the defence through well-reasoned argument for social movements in Moody- Adams’ book. This seems to me to be an important breakthrough after a period where academic theory seemed to take an inordinate precedence over the actions by ‘ordinary’ citizens that can be taken to effect change. Theory does have an important place; it serves as a valuable foundation to understanding. However, the warmth I feel for the activism Moody-Adams describes so thoughtfully is likely to be replicated in any reader. Moody-Adams has shown so skilfully the very special place social movements, imaginative responses and hope have in moral progress.
.
Thank you NetGalley for providing me with this uncorrected proof for review.
This book is so enlightening, beginning with its title, through its chapter headings to the clear way in which Michele Moody-Adams explains the beginnings of her work in the detailed acknowledgements. Here she refers to her long-term interest in moral progress – ‘towards producing a more just social world’. This is a wonderful introduction to a subject with so many complexities!
Moody-Adams has written and presented papers from 1999, providing a well-considered background to a book that argues that of philosophical theory should not supplant progressive social movements as the catalyst to developing understanding and the development of moral progress. I feel as though Moody-Adams is bringing the way in which social reform takes place back to a solid beginning. So often the work of activists has been neglected in favour of theory in so many areas of social reform. The value of people, their actions and beliefs , together with recognition of the immeasurable value of hope burgeons under Moody-Adams’ hand. This book is an invaluable asset in achieving an understanding of achieving social justice.
Social Movements, Collective Imagination, and Political hope is a book that justifies returning to time and again. This is what I have done, and believe that this way of digesting the material has assisted in my understanding as a non-philosopher. Martin Luther King’s belief that theory alone could not resolve racial injustice is one example Moody-Adams draws upon. More recently, the response to the video of George Floyd’s murder demonstrates the value of protests of the active rather than theoretical kind. Another example used is the women’s movement response to sexual harassment.
Moody-Adams questions John Rawls’ concept of social justice and its impact on what actually happens. She is keen to consider and discount the argument that social movements can be identified by irrationality, impulsiveness and susceptibility. Of course, some are – so how do those which are not identify themselves as valuable and different? A definition is provided, and this, together with the evidence that irrationality informs some of the most recent events in American movements, is worthy of debate. Moody-Adams provides the tools to enjoin in such debate.
The sections cover Social Movements and the power of Collective Imagination, and The importance of Political Hope. The latter would strike a particular chord in those who are active in party, as well as movement, politics. The chapters in this section are The Empire of Affect and the Challenge of Collective hope and Hope and History. Even a cursory glance through the bibliography provides an insight into the breadth of this work. The works cover books familiar from feminist texts, texts about racism, and general manifestations of injustice; those concerned with party political behaviour and democracy; fictional texts such as The Handmaid’s Tale; Judith Butler’s Excitable Speech: A Politics of the Performance; Erich Fromm’s The Revolution of Hope; a reference to Thomas Jefferson – A Film by Ken Burns; reference to the act of pulling down statues; and works about philosophy as well as philosophical treatises. At the end of the book are detailed notes on each citation in the chapters.
I particularly liked the hope engendered by the arguments for activism and the defence through well-reasoned argument for social movements in Moody- Adams’ book. This seems to me to be an important breakthrough after a period where academic theory seemed to take an inordinate precedence over the actions by ‘ordinary’ citizens that can be taken to effect change. Theory does have an important place; it serves as a valuable foundation to understanding. However, the warmth I feel for the activism Moody-Adams describes so thoughtfully is likely to be replicated in any reader. Moody-Adams has shown so skilfully the very special place social movements, imaginative responses and hope have in moral progress.
.
February 6, 2022
Making Space for Justice: Social Movements, Collective Imagination, and Political Hope, by Michele M Moody-Adams, is an intriguing and very convincing argument for taking lessons from progressive movements and feeding them back into the theoretical ideas of political philosophy.
I will admit right now that my review is based on just one reading of a text that is, while quite accessible to most readers, full of ideas that require some reflection and at least another reading. I often, with books like this, create for myself a working analogy to help me keep on track. I will share that here but please understand, my thinking is a work in progress and based on my understanding, so don't hold my impressions against Moody-Adams.
I am thinking of this a bit like any theory that is applied to a real world situation then hopefully reformulated based on what is learned. I would say something like the scientific method except progressive movements aren't experiments performed to determine the accuracy of a theory. It seems like in the case of many social science and philosophical ideas, analysis sticks to how much a movement may have fit into or fell short of a given theory. What I understand (very simplistically on my end) Moody-Adams to be saying is that there needs to be the same type of thinking that occurs with experiments. Take an event and instead of just saying it didn't fit the theory, look at what the experiment can contribute to the theory.
One example I found interesting is the discussion near the end of the book that looks at hope versus hopelessness. Both as an answer to what seems to be insurmountable social injustices as well as a part of correcting (or not) those problems. Some of the best contemporary minds can make hopelessness seem not only appealing but logical. Maybe if you don't want to work toward a better world and just watch it self-destruct, but for those wanting to leave something for future generations hope is actually the better and far more rational option.
I am not getting into the details of the arguments primarily because I would likely, at this point, misstate them and perhaps keep someone from reading this. That said, I think every reader who wants to find that place where theory both informs and is informed by progressive movements will find parts of this book that speaks to them.
Highly recommended for those concerned with our society and wanting to know how to both theoretically and pragmatically approach the injustices that have become normalized.
Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.
I will admit right now that my review is based on just one reading of a text that is, while quite accessible to most readers, full of ideas that require some reflection and at least another reading. I often, with books like this, create for myself a working analogy to help me keep on track. I will share that here but please understand, my thinking is a work in progress and based on my understanding, so don't hold my impressions against Moody-Adams.
I am thinking of this a bit like any theory that is applied to a real world situation then hopefully reformulated based on what is learned. I would say something like the scientific method except progressive movements aren't experiments performed to determine the accuracy of a theory. It seems like in the case of many social science and philosophical ideas, analysis sticks to how much a movement may have fit into or fell short of a given theory. What I understand (very simplistically on my end) Moody-Adams to be saying is that there needs to be the same type of thinking that occurs with experiments. Take an event and instead of just saying it didn't fit the theory, look at what the experiment can contribute to the theory.
One example I found interesting is the discussion near the end of the book that looks at hope versus hopelessness. Both as an answer to what seems to be insurmountable social injustices as well as a part of correcting (or not) those problems. Some of the best contemporary minds can make hopelessness seem not only appealing but logical. Maybe if you don't want to work toward a better world and just watch it self-destruct, but for those wanting to leave something for future generations hope is actually the better and far more rational option.
I am not getting into the details of the arguments primarily because I would likely, at this point, misstate them and perhaps keep someone from reading this. That said, I think every reader who wants to find that place where theory both informs and is informed by progressive movements will find parts of this book that speaks to them.
Highly recommended for those concerned with our society and wanting to know how to both theoretically and pragmatically approach the injustices that have become normalized.
Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.
April 18, 2022
Making Space for Justice discusses how various progressive movements have presented questions about the meaning of justice and how demands for justice can be met. This is a fairly academic book that needs a few read throughs but I did enjoy the discussion about hope vs hopelessness.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews