Daniel Innerarity - Böcker

Humans may be the only creatures conscious of having a future, but all too often we would rather not think about it. Likewise, our societies, unable to deal with radical uncertainty, do not make policies with a view to the long term. Instead, we suffer from a sense of powerlessness, collective irrationality, and perennial political discontent. In The Future and Its Enemies, Spanish philosopher Daniel Innerarity makes a plea for a new social contract that would commit us to moral and political responsibility with respect to future generations. He urges us to become advocates for the future in the face of enemies who, oblivious to the costs of modernization, press for endless and unproductive acceleration. His accessible book proposes a new way of confronting the unknown—one grounded in the calculation of risk. Declaring the classical right-left divide to be redundant, Innerarity presents his hopes for a renewed democracy and a politics that would find convincing ways to mediate between the priorities of the present, the heritage of the past, and the challenges that lie ahead.

Humans may be the only creatures conscious of having a future, but all too often we would rather not think about it. Likewise, our societies, unable to deal with radical uncertainty, do not make policies with a view to the long term. Instead, we suffer from a sense of powerlessness, collective irrationality, and perennial political discontent. In The Future and Its Enemies, Spanish philosopher Daniel Innerarity makes a plea for a new social contract that would commit us to moral and political responsibility with respect to future generations. He urges us to become advocates for the future in the face of enemies who, oblivious to the costs of modernization, press for endless and unproductive acceleration. His accessible book proposes a new way of confronting the unknown—one grounded in the calculation of risk. Declaring the classical right-left divide to be redundant, Innerarity presents his hopes for a renewed democracy and a politics that would find convincing ways to mediate between the priorities of the present, the heritage of the past, and the challenges that lie ahead.

The source of hospitality lies in the fundamental ethical experiences that make up the fabric of the social lives of people. Therein lies a primary form of humanity. Whether we are guests or hosts, this reveals our situation in a world made up of receiving and meeting, leaving room for the liberty to give and receive beyond the imperatives of reciprocity. This book proposes an ethic that promotes the possibility of stirring emotion before that of protecting ourselves from unexpected encounters. Fundamental ethical competence consists of opening up to the wholly other and to others, to be accessible to the world’s solicitations. There is moral superiority of vulnerable love over control and moderation, of generous passion over rational prudence and of excess over exchange.Constructing an ethic of hospitality is essential at a time when we are torn between the imperatives of modernization and growth and the demands of concern and protection. The experience we all have today, that of the fragility of the world, is giving rise to a powerful tendency toward solicitude. From such a perspective, the duty of individuals no longer consists of protecting themselves from society, but of defending it, taking care of a social fabric outside of which no identity can be formed.

The source of hospitality lies in the fundamental ethical experiences that make up the fabric of the social lives of people. Therein lies a primary form of humanity. Whether we are guests or hosts, this reveals our situation in a world made up of receiving and meeting, leaving room for the liberty to give and receive beyond the imperatives of reciprocity. This book proposes an ethic that promotes the possibility of stirring emotion before that of protecting ourselves from unexpected encounters. Fundamental ethical competence consists of opening up to the wholly other and to others, to be accessible to the world’s solicitations. There is moral superiority of vulnerable love over control and moderation, of generous passion over rational prudence and of excess over exchange.Constructing an ethic of hospitality is essential at a time when we are torn between the imperatives of modernization and growth and the demands of concern and protection. The experience we all have today, that of the fragility of the world, is giving rise to a powerful tendency toward solicitude. From such a perspective, the duty of individuals no longer consists of protecting themselves from society, but of defending it, taking care of a social fabric outside of which no identity can be formed.

Politics in the Times of Indignation provides a critical look at Western liberal democracies in crisis, to provide us with the theoretical tools to make sense of the political disorientation of our times.Indispensable for understanding the present state of democratic societies, this book is a lens through which we can study numerous contemporary developments. He examines the popular indignation that has accompanied the crisis of governmental legitimacy, which is aggravated by the economic crisis in various countries and demonstrated by groups such as the Occupy Wall Street Movement in the US, Podemos in Spain, or La France Insoumise in France.At the same time, Innerarity endeavors to offer a universal, rather than a merely circumstantial, interpretation of the transformations that are still ongoing in our political systems, as well as of those that need to be put in place in order to satisfy the expectations and rights of democratic citizenship. Politics in the Times of Indignation represents a guiding thread through political developments, as well as a conceptual tool-box for understanding the meaning of the current crisis of representation, the fate of political parties, the relation between ethics and politics, and how politics can become an intelligent enterprise.

Politics in the Times of Indignation provides a critical look at Western liberal democracies in crisis, to provide us with the theoretical tools to make sense of the political disorientation of our times.Indispensable for understanding the present state of democratic societies, this book is a lens through which we can study numerous contemporary developments. He examines the popular indignation that has accompanied the crisis of governmental legitimacy, which is aggravated by the economic crisis in various countries and demonstrated by groups such as the Occupy Wall Street Movement in the US, Podemos in Spain, or La France Insoumise in France.At the same time, Innerarity endeavors to offer a universal, rather than a merely circumstantial, interpretation of the transformations that are still ongoing in our political systems, as well as of those that need to be put in place in order to satisfy the expectations and rights of democratic citizenship. Politics in the Times of Indignation represents a guiding thread through political developments, as well as a conceptual tool-box for understanding the meaning of the current crisis of representation, the fate of political parties, the relation between ethics and politics, and how politics can become an intelligent enterprise.

Do our political systems and democracies really reflect the complex reality of the 21st century? Or does politics seem to be legislating about yesterday’s world? In his latest book, Daniel Innerarity warns of the gap between the political concepts that serve as our guide and our overly complex reality that has long ceased to respond to them. Arguing that this theoretical deficit leads to a political practice that simplifies and impoverishes our democracies, nourishing the demagogues and sustaining reassuring old narratives, Innerarity proposes a modern update of key political concepts, from power and sovereignty to territory and representation. The theory of democracy originates from a time of relative social and political simplicity. There was less pluralism, less interdependence, political entities were autarkic, and the technological tools they had to handle had nothing to do with the sophistication of our artificial intelligence, our financial system, or the technological advances in medicine. And yet, Innerarity argues, there is no need to despair. If democracy has made the transition from the polis to the nation-state, from direct democracy to representative democracy, there is no reason to suppose that it cannot face new challenges, as long as it is provided with an adequate political architecture.Drawing on a broad range of sources, including classical and contemporary theorists, A Theory of Complex Democracy presents a new theory of democracy and government for the 21st century, a theory that starts from the premise that the most promising rejuvenation of our democracies is to make them more complex.

Do our political systems and democracies really reflect the complex reality of the 21st century? Or does politics seem to be legislating about yesterday’s world? In his latest book, Daniel Innerarity warns of the gap between the political concepts that serve as our guide and our overly complex reality that has long ceased to respond to them. Arguing that this theoretical deficit leads to a political practice that simplifies and impoverishes our democracies, nourishing the demagogues and sustaining reassuring old narratives, Innerarity proposes a modern update of key political concepts, from power and sovereignty to territory and representation. The theory of democracy originates from a time of relative social and political simplicity. There was less pluralism, less interdependence, political entities were autarkic, and the technological tools they had to handle had nothing to do with the sophistication of our artificial intelligence, our financial system, or the technological advances in medicine. And yet, Innerarity argues, there is no need to despair. If democracy has made the transition from the polis to the nation-state, from direct democracy to representative democracy, there is no reason to suppose that it cannot face new challenges, as long as it is provided with an adequate political architecture.Drawing on a broad range of sources, including classical and contemporary theorists, A Theory of Complex Democracy presents a new theory of democracy and government for the 21st century, a theory that starts from the premise that the most promising rejuvenation of our democracies is to make them more complex.

This volume in the Political Theory and Contemporary Philosophy series extends democracy to knowledge in two ways. First, it argues that the issues science seeks to clarify are relevant for all citizens. Second, it explains that the fundamental problems faced by any democracy, such as the economic crisis, are not so much problems of political will as cognitive failures that must be resolved through both a greater knowledge of the realities over which we govern and a fine-tuning of the tools of governance. In fact, knowledge and related fields are spheres in which not only economic prosperity, but also democratic quality, are determined. Thus politics of knowledge and through knowledge has become a question of democratic citizenship. After introducing the concept of governing knowledge, the book discusses the political action of collective organization of uncertainty, before developing the idea of the cognitive challenge of the economy, revealed by today's economic crisis. A groundbreaking work by a renowned philosopher, it will be an accessible and fundamental resource for anyone interested in the relation of power to knowledge.

According to the European Commission, Europe is facing a transversal crisis that obliges the rethinking and redefinition of its narrative. As a result of the economic crisis that has affected Europe during the past years, Europe has in turn faced a structural crisis that forces the reconsideration of its own existence. The foundation of the European project, the promises of Democracy and Human Dignity, need to be assessed. The internal crisis and global challenges require a paradigm shift to establish a new foundation upon which to keep those promises alive. This crisis is multidimensional: environmental, cultural, political, social, economic, etc. and the European Union should tackle it as such. The book aims at contributing to that debate by offering a new conceptual approach to the core ideas of European integration process (sovereignty, diversity, common challenges, etc). By doing so, the edited volume settles the ground for some institutional and legal transformations that may reflect this new narrative for a new Europe.

This volume in the Political Theory and Contemporary Philosophy series extends democracy to knowledge in two ways. First, it argues that the issues science seeks to clarify are relevant for all citizens. Second, it explains that the fundamental problems faced by any democracy, such as the economic crisis, are not so much problems of political will as cognitive failures that must be resolved through both a greater knowledge of the realities over which we govern and a fine-tuning of the tools of governance. In fact, knowledge and related fields are spheres in which not only economic prosperity, but also democratic quality, are determined. Thus politics of knowledge and through knowledge has become a question of democratic citizenship. After introducing the concept of governing knowledge, the book discusses the political action of collective organization of uncertainty, before developing the idea of the cognitive challenge of the economy, revealed by today's economic crisis. A groundbreaking work by a renowned philosopher, it will be an accessible and fundamental resource for anyone interested in the relation of power to knowledge.

Humanity at Risk compares diverse approaches to the theme of global threats using the tools of philosophy, critical theory, and political thought alongside more practical, socio-political observations. By defining the idea of "global risk" more specifically, Editors Innerarity and Solana, and their contributors, believe we can understand how these risks should be evaluated, predicted, and managed within the framework of democratic societies.The goal of this book is to highlight more precisely the necessity, in the face of new global risks, for new governance at a national, European, and global level.

Humanity at Risk compares diverse approaches to the theme of global threats using the tools of philosophy, critical theory, and political thought alongside more practical, socio-political observations. By defining the idea of "global risk" more specifically, Editors Innerarity and Solana, and their contributors, believe we can understand how these risks should be evaluated, predicted, and managed within the framework of democratic societies.The goal of this book is to highlight more precisely the necessity, in the face of new global risks, for new governance at a national, European, and global level.

The European Union seems to have rescued its single currency, but it has not yet put an end to the crisis. In this major new book, a group of fifteen international philosophers, economists, political scientists, sociologists, and legal experts compare the economic, political, constitutional, social, and cultural interpretations of the European crisis. They describe the challenges the EU faces in relation to legitimacy and democracy and address head-on the uncertainty over the future of Europe.The book considers different possible scenarios—from the Union's dissolution, with or without the continuation of the integration process, to its reinforcement through the building of a political union addressing the challenges of legitimacy, democracy and justice. Such a strengthened union could mark a new stage for democracy—not the democracy of ancient cities and modern states, but one convenient to the complex entities, neither national nor supra-national, of which the European Union, despite the crisis, is still the best modern example.

The European Union seems to have rescued its single currency, but it has not yet put an end to the crisis. In this major new book, a group of fifteen international philosophers, economists, political scientists, sociologists, and legal experts compare the economic, political, constitutional, social, and cultural interpretations of the European crisis. They describe the challenges the EU faces in relation to legitimacy and democracy and address head-on the uncertainty over the future of Europe.The book considers different possible scenarios—from the Union's dissolution, with or without the continuation of the integration process, to its reinforcement through the building of a political union addressing the challenges of legitimacy, democracy and justice. Such a strengthened union could mark a new stage for democracy—not the democracy of ancient cities and modern states, but one convenient to the complex entities, neither national nor supra-national, of which the European Union, despite the crisis, is still the best modern example.

According to the European Commission, Europe is facing a transversal crisis that obliges the rethinking and redefinition of its narrative. As a result of the economic crisis that has affected Europe during the past years, Europe has in turn faced a structural crisis that forces the reconsideration of its own existence. The foundation of the European project, the promises of Democracy and Human Dignity, need to be assessed. The internal crisis and global challenges require a paradigm shift to establish a new foundation upon which to keep those promises alive. This crisis is multidimensional: environmental, cultural, political, social, economic, etc. and the European Union should tackle it as such. The book aims at contributing to that debate by offering a new conceptual approach to the core ideas of European integration process (sovereignty, diversity, common challenges, etc). By doing so, the edited volume settles the ground for some institutional and legal transformations that may reflect this new narrative for a new Europe.

By applying a philosophical approach to diagnosing the EU crisis, the book reconsiders the basic concepts of democracy in the context of the complex reality of the EU and the globalised world where profound social and political changes are taking place.