Radical Hope: Ethics in the Face of Cultural Devastation

Library Journal

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Lear, a psychoanalyst and professor of philosophy, delves into what he calls the 'blind spot' of any culture: the inability to conceive of its own devastation. He molds his thoughts around a poignant historical model, the decimated nation of Crow Indians in the early decades of the twentieth century… What makes this discussion relevant to mainstream readers is his application of the blind spot hypothesis to the present, in which the twenty-first century was ushered in by terrorist attacks, social upheavals, and natural catastrophes, leaving us with 'an uncanny sense of menace' and a heightened perception of how vulnerable our civilizations are to destruction, as were the Crow.
— Deborah Donovan

Field Day Review

[Lear's] book exemplifies the best features of recent breakthrough works in philosophy: it is analytically rigorous, yet grounded in both history and anthropology, and open to world-views other than those safely ensconced in the Western academy… Lear's account of cultural devastation serves as an important rejoinder to those constructions of society based on the beliefs of liberal individualism.
— Luke Gibbons

Globe & Mail

A sustained meditation on cultural collapse, a brilliant, moving discussion of what it means to lose sense of one's existence without losing hope that existence makes sense. Lear's meditation centers on Plenty Coups, the last great chief of the Crow Nation, who watched, and in many ways directed, the transition from a nomadic hunting culture to one confined to reservations. Lear argues that he exhibited a special version of courage, an ironic and transcendental courage in the form of radical hope. His account opens up meaning for anyone, anywhere, who lives in and thinks about his or her world.
— Mark Kingwell

Globe and Mail

International Institute for Indigenous Resource Management

Thought-provoking and highly-recommended… As Lear points out, with the onset of reservation life it became increasingly problematic to define what a warrior was and there was no longer a clear sense of what it was to be outstanding as a chief. In a very real sense, Lear's observation holds true today. The tribal water quality specialist may do excellent work and the recipient of a tribal scholarship may be a top-notch student. They may also be aware of the tribe's history; participate in tribal ceremonies, and understand the importance of place in tribal culture. But neither understands how to constitute themselves as persons who need to internalize the ideals associated with those social roles for the benefit of the tribe… An examination of Lear's book is an excellent starting point for those planning tribal workforce development programs.
— Mervyn Tano

Los Angeles Times Book Review

There is so much to learn here; Lear parses the differences between mere optimism and radical hope, as it is manifest in Plenty Coups' 'fidelity to his prophetic dream.' It's one of those books you want to put in the hands of leaders the world over.
— Susan Salter Reynolds

Metapsychology

Jonathan Lear's latest book, Radical Hope: Ethics in the Face of Cultural Devastation, consists in an inquiry, properly characterized as a form of philosophical anthropology, into 'a peculiar form of vulnerability' that is arguably part of the human condition… The general problem, however, that he deals with has to do with what he calls the 'blind spot' of any culture: the inability to conceive of its own destruction and possible extinction… I can only add my comments of well-deserved praise to an already long list of similar comments by illustrious commentators… Lear's book is not only a masterfully crafted and deeply moving narrative, but it also offers us a timely philosophical reflection that is highly relevant to our current condition at this juncture of history. Needless to say, we live in an age of deep and profound angst that the world itself, as we know it, is vulnerable and could break down… Lear may be right when he says that 'if we could give a name to our shared sense of vulnerability, perhaps we could find better ways to live with it.' But, being naturally more pessimistically inclined, and therefore arguably more realistic, I sincerely doubt if this will suffice.
— Nader N. Chokr

New Republic

[A] luminous book.
— Michael Ignatieff

New York Review of Books

Lear's book breaks new ground, in an extremely interesting way… What do I take away from this short, illuminating book? My own version of radical hope, applied to very different circumstances… This is what makes Lear's well-written and philosophically sophisticated book so valuable. As a story of courage and moral imagination, it is very powerful and moving. But it also offers the kind of insights that would-be builders of 'new world order' desperately need.
— Charles Taylor

Psychologist-Psychoanalyst

Radical Hope is a very rich and complicated repast that a reader can savor over and over again, discovering new insights with each reading. My review, in short, cannot do Lear's book justice.
— Ryan LaMothe

Time

Don't be alarmed by its grimly academic title; [Radical Hope: Ethics in the Face of Cultural Devastation] is one of the most profound and elegantly written books to come out in decades. The book discusses a Crow Indian leader named Plenty Coups, who led his people through their brutal transition from a nomadic hunting culture to confinement on a government reservation. This is not a work of history or anthropology, however, but an inquiry into how an entire society can radically transform itself in order to survive. Lear's book is visionary and—if you take its message to heart—transformative. He has done one of those rare things: produced a work that applies to literally every person on the planet.
— Sebastian Junger