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This book is a philosophical defense of anger at racial injustice. It shows that this type of anger--what author Myisha Cherry calls Lordean rage, honoring Audre Lorde--can inspire us to change the world. For that reason, we should seek to cultivate it, rather than push it down. Crossing the terrain of moral psychology, philosophy, and current affairs, the book shows how anger at racism is an appropriate and even necessary way of valuing others, how anger can motivate those who are outraged to engage in productive action, and how anger strengthens us to become the heroes that we have been waiting for. Beyond laying out the theory behind her case for rage, Cherry shows racially marginalized people and their allies how to better manage and channel anti-racist anger in order to affect lasting, long-awaited change.
Sommario
- Introduction
- Chapter 1: Broad Strokes
- Chapter 2: Fitting Fury
- Chapter 3: Rage in Work Clothes
- Chapter 4: Breaking Racial Rules
- Chapter 5: Rage Renegades
- Chapter 6: Anger Management
- Chapter 7: The End of Rage?
Info autore
Myisha Cherry is Assistant Professor of Philosophy at the University of California, Riverside. Her books include UnMuted: Conversations on Prejudice, Oppression, and Social Justice (Oxford University Press, 2018) and, co-edited with Owen Flanagan, The Moral Psychology of Anger (Rowman & Littlefield, 2019). Her work on emotions and race has appeared in The Atlantic, Boston Review, Los Angeles Times, Salon, Huffington Post, WomanKind, and New Philosopher. She has also offered social commentary on race for BBC Radio, BET, and other outlets. Cherry is also the host of the UnMute Podcast, where she interviews philosophers about the social and political issues of our day. Her book The Failures of Forgiveness is forthcoming with Princeton University Press.
Riassunto
When it comes to injustice, especially racial injustice, rage isn't just an acceptable response-it's crucial in order to fuel the fight for change.
Anger has a bad reputation. Many people think that it is counterproductive, distracting, and destructive. It is a negative emotion, many believe, because it can lead so quickly to violence or an overwhelming fury. And coming from people of color, it takes on connotations that are even more sinister, stirring up stereotypes, making white people fear what an angry other might be capable of doing, when angry, and leading them to turn to hatred or violence in turn, to squelch an anger that might upset the racial status quo.
According to philosopher Myisha Cherry, anger does not deserve its bad reputation. It is powerful, but its power can be a force for good. And not only is it something we don't have to discourage, it's something we ought to cultivate actively. People fear anger because they paint it in broad strokes, but we can't dismiss all anger, especially not now. There is a form of anger that in fact is crucial in the anti-racist struggle today. This anti-racist anger, what Cherry calls "Lordean rage," can use its mighty force to challenge racism: it aims for change, motivates productive action, builds resistance, and is informed by an inclusive and liberating perspective. People can, and should, harness Lordean rage and tap into its unique anti-racist potential. We should not suppress it or seek to replace it with friendly emotions. If we want to effect change, and take down racist structures and systems, we must manage it in the sense of cultivating it, and keeping it focused and strong.
Cherry makes her argument for anti-racist anger by putting Aristotle in conversation with Audre Lorde, and James Baldwin in conversation with Joseph Butler. The Case for Rage not only uses the tools of philosophy to articulate its arguments, but it sharpens them with the help of social psychology and history. The book is philosophically rich and yet highly accessible beyond philosophical spheres, issuing an urgent call to all politically and socially engaged readers looking for new, deeply effective tools for changing the world. Its message will resonate with the enraged and those witnessing such anger, wondering whether it can help or harm. Above all, this book is a resource for the activist coming to grips with a seemingly everyday emotion that she may feel rising up within her and not know what to do with. It shows how to make sure anger doesn't go to waste, but instead leads to lasting, long-awaited change.
Testo aggiuntivo
The Case for Rage is an incredibly hopeful and inspiring book, and it comes at just the right time. Myisha Cherry explains how Lordean rage — in the lineage of righteous anger from Ida B. Wells and Sojourner Truth — is both necessary and suited to the anti-racist struggles of our times. Lordean rage is furious, but focused and not frenzied. It is compassionate and empathic, but uncompromising when it comes to the demands of justice. Cherry offers firm, reasoned resistance to skeptics about the role of anger in the service of anti-racism. An important book.
