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Sebastian Ritscher

CITADELS OF PRIDE

Martha Nussbaum

Sexual Abuse, Accountability, and Reconciliation

An essential moral, philosophical, and practical reckoning with the laws we put in place to address the problem of sexual abuse and harassment.
In this essential philosophical and practical reckoning, Martha C. Nussbaum, renowned for her eloquence and clarity of moral vision, shows how sexual abuse and harassment derive from using people as things to one's own benefit - like other forms of exploitation, they are rooted in the ugly emotion of pride. She exposes three "Citadels of Pride" and the men who hoard power at the apex of each. In the judiciary, the arts, and sports, Nussbaum analyzes how pride perpetuates systemic sexual abuse, narcissism, and toxic masculinity. The courage of many has brought about some reforms, but justice is still elusive - warped sometimes by money, power, or inertia; sometimes by a collective desire for revenge. By analyzing the effects of law and public policy on our ever-evolving definitions of sexual violence, Nussbaum clarifies how gaps in U.S. law allow this violence to proliferate; why criminal laws dealing with sexual assault and Title VII, the federal law that is the basis for sexual harassment doctrine, need to be complemented by an understanding of the distorted emotions that breed abuse; and why anger and vengeance rarely achieve lasting change. Citadels of Pride offers a damning indictment of the culture of male power that insulates high-profile abusers from accountability. Yet Nussbaum offers a hopeful way forward, envisioning a future in which, as survivors mobilize to tell their stories and institutions pursue fair and nuanced reform, we might fully recognize the equal dignity of all people. Martha C. Nussbaum is the Ernst Freund Distinguished Service Professor of Law and Ethics at the University of Chicago, appointed in the law school and philosophy department. She is the author of numerous books and articles on moral, legal, and political philosophy, and recipient of many awards, including the Berggruen Prize, one of the world's most significant recognitions for public intellectuals. She lives in Chicago, Illinois.
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Published 2021-05-11 by W.W. Norton & Company, Inc. - New York (USA)

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Martha C. Nussbaum brings unflinching clarity and wisdom to illuminate shame and pride, the operations of power and retribution surrounding sexual violence and intimidation. Nussbaum's distinctive fusion of law and philosophy exposes failures of recent reforms and points toward constructive future paths.

Has the #MeToo movement run into trouble? - This week we speak to Martha Nussbaum, American philosopher and the author of "Citadels of Pride: Sexual Abuse, Accountability, and Reconciliation" ... Read more...

Chinese (complex): Rye Field Publishing Co. ; Chinese (simplified): Shanghai Insight Media ; Dutch: Het Getij ; Korean: Minumsa ; Spanish: Editorial Planeta S.A./ Paidós

In Citadels of Pride, Martha C. Nussbaum shines a light on long-standing and deep-rooted issues of sexual harassment and assault that continue to plague big-time sports and lays out a provocative plan for controlling institutions to become leaders in effecting change. Not everyone will agree with her recommendations, but this book should be mandatory reading for anyone who cares deeply about the need for reform.

CITADELS OF PRIDE is one of Businessweek's 14 Books to Put on Your Reading List This Spring: A professor of law and ethics at the University of Chicago, Nussbaum is uniquely qualified to tackle the moral and philosophical dimensions of sexual violence. In this careful, methodical book, she pinpoints three areas she dubs "citadels of pride" - the judiciary, the arts, and athletics. The Cosby and Weinstein cases are used as examples; her recommendation to completely rethink collegiate sports will surely be the most controversial passage Read more...

Nussbaum has been awarded the 2021 Holberg Prize - one of the largest international awards given to an outstanding researcher in the arts and humanities, the social sciences, law or theology, for making 'real and lasting difference to people across the world'. Read more...