Against the Grain

Spinoza on Fortitude

Radical political projects suffer when people burn out, get distracted, or otherwise drift away. What can help socialists and other leftists stay on course and even deepen their commitment over the long term? Ted Stolze finds in the writings of the philosopher Baruch Spinoza conceptual resources that he thinks can help radicals persevere. Rethinking Marxism


With Chris Jennings, an author who grew up in New York City. He graduated from Deep Springs College and Wesleyan University. He lives in Northern California with his dog. His most recent book is Paradise Now: The Story of American Utopianism. About the book: By any measure, Ann Lee, the illiterate daughter of a Manchester blacksmith, led one … Continued


With Rosa Brooks, a law professor at the Georgetown University Law Center, a columnist and contributing editor for Foreign Policy, former Counselor to the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, and current Special Coordinator for Rule of Law and Humanitarian Policy, running a new Pentagon office dedicated to those issues. She has received the Secretary of Defense Medal for … Continued


Keith Lamont Scott’s Wife is Latest Black Woman Forced to Film State Violence Against a Partner; Activism Works: Charlotte Police Release Dashboard & Body Camera Video in Keith Lamont Scott Killing; Marc Lamont Hill Responds to Trump: “We Can’t Arrest Our Way Out of a Problem of State Violence”; Lawyer for Gitmo Prisoners Released to … Continued