A Brief Book Summary from Books At a Glance
By Benjamin J. Montoya
About the Author
Noah Rothman is an Associate Editor of Commentary Magazine. He lives in New York City.
Introduction
“Social justice” is a very important term in our society today. But what does it mean today? In this book, its current definition as used by many in the US will be provided and exposed for what it really is. Consider this important book to learn more!
Table of Contents
Chapter 1 Identitarianism
Chapter 2 A Nation or a People?
Chapter 3 Truths and Transgressions
Chapter 4 Lifting the Veil
Chapter 5 Entry-Level Politics
Chapter 6 Victimocracy
Chapter 7 Violent Delights
Chapter 8 “Throw It the Hell Out”
Chapter 1: Identitarianism
Modern efforts toward social justice pretend to be concerned about social justice but are really masquerading around as something else altogether. The real effort is to use an understanding of identity as a tool, or weapon, to achieve retributive justice for certain groups of people. This is a larger tactic of the left to enact their political policies.
One of their most prevalent concepts is that of intersectionality. Although the meaning of this term is debated, the core concept is clear enough to be explained. It refers to certain groups of people who have one or more of the so-called “marginalized” groups associated with them. For example, if someone was black, a woman, and a lesbian, then she would fit different intersections of oppressed groups.
America was not founded upon these concepts, and the American dream certainly does not fit this call. America was founded on the idea of equality for all people, and the American dream stresses that even further. For example, employers should look to hire the best candidates, without regards for any other distinguishing mark such as skin color, etc. That is what one might think that the concern for social justice is really about. That is far from the truth. The larger issue is that the left is so pushing their concept that they seek to silence anyone who does not agree with their political positions using their so-called concern with social justice as a front.
To understand this larger issue, we must take a look at the history of Identitarian thought in America, something to which the next chapter will turn its attention.
Chapter 2: A Nation or a People?
The political ideas that the left/socialists are arguing for are not new ideas in any way. The ideas themselves go back to Taparelli in 1843. He was the first to use the term “social justice” how it is used today by the left. His understanding fits with the larger socialist agenda of the rights of man and property being secured only through conflict with other people who oppress them. Rothman cites Taparelli and explains his work as follows,
[To continue reading this summary, please see below....]“[S]ociety is in a perpetual antagonism where each one offers the minimum in order to obtain the maximum,” Taparelli wrote. “[S]ociety is a war of all against all: war among the producers, war of the producers against the buyers, war of one nation against another in order to absorb its wealth by means of customs duties.” As such, governments (including but not limited to the Catholic Church) were obliged to insert themselves into private affairs to secure the revenue that was their lifeblood. To argue otherwise is to close one’s eyes to reality.
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