On the Politics of Nonviolence: An Interview with Judith Butler

Butler's most recent book The Force of Nonviolence connects an ethics of non-violence to a forceful politics of equality. Reading it again from within the midst of a global pandemic, which continues to reveal deep structural inequalities in societies all over the world, sheds a new light on her words. The arguments have not changed, but Butler's critique gains gravitas. In this interview, Butler elaborates on some aspects of the book, including her recourse to psychoanalytic theory and the scope of her notion of grievability. She further remains clear about the role of critical theory in the context of Covid-19 and the recent uprising for Black lives: instead of jumping ahead to predictions of how this uncertainty might play out, she urges us to act from where we are.