On Inhumanity

Smith's greatest strength lies in his ability to elucidate often complex notions in clear, concise terms -- as well as his lack of fear in bluntly telling the reader that we are all potentially capable of dehumanization. There is darkness in all of us -- but the point is to confront that darkness head-on. There can be no progress toward a better, more peaceful future for society without that reckoning. --Linda Roland Danil, Los Angeles Review of Books Smith's useful work serves as a solid entry-point for those grappling with the psychological and political workings of white supremacy, xenophobia, and other forms of us-versus-them thinking. --Publisher's Weekly This brilliant and powerful book is a philosophically sophisticated and prophetically courageous treatment of dehumanization, especially in regard to race. It is timely and needful in our monstrous times! Don't miss it! -- Cornel West, Professor of the Practice of Public Philosophy, Harvard University, Professor Emeritus, Princeton University On Inhumanity is a powerful exploration of the processes and consequences of dehumanization. Concerning himself with violence and the processes that motivate the extermination of 'lesser beings,' Smith pens a much-needed treatment of the constantly reemerging brutality that is seemingly endemic to the human condition... Simply put, On Inhumanity is a most appropriate confrontation with the illusions and political powers that produce sub-humanity in the 21st century. -- Tommy J. Curry, University of Edinburgh, author of The Man-Not On Inhumanity profoundly interrogates the processes that lead [or what leads] ordinary people to engage in horrific acts of violence against others. Tracing common themes across the Holocaust, lynching, and genocides, Smith identifies dehumanization--seeing human beings as subhuman creatures--as the central feature of these mass atrocities, as well as of everyday forms of racial oppression. Most compelling is that Smith refuses to conclude that dehumanization is our inevitable destiny and instead charts a course for resisting it. On Inhumanity brilliantly provides a chilling warning of repeating the past and a hopeful call to create a more humane future. -- Dorothy Roberts, University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School, author of Fatal Invention A chilling, comprehensive, and passionate account of dehumanisation. Smith offers a devastating reminder of the capacity of every human to treat other humans as lesser. -- Angela Saini, journalist, author of Inferior and Superior This book is firm but gentle, wise but accessible. Its reflections on our worst habits of politics are phrased in such a way that they allow us to see what better habits might be. -- Timothy Snyder, Yale University, author of On Tyranny