We all have hopes, and I think we should have many. Some are small, others are big. Many are superficial, and a few are deep. We have morally profound hopes and others that are just preferences of a personal sort. I can hope that tomorrow will be a mild, sunny day, and that racial justice will come to prevail in America. In an exceedingly fine recent book, Hope Under Oppression, philosopher Katie Stockdale explores the nature of hope, and especially its importance among people in disadvantaged and socially oppressed groups, where hope is often the hardest and also the most important to have and maintain. But her work illuminates the nature and role of hope more broadly in all our lives. And it’s a study that can benefit anyone who wants to think carefully about our moral engagement with the present and future.
The book is also a paradigmatic example of analytic philosophy done well. Katie makes all the conceptual distinctions we need to make, but no more than are required to gain clarity on the topic, and she argues clearly, using those tools, to establish new insights that are vitally helpful. She’s fair to other points of view, but also quick to spot error hiding behind truth in previous discussions of hope. Her guidance is sure footed and reliable on issues of substance, and it encompasses not just hope, but also such equally important human experiences as the very different emotions of anger and bitterness in the face of injustice, along with the roles of faith and courage in pursuing the good against great challenge.
I consider this to be an excellent and encouraging exercise in moral philosophy. It even ends up by being a bit inspiring. It reinforces my pride to be a philosopher and makes me newly thankful for all the young women who are busy bringing their voices, sensibilities, and talents to this ancient enterprise and broadening its concerns, while at the same time hewing to the highest levels of logical rigor and careful consideration regarding the human condition. This book has taught me a lot. I hope that many of you who are philosophically inclined will give it a careful read. But even if this is not your thing, I wanted you to know of the brilliant young philosophers who are using their talents to shed light on matters of crucial weight in our time.
For the book, Click here.
