Is this you? As a journalist, you can create a free Muck Rack account to customize your profile, list your contact preferences, and upload a portfolio of your best work.
Claim your profile
Articles by Michael Walzer
The Secular Paradox: On the Religiosity of the Not Religious
At a secular humanist memorial service for a recently deceased community member, attendees share memories and read out favorite poetry. They perform rituals remarkably similar to those in religious ceremonies, including eulogies, candle-lighting, and moments of reflection. If such gatherings look and feel like religious practice, what, then, makes them secular?
Civil Service, by Michael Walzer
archive casteism Civil service Cleaning degradation Dirty Work Should Be Shared dustmen equality of labor garbageman hard work Inequality Michael Walzer National service Proletariat public cleaning public service work stigmatized labor useful work
Appunti di libri: Guerre giuste e ingiuste - con Michael Walzer
L’aggressione è il nome che diamo al crimine della guerra. Riconosciamo questo crimine grazie alla nostra conoscenza della pace che esso interrompe — non la mera assenza di combattimenti, ma una pace con diritti, una condizione di libertà e sicurezza che può esistere solo in assenza dell’aggressione stessa. Il torto che l’aggressore commette consiste nel costringere uomini e donne a rischiare la propria vita per difendere i propri diritti.
Philanthropy for Radicals
Philanthropy for Radicals The Garland Fund was not a typical foundation, but its history shows the potential role philanthropy can play in moments of rising authoritarianism—and the tensions inherent in that role. ▪ February 12, 2026 NAACP protest in support of anti-lynching legislation in 1934 (Bettmann/Getty Images) The Radical Fund: How a Band of Visionaries and a Million Dollars Upended America by John Fabian Witt Simon & Schuster, 2025, 736 pp.
Dick Cheney's death is a reminder that we don't have to hate politicians | Letter
About Your Privacy Clicking on the "Reject All" Button retains the default setting of only strictly necessary cookies. We and our 263 partners store and access personal data, like browsing data or unique identifiers, on your device. Selecting Accept All enables tracking technologies to support the purposes shown under we and our partners process data to provide. Selecting Reject All or withdrawing your consent will disable them.
The Politics of Resistance
Suddenly, everyone on the left is talking about resistance. Does this exciting word have a substantive meaning? We are not imagining anything like the French Resistance in the Second World War—which involved clandestine activity, espionage, sabotage, and (where possible) guerrilla attacks. But we also mean something different from ordinary oppositional politics.
The Degradation of Big Law
The Degradation of Big Law By intimidating and disarming potential sources of legal resistance, Trump weakens one of the last institutional barriers standing between his administration and unbridled executive power.
Unsettling Ideology
W. W. Norton & Company 160 pp., $24.99 Irving Howe once told me that the purpose of a polemic is to kill your opponent—with words, not knives; still, at the end, the opponent should be politically, intellectually finished.
The Problem With a Job Guarantee
The Problem With a Job Guarantee Building working-class power through full employment is a worthy goal, but there are better strategies for creating and sustaining a tight labor market. ▪ Fall 2024 Read responses to this article by Dustin Guastella and Mark Levinson here. The time has come to abandon a political proposal that the left has advanced in Europe and the United States for almost 200 years: that the government should guarantee a job to everyone who is looking for work.
Israel’s Pager Bombs Have No Place in a Just War
The exploding pagers and walkie-talkies targeting members of Hezbollah in Lebanon were certainly an espionage and technological coup. Few people on the spot or reading about them from far away could fail to be amazed. But the explosions on Tuesday and Wednesday were also very likely war crimes — terrorist attacks by a state that has consistently condemned terrorist attacks on its own citizens. Yes, the devices most probably were being used by Hezbollah operatives for military purposes.
Social Researchon Exile
Volume 91, Number 2, Summer 2024 | Social Research / Johns Hopkins University Press In the latest issue of Social Research (Vol. 92, No. 1), scholars explore the nature of exile. Some essays reflect on exile forced by war and political persecution, others on the difference between being an exile and being a refugee. TABLE OF CONTENTS Avishai Margalit, “Internal Exile and Politics“ This essay has two parts. One scans notions of inner exile as withdrawal from society; the other examines politics.
No More Heroes: Contemporary Antisemitism and the West’s Culture of Victimhood
Andrés Spokoiny is the President and CEO of the Jewish Funders Network. There was a time, not long ago, when societies built their stories around heroes. Now, the victim has dislodged the hero as the center of society’s focus of admiration and desire. We dreamed of being heroes, now we yearn to be considered victims. Heroes and victims are very different. The hero sacrifices herself for the common good. She goes ‘out of herself’ and towards the other. The victim, however, withdraws into herself.
Are Israel’s Wars Just? An interview with Michael Walzer
Alan Johnson and Calev Ben-Dor spoke to Michael Walzer, the leading American public intellectual and author of Just and Unjust Wars. We discussed the wars in Gaza and Lebanon, the charge of ‘genocide’ against Israel, the question of whether Israel is facilitating enough humanitarian aid to enter Gaza, as well as the pager attacks against Hezbollah operatives, and how Just War thinking applies to the conduct of war by a country in an existential battle against non-state actors.
‘Anti-Zionism’ has become the new Antisemitism in Ireland
Oliver Sears is the founder of Holocaust Awareness Ireland.
In Defence of John Money
Andrea James is a filmmaker and trans activist. Two decades ago, James became well-known as one of the chief tormentors of psychologist Michael Bailey, who’d just published a book about feminine males and male-to-female transsexuals, The Man Who Would Be Queen. In that book, Bailey endorses the theory, originally proposed by American-Canadian sexologist Ray Blanchard, that transgender women typically fall into one of two categories.
Terrorismo y seguridad mundial/Posiciones: Michael Walzer
IdiomacatalàDeutschEnglishespañoleuskarafrançaisgalegoitalianoportuguêsromână
Something Is Wrong
Something is seriously wrong with the Left today (or, at least, with large parts of the Left—I recognise that exceptions apply). Described abstractly, what’s wrong is the triumph of the ideological project and its slogans over the interests of people on the ground.
The Triumph of Just War Theory (and the Dangers of Success)
Australian soldiers boarding a No 9 Squadron RAAF helicopter during Operation Hayman, Vung Tau Special Zone, Vietnam, (1966) | Gerald Wallace Westbury / Public domain The following is an excerpt from an essay first published in Social Research: An International Quarterly in the Winter, 2002 issue, and reprinted in the journal’s Spring 2024 anniversary issue, Social Research at 90. Some political theories die and go to heaven; some, I hope, die and go to hell.
Sarang Burung Walet: Menebar Cuan di Langit, Mengapa Pajaknya Masih Terbang Bebas?
Sarang burung walet merupakan salah satu produk konsumsi kesehatan yang sangat dikenal di Indonesia. Indonesia merupakan salah satu penyumbang komoditas terbesar sarang burung walet di pangsa pasar dunia di angka 85 persen, dengan negara Tiongkok sebagai konsumen terbesar dengan angka 53,76 persen dan disusul Hongkong sebesar 12,99 persen.
The Role of Taxation in Indonesian Elections: Shaping Public Opinion and Political Decisions in Indonesia
Taxation is a fundamental aspect of governance and politics in any country, and Indonesia is no exception. As the largest economy in Southeast Asia, Indonesia’s tax policies and their influence on elections are of great significance. In this discussion, we will explore how taxation affects voter behavior, the role of political parties in shaping taxation policies, and the potential impact of taxation on the democratic process in Indonesia.
A Surprise Breakthrough in Guatemala
A Surprise Breakthrough in Guatemala After months of political battle, Bernardo Arévalo has become the president of Guatemala. His winning campaign was built on attacking the corruption of the institutions that tried to keep him from office. ▪ Winter 2024 The following article was written in December. Bernardo Arévalo assumed office on January 15. When Guatemalans voted in general elections last summer, those with democratic inclinations had few reasons for hope.
AMLO’s Final Act
AMLO’s Final Act The Mexican president has built his durable popularity by combining traditionally left- and right-wing policies and positions. and ▪ Winter 2024 During his five years in office, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, the president of Mexico, has rarely left the country. But in September 2023, AMLO, as he is commonly known, made a trip to Colombia and Chile, Latin American countries that are also currently governed by the left.
Understanding Woke Antisemitism: Quillette Cetera Episode 25
Quillette contributor and author of Woke Antisemitism: How a Progressive Ideology Harms Jews, David Bernstein, joins Zoe to discuss the ways antisemitism manifests on the Left and Right, and to explore how universities should promote free speech on campus. David is founder of the Jewish Institute for Liberal Values & author of Woke Antisemitism: How a Progressive Ideology Harms Jews. He is past President & CEO of Jewish Council for Public Affairs.
Shlomo Avineri, 1933–2023 - Dissent Magazine
Shlomo Avineri, 1933–2023 ▪ December 4, 2023 The Israeli political theorist, Shlomo Avineri, a longtime friend of Dissent, died in Jerusalem on December 1. He made his reputation writing major books on Marx and Hegel, but he was never simply an academic.
Gaza and the Asymmetry Trap
In a time of war, everybody makes proportionality arguments. But proportionality is a fool’s game, more suited to propaganda than to reasoned judgement. Some number of people are killed in some military action: are the deaths proportional? How might we know? The numbers are always disputed, and so is the balance of fighters and civilians. And then comes the critical question: proportional to what? There are many answers to that question.
The Obligations of Oppressed Minorities
I had reduced everything to the simple theory that the oppressed are always right and the oppressors are always wrong: a mistaken theory, but the natural result of being one of the oppressors yourself. - George Orwell Majority rule is the hardest question in democratic theory.
Even the Oppressed Have Obligations
Not every act of resistance is justified. After the Hamas attack on Israel October 7, an old, bad argument resurfaced. In the streets of New York, London, and Paris, and on American college campuses, protesters who consider themselves leftists took the position that oppressed people—Palestinians in this case, but oppressed people more generally—can do no wrong.
Even the Oppressed Have Obligations
After the Hamas attack on Israel October 7, an old, bad argument resurfaced. In the streets of New York, London, and Paris, and on American college campuses, protesters who consider themselves leftists took the position that oppressed people—Palestinians in this case, but oppressed people more generally—can do no wrong. Any act of “resistance” is justified, however cruel, however barbaric, however much these protesters would rage against it if it were committed by someone else.
Michael Walzer: “Justice demands the defeat of Hamas, not revenge against the Palestinians.”
Published on 19 October 2023 6 min read Michael Walzer, 2002, Wikipedia Commons
Israel Must Defeat Hamas-and Then Get Serious About Peace
Both of us have spent our entire adult lives advocating for justice for Israelis and Palestinians alike. Within Israel, we have supported our friends on the left who have challenged the Netanyahu government, the settlers’ movement, and the religious zealots. We strongly oppose the claim that only Jews have a right to the land. We vigorously oppose efforts to destroy the judicial system and open the way for an authoritarian politics.
क्या है इजराइल-फिलीस्तीन का मामला? इन 10 किताबों से समझिए!
The Iron Cage: The Story of the Palestinian Struggle for Statehood Author: Rashid Khalidi My Promised Land: The Triumph and Tragedy of Israel Author: Ari Shavit The Lemon Tree: An Arab, a Jew, and the Heart of the Middle East Author: Sandy Tolan The Palestinian Catastrophe: The Expulsion of the Palestinians in 1948 Author: Ilan Pappe The Road to Peace: The Israeli–Palestinian Conflict Author: Dennis Ross One State, Two States: Resolving the Israeli–Palestinian Deadlock Author: Rashid Khalidi...
The Democratic Duty
Discover more from Persuasion The community for those who believe that a free society is worth fighting for. Over 46,000 subscribers Today we are proud to publish an essay by Michael Walzer, one of America’s preeminent political theorists and the author of classic books including Spheres of Justice and Just and Unjust Wars.
Israel’s Origins and Revolutions: An Exchange | Susie Linfield
In response to: Whose Constitution, Whose Democracy? from the May 11, 2023 issue To the Editors: Joshua Leifer [“Whose Constitution, Whose Democracy?,” NYR, May 11] writes that in the 1947–1948 period, “Zionist forces were fighting a war of expulsion” against “the Palestinians.” This is not inaccurate—except that omission sometimes is inaccuracy.
Don't Give Up on the Dream of a Liberal Israel
Writing in the late 19th century, Judah Leib Levin, an advocate of Jewish enlightenment, warned against settlement in Palestine.
Nuestra Ucrania
¿Por qué apoyamos a los ucranianos? Hay razones geopolíticas para hacerlo: debilitar a la Rusia de Putin fortalece a la OTAN. Hay razones relativas al orden mundial: castigar una agresión y establecer el imperio del derecho internacional. Y hay, también, razones ideológicas que pasan por defender la democracia y expresar nuestra solidaridad con los demócratas en el extranjero. Las dos primeras razones son sencillas de articular; no escribiré sobre ellas ahora.
Michael Walzer: Nuestra Ucrania
LA TERCERA ¿Por qué apoyamos a los ucranianos? Hay razones geopolíticas para hacerlo: debilitar a la Rusia de Putin fortalece a la OTAN. Hay razones relativas al orden mundial: castigar una agresión y establecer el imperio del derecho internacional. Y hay, también, razones ideológicas que ... Límite de sesiones alcanzadas El acceso al contenido Premium está abierto por cortesía del establecimiento donde te encuentras, pero ahora mismo hay demasiados usuarios conectados a la vez.
Confusing Judicial Reform With Unleashing Extremism
Editor’s Note: The following is adapted from an address given at Columbia Law School on May 4, 2023, at a conference on “The Battle over the Israeli Judiciary” put on by Columbia Law School and Academic Exchange. The argument between advocates of judicial activism and advocates of judicial restraint is an important one—ongoing over many years and obviously unresolved—one that regularly invites our attention. I have had a small part in the argument, mostly on the restraint side.
Confusing Judicial Reform With Unleashing Extremism
Published by The Lawfare Institute in Cooperation With Editor’s Note: The following is adapted from an address given at Columbia Law School on May 4, 2023, at a conference on “The Battle over the Israeli Judiciary” put on by Columbia Law School and Academic Exchange. The argument between advocates of judicial activism and advocates of judicial restraint is an important one—ongoing over many years and obviously unresolved—one that regularly invites our attention.
Convinzioni morali | Il liberalismo non è più un ismo come tutti gli altri - Linkiesta.it
Il liberalismo è un ismo come tutti gli altri ismi? Credo lo sia stato in passato. Nel xix secolo e per alcuni anni, e in alcuni contesti, del xx secolo, il liberalismo è stato un’ideologia che abbracciava il libero mercato, il libero commercio, la libertà di parola, le frontiere aperte, lo Stato minimo, l’individualismo radicale, le libertà civili, la tolleranza religiosa, i diritti delle minoranze.
Michael Walzer Responds
Michael Walzer Responds Michael Walzer ▪ Fall 1984 A quick word from a third Michael. I agree entirely with the second Michael’s response to the first, but want to add a few comments as co-editor of Dissent. Instead of arguing about the state of the left, Michael Wreszin writes, “We should now be in the streets.” But there he sits banging away at his computer, and banging away, and banging away.
Michael Walzer Responds
Michael Walzer Responds Intern ▪ Fall 1984 I agree with Jim Rule on the wrongness of Israeli settlement policy. I don’t believe, as he suggests, that ending American support for that policy would reduce hatred for the United States in the Arab and Muslim worlds. People who believe that the Elders of Zion control Wall Street and the U. S.
Opinion | We are liberal American Zionists. We stand with Israel’s protesters.
Comment on this story Comment Paul Berman is the author of “Power and the Idealists.” Martin Peretz’s book “The Controversialist: Arguments with Everyone, Left Right and Center” will be published this summer. Michael Walzer is the author of “The Struggle for a Decent Politics: On ‘Liberal’ as an Adjective.” Leon Wieseltier is the editor of Liberties.
The Values of Liberalism
A review of The Struggle for a Decent Politics: On Liberal as an Adjective Review by Justin Kempf The Values of Liberalism In this week’s episode of the podcast I talked to Michael Walzer. We talked about his recent book The Struggle for a Decent Politics: On Liberal as an Adjective. In the Preface he explains how he wrote the book during the pandemic without a large library of books to reference. It’s a more casual book.
Michael Walzer on Liberal as an Adjective
Michael Walzer is an emeritus professor at the Institute for Advanced Study. He was also a longtime editor of Dissent. He is the author of many books including the classic of political philosophy Spheres of Justice. His most recent book is called The Struggle for a Decent Politics: On “Liberal” as an Adjective. Become a Patron! Make a one-time Donation to Democracy Paradox. Key Highlights Introduction – 0:45 What is Liberalism?
On Moral Concern
On Moral Concern Michael Walzer You shall surely reprove your fellow. Leviticus 19:17 A long time ago, I spent a couple of years reading Calvinist theology and Puritan treatises and sermons (for a doctoral dissertation and a first book).I don’t remember many lines, but one has stuck in my mind.
It’s No Crime to Be a Russian Soldier in Ukraine
Theorists of just and unjust war shouldn’t have much difficulty when writing about Russia’s attack on Ukraine. The attack is doubly unjust. It is, first of all, a classic example of military aggression; it is a war without a just cause. Second, the conduct of the war by Russian forces violates the most basic rule of jus in bello, justice in battle: that civilians must be shielded as much as possible from the impact of the fighting. The two crimes against morality don’t necessarily go together.
On Humanitarianism
Sign in and save to read later Print this article Share on Twitter Share on Facebook Get a link Page url Request Reprint Permissions Humanitarianism is probably the most important "ism" in the world today, given the collapse of communism, the discrediting of neoliberalism, and the general distrust of large-scale political ideologies. Its activists often claim to escape or transcend partisan politics.
On Humanitarianism
Sign in and save to read later Print this article Share on Twitter Share on Facebook Get a link Request Reprint Permissions Humanitarianism is probably the most important "ism" in the world today, given the collapse of communism, the discrediting of neoliberalism, and the general distrust of large-scale political ideologies. Its activists often claim to escape or transcend partisan politics.
Quello che Putin vuole uccidere è lo spirito dell'Ucraina
(Foto di Olycom) Il libro Una democrazia ritenuta tale si evince dall'impegno collettivo di ognuno per salvaguardare la propria nazione: la volontà degli ucraini è una lezione per tutti noi occidentali Pubblichiamo l’intervento di Michael Walzer, professore emerito all’Institute for Advanced Study di Princeton, che chiude il volume “Combatteremo fino alla fine. I discorsi di Volodymyr Zelensky”, edito da Chiarelettere (176 pp., 14 euro). Abbonati per continuare a leggere Sei già abbonato?
The Just War of the Ukrainians
“A conqueror,” wrote the military theorist Carl von Clausewitz, “is always a lover of peace. He would like to make his entry into our state unopposed; in order to prevent this, we must choose to fight.” The crime of aggression is to force men and women to make that choice. They can, of course, choose not to fight, as Czechoslovakia did in 1938 when it was betrayed by its allies and left to face Nazi Germany alone. But most people believe that the right choice is to defend your country.
Show More
loading
Actions
Is this you?
As a journalist, you can create a free Muck Rack account to customize your profile, list your contact preferences, and upload a portfolio of your best work.Get in touch with Michael
Contact Michael, search articles and posts on X, monitor coverage, and track replies from one place.
Learn more about Muck Rack