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Montaigne's Tower

Radical Universalism

Omri Boehm, Radical Universalism: Beyond Identity. Review in the NYTBR, January 25, 2026.  "…centrists…have been so enthralled by the concept of 'rights' that they have neglected the concept of 'duty.' Universalism, properly understood, doesn't just rest on some minimal understanding of the 'right' to act in your own 'interest,' In fact, he argues, universalism entails a duty that sometimes requires people to act against their interests." "Recognizing our duty to one another will be a hard sell in a world where we have been encouraged to think only about our own convenience and interests." "The result has been a culture that teaches us to worship force, despise compassion and nurture only 'our unappeasable appetite.'" Thus schools are afraid to teach in case they offend someone's interests, and DEI goes down in flames (when a white man successfully sues a medical school saying he was denied entry because of affirmative action, society neglects its duty to address the history of slavery). I'm surprised men aren't suing women to have every sperm in their body given access to women's bodies. Schools should be teaching facts, even if they offend; and they should be examining the moral consequences of certain actions as seen in the light of all humanity. Trump is a symptom, a consequence, of the utter neglect of duty.

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