Bloomsbury Taking Charge: On Responsibility and Personal Identity

The book deals with key ethico-political issues of modernity, that of responsibility and of the subject(s) that can assume it. Today, new realities, from global political issues to economic crises and lack of confidence in governments, show that there is no authority, institution, or public organism capable of taking charge.A" In fact, people find themselves less responsible than ever before. Available for the first time in English, this text by one of the leading European intellectuals explores why we need to return to a full personal responsibility. This entails a revisiting of such concepts as personal identity, tolerance, and action -all essential components of responsibility. Featuring a preface by Gianni Vattimo, the book not only analyzes the problem of responsibility from various perspectives (including Nietzsche, Weber, Arendt, Sartre), but also confronts today's realities and challenges. As Cruz puts it, Until now, men attempted to describe the world; the moment has arrived for them to take it on.A" Review "Manuel Cruz is one of the exciting and significant thinkers writing in Spanish today. His work cuts across many of the usual boundaries of philosophy, engaging with a range of thinkers from both the analytic and European traditions that is indicative of an exceptional breadth of knowledge and openness of mind. Fresh and innovative in its approach, Cruz's work also brings with it a real sense of philosophical engagement and commitment - a genuine 'taking on' of the world and of our current situation. This is the first translation into English of any of Cruz's writings, and will certainly not be the last. Not only does it provide an introduction to Cruz's thought, but it also points towards to the enormous wealth of thought on the Iberian peninsula and beyond, and which has largely remained, for far too long, beyond the horizons of Anglo-American philosophy." - Jeff Malpas, Professor of Philosophy, University of Tasmania."Manuel Cruz offers a non-essentialist, non-moralizing, immanent and secular form of ethics that rejects the politics of identity and philosophies of difference exposing them both as imperialist, paternalistic discourses symptomatic of the culture of late capitalism. In their place, he affirms indeed, radicalizes the idea of, and demand for, equality. Cruz provides a philosophical intervention that is a timely and urgently needed reactivation of the political subject. This is a true clarion call that we once again assume the responsibility to take charge of our world." - Dr. Jeffrey W. Robbins, Director of American Studies and the College Colloquium Department of Religion & Philosophy, Lebanon Valley College, USA.Manuel Cruz is, together with few other Spanish philosophers, the reference of what is going on in Spain's contemporary philosophy. This book could be easily summed up with the following post-Marxist slogan: "until now men seemed fit to describe the world, now the moment has arrived for them to take it on." Cruz is alarmed by lack of responsibility in men today, that is, regardless of what is happening in the world, the first impression we get is that men find themselves less than ever responsible. It seems more difficult than ever to accuse, on whatever ground, someone even of things he himself is against, such as global warming, nuclear proliferation, or even racism which are all spread throughout the world. Although this is his first book translated into English, it will not be the last. Santiago Zabala, Santiago Zabala is ICREA Research Professor at the University of Barcelona and coauthor of Hermeneutic Communism"Manuel Cruz's Taking Charge is one of the most powerful and original articulations of political philosophy I have read in recent years. One could define Cruz's project as an attempt to work out the "politics of responsibility," suffusing political practice and discourse with ethical concerns. The book is an impressive manifesto by the most im