Philosophy in a Time of Terror captures two philosophical giants, Jürgen Habermas and Jacques Derrida, grappling with the meaning and implications of terrorism in a post-9/11 world.
Borradori presents conversations with each philosopher, exploring their distinct approaches to violence, democracy, and global security.
I found Habermas a little too CVE-social-cohesion-abstractly-democratic-speak a little triggering, but I gave him time, because well, he is Habermas.
Habermas sees terrorism as a reaction to globalization's pressures, arguing for responses reinforcing democratic values through rational discourse and international cooperation. He believes democratic societies can counter terrorism by adhering to principles of human rights and law, avoiding the pitfalls of excessive militarization.
He also explores how religious and cultural pluralism requires tolerance but argues that this tolerance should be exercised within the bounds of democratic principles. For him, tolerance is critical to coexistence in modern societies but must reject fundamentalist intolerance that threatens pluralistic harmony
I think the part I found most interesting was Habermas addressing how globalization has intensified the divide between "winners" and "losers," with Western consumerism often seen as morally hollow. This perception fuels resentment and can deepen the divide, exacerbating tensions between fundamentalist and secular ideologies.
In contrast, Derrida uses his concept of "autoimmunity" to describe how societies can become self-destructive in their defence, compromising the values they aim to protect.
Borrowing from immunology, where autoimmunity refers to the body mistakenly attacking its own cells, Derrida applies this idea to social and political structures. In these contexts, autoimmunity describes how states, in trying to defend against perceived threats—such as terrorism—can end up undermining their own principles and values
He also questions Western assumptions and calls for an ethical openness—“hospitality”—toward difference, suggesting that rejecting rigid boundaries might help break cycles of violence. Derrida’s hospitality emphasises an unconditional openness to others, accepting them without imposing conformity. Here, it is in contrast to Habermas, who promotes conditional inclusivity within democratic discourse, requiring participants to adopt secular, rational language for mutual understanding.
In the end, the debate is reflective of their philosophical approaches: Derrida’s ideal challenges fixed norms, while Habermas balances openness with structured principles for practical dialogue.