New Academic and Intellectual Books for August 28

The Hankyoreh highlights five new academic and intellectual books released on August 28, offering deep dives into philosophy, biology, history, and social theory.

Shelly Kagan's "What is Morality?" tackles the fundamental question of whether morality is an objective truth or a subjective construct. The book engages with the debate between moral realism and skepticism, presenting arguments that moral sentiments are evolutionary products that vary across time and society, while also advocating for moral realism based on human intuition and Kant's categorical imperative.

"The Mind of Plants" by Thomas A. Mahler challenges conventional views on consciousness. From the perspective of 'autopoiesis,' which emphasizes self-creation and self-maintenance, Mahler argues that plants exhibit a form of mind by reacting to and acting within their environment, even without the need for internal representations.

"The Intersexed" examines the historical treatment of intersex individuals in Western societies. The book, drawing on medical judgments and court records, analyzes how societies have excluded and suppressed those with mixed biological sex characteristics, framing it within Michel Foucault's concept of 'biopower' where state apparatuses and expert knowledge regulate bodies and society.

Norman Naimark's "A World History of Genocide" offers a comprehensive historical analysis of mass killings. Naimark posits that genocide is not merely sporadic madness but a systematically constructed event driven by economic and political gains. The book surveys 23 case studies, from ancient biblical accounts to modern civil wars, illustrating the recurring patterns of organized destruction throughout human history.

Finally, "From Kant to Hegel, Heidegger" by Lee Kwang-mo provides a philosophical journey through 200 years of German idealism. It traces how Immanuel Kant's critical philosophy revealed the limits of human reason, how Hegel attempted to overcome these limitations through logic and speculative philosophy, and how thinkers like Schelling and Heidegger ultimately deconstructed this reason-centric tradition.